UK Overseas Territories Fund
The 2022 round of the UK Overseas Territories Fund is now CLOSED.
The environments of the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are of national and indeed global significance. John Ellerman Foundation has been supporting land-based and marine-related work in the Territories since 2013 through our responsive environmental grantmaking. In 2021, the Foundation launched a £1.05m grantmaking fund for the UKOTs as as the centrepiece of our 50th Anniversary celebrations. We are delighted to now be launching a follow-up special fund in 2022, again in collaboration with other funders. You can find out more about how other funders are involved in the FAQs document available here for this fund.
Aim
The UK Overseas Territories Fund aims to provide a strategic response to environmental needs in the UKOTs. We expect to make a variety of small, medium and larger grants depending on funding need, size of organisation and the scale of the project. We will consider short-term grants as well as multi-year funding for periods of up to three years.
What we will fund
We are open to requests for project costs and core funding. Applicants should demonstrate a funding need and are not expected to hold excessive free reserves i.e. unspent and unrestricted funds.
We welcome funding applications for practical conservation activities in support of the protection and restoration of habitats and species on land and in the sea. We will also consider funding organisational capacity building, policy related work, acquisition of land with intrinsic conservation value, and advocacy for the creation and implementation of legislative frameworks. We also provide grants which can be used by a successful applicant to cover core costs, salaries, overheads etc. as is most needed. Regardless of the specific nature of the funded work, we are always keen to fund work which has a legacy beyond the life of the grant.
What we don’t fund
We will not fund:
- capital developments and individual items of equipment
- land acquisition for financial or speculative purposes
- one-off events, such as conferences, trips, or seminars
- environmental educational projects.
Who can apply
We welcome applications from UK charities working in partnership with local Territory-based NGOs and from charities based in the UKOTs. UKOTs-based charities can apply either directly or through a conduit in the UK. More detail about this is provided in the FAQs for this Fund. We are particularly interested in supporting organisations which:
- understand both the significance of habitats for human wellbeing and the impact of people on nature
- look for sustainable solutions by ensuring that the livelihoods and economic needs of local communities are integrated into their thinking and strategy
- work collaboratively with partners and other stakeholders in the Territories and/or the UK
- tackle causes as well as symptoms.
The organisation applying must also be able to demonstrate the following:
- commitment to excellence and learning
- awareness of its role and legitimacy to operate in the Territories
- strong leadership and commitment from senior management, Board or governing body
- effective financial management
- the difference a grant would make, to the organisation and other relevant stakeholders, the natural environment and local community, and/or policy and legislative frameworks.
Applying to the Fund
The online application portal for the UK Overseas Territories Fund will be open from Friday 8 July 2022. The application process is different from our main grantmaking process.
We are operating a one-stage written process. All applicants are expected to submit a three-page proposal with supporting financial documents. In some cases we will decide whether to award a grant based on the written application alone. However, for larger grants, or where we need further clarifying information, we will arrange a virtual follow-up meeting.
Written applications must be received by 5pm (UK time) on Tuesday 20 September 2022. We expect to make decisions in October 2022, and so you should plan for the work funded by a grant to start after 15th November 2022 at the earliest.
If you have any queries in the meantime about eligibility criteria or the application process, please refer to our FAQs available here in the first instance. You can also contact Sufina Ahmad, Director via sufina@ellerman.org.uk prior to applying. A follow-up phone call with a member of the Grants Team can be arranged for more in-depth queries. We will also hold virtual group consultations where the team will be on hand to answer questions from applicants and conduits.
Stage 1
Your written application should include:
1. A description of what you are seeking funding for, on no more than three sides of A4. Please include:
- a brief description of your organisation, relevant track record, and your legitimacy to operate within the one or more Territories that the work relates to
- background information about the nature and importance of the local environment
- what you would like us to fund, including (where possible) a specific amount and number of years for which funding is sought
- how your proposal matches what we fund and are looking for (see above).
2. Financial information:
If you are a charity, a copy of your most recent annual accounts. If you are part of a larger organisation (such as a university) please provide an income and expenditure statement for the running costs of your department or unit, and explain how its funds are kept distinct from those of the wider institution. If your accounts show a significant surplus or deficit, high or low reserves, please explain this briefly, including your policy on their future use/replenishment. If the year-end date of your accounts is more than 10 months old, please include your latest management accounts. If you are planning to apply through a conduit, please get in touch prior to applying so we can discuss the financial information required from both parties.
Stage 2 (for larger and/or grants where more information is required only)
If we require a follow-up conversation to discuss the proposal in more detail, we will arrange to meet with you and, where relevant, the conduit organisation. This meeting will take place virtually and is intended to find out more about you and your work. It will include representatives from John Ellerman Foundation and other potential funders.
