(3 minute read)
Published: 8 July 2022
Written by: Sufina Ahmad, Director
This article is about the second round of our UK’s Overseas Territories, and you can find out more about it here.
For nearly a decade, John Ellerman Foundation has had the enormous privilege of providing funding for transformative and locally-led environmental work in many of the UK’s Overseas Territories (UKOTs). The UKOTs are mainly small islands spread across every major ocean basin on the planet, and they are home to more biodiversity than the entire UK mainland.
Last year, in October 2021, we took our commitment to these nationally and globally significant environments one step further by launching the UK Overseas Territories Fund (also referred to as the UKOTs Fund), a collaborative fund designed and delivered in partnership with several other funders, including two other funders that directly contributed their own funding. The first round of the UKOTs Fund distributed £1.05m, and you can read about who we funded and our reflections on what we achieved on our website here.
A new year, a new round
It is a real pleasure to share that today, 8 July 2022, marks the launch of a new round of the UKOTs Fund, again in collaboration with other funders. Applications to the UKOTs Fund must be submitted by 5pm on 19 September 2022.John Ellerman Foundation will be contributing up to £200k to this round of funding, and we have secured a further 500k raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded through Postcode Planet Trust. We will be announcing further commitments made in due course – where we have permission to do so from the funder. We hope to raise circa £850k for this year’s round of the Fund. You can find out more about the UKOTs Fund here on the website, with this page also including links to the funding guidelines and the FAQs (frequently asked questions) documents.
What we will fund
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 advocacy for the creation and implementation of legislative frameworks. Core costs funding 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.
Spread the word
Please do share details of the new round of the UKOTs Fund across your networks. We are welcoming 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 details about this is provided in the FAQs for the UKOTs Fund. Ultimately, 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.
Those 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.
We hope that this second round of the UKOTs Fund will be supportive of the inspiring environmental work happening across the UKOTs, and look forward to reviewing the applications received by the deadline of 5pm on 19 September 2022.