Call for proposals open for conservation actions in the EU Overseas

In the wake of the successful conservation efforts carried out by the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Territories of European Overseas (BEST), BESTLIFE2030 is pleased to announce the launch of its first call for proposals on October 31, 2023. 

Header photo: Washington Slagbaai National Park (c) johnandersonphoto, Getty Images via Canva Pro

Why is this call significant?  

Overseas Entities are at the forefront of preserving our planet’s natural heritage. Within the European Union (EU), the Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) are home to 80% of Europe’s biodiversity. It is a well-established fact that the more diverse and abundant our biodiversity, the more precious it becomes. However, the Overseas territories find themselves on the front line of the ongoing climate crisis.  

The BEST initiative was introduced in 2010 as a preparatory action for the ORs and OCTs with a modest budget of EUR 2 million. Today, BEST has evolved into an integral part of the EU’s Programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) with BESTLIFE2030, a programme that will disburse over 200 grants across the ORs and the OCTs with a substantial budget of EUR 23.2 million until 2030.  

About the programme  

Since its inception, BEST has made significant strides in the realm of knowledge acquisition, promotion, and preservation of biodiversity within Overseas Entities. Local communities and grassroots organisations are the true heroes of this endeavour whose contributions warrant unequivocal recognition and support, as manifested by European Union’s representatives at the launch of BESTLIFE2030 in June 2023.  

However, local actors require more than just financial support. The Knowledge Sharing Journey organised earlier this year to reflect on the grant-making experience revealed that projects implementers also need networking opportunities, collaboration, lessons sharing and communication support, all of which are underpinned by BESTLIFE2030.  

The time has come to expedite the exchange of solutions and best practices, with a particular focus on fostering cooperation and integrating the ORs and OCTs into the broader conservation narrative.  

If you aspire to join this crucial endeavour and become a prospective applicant for BESTLIFE2030, we invite you to the BESTLIFE2030 website. Guidelines and application forms can also be found there.  

Resources

To ensure complementarity with previous BEST-funded projects and avoid duplication of activities, please access the relevant sections of the LIFE4BEST and BEST2.0+ websites.

BESTLIFE2030 is coordinated by IUCN. IUCN NL is one of the programme’s regional hubs. As such, we are the point of contact for organisations from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the countries of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, and the public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba).