MEPA Trust is a grant-making entity that was established to provide a sustainable flow of funds that will enable the Trust to support the long-term management and expansion of Antigua and Barbuda’s areas of land and/or sea.
Funding Activities That Contribute To The Sustainability Of Antigua and Barbuda’s Biological Diversity.
Call for Proposals
Established in 2015, the Marine Ecosystems Protected Area (MEPA) Trust is a not for profit organization registered under the Companies Act of Antigua and Barbuda. It is a grant-making entity that was established to provide a sustainable flow of funds that will enable the Trust to support the long-term management and expansion of Antigua and Barbuda’s areas of land and/or sea. It is specifically dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and natural resources and other activities that contribute substantially to the conservation, protection and maintenance of biodiversity as identified after consultation with stakeholders.
Grant Making Goals
In consideration of the MEPA Trust’s mandate, the MEPA Trust will work towards achieving the following Grant-Making Goals:
Goal 1
Protect and Enhance Ecosystems
Goal 2
Strengthen the governance and management effectiveness of Protected Areas (PAs)
Goal 3
Increased human and financial resources for PAs from governments and communities
Goal 4
Education and Awareness
Goal 5
Support Sustainable Livelihoods
Types of Projects and Programmes that this Grant will support
The MEPA Trust will support single grants lasting no more than two years, ranging from $5000 – $50,000 USD, and may adjust this range as is needed. Depending on project outcomes, grantees may be able to apply for and receive more funding following the completion of the first grant. The MEPA Trust may consider funding grantee activities including:
Natural Resource and biodiversity management activities
Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction activities
Livelihoods
Education and Awareness
Technical Support / Capacity Building
Research
Basic Equipment / Tools
Policy
Partnership Development
Who Can Apply?
A variety of different types of recipients in Antigua and Barbuda will be eligible to receive grants from the MEPA Trust. All eligible organizations or individuals must be legally-registered entities in Antigua and Barbuda and have the necessary organizational infrastructure (e.g., bank account, leadership, necessary staff capacity) to support the implementation of the project.
Local/regional academic institutions conducting activities relevant to the vision, mission, goals, and strategies of the MEPA Trust
Private Sector Businesses or other companies from relevant industries involved in natural resource and biodiversity management/conservation. Private Sector Businesses must be established in Antigua and Barbuda for at least one (1) year.
Public Sector Agencies responsible for natural resource and biodiversity management/conservation
Local or regional (Caribbean) NGOs established, legally-registered and existing in Antigua and Barbuda for no less than 5 years and with an established track record
Local community associations or other community bodies with direct impact on marine and terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems resources (e.g., fisherfolk associations, youth groups, church groups)
Other appropriate local entities of Antigua and Barbuda working towards the vision, mission, goals, and strategies of the MEPA Trust.
Our Process
Step 1: Grant Making Strategy
The MEPA Trust’s grant-making strategy lays the groundwork for its grant-making activities and determines what the MEPA Trust will fund each year. The grant-making strategy will be revised annually based on findings and lessons learned throughout the process and identified through MEL to adapt to the changing landscape of threats, needs, and priorities for Antigua and Barbuda.
Step 2: Proposal Solicitation and Outreach
Following the development of the grantmaking strategy, the MEPA Trust will conduct outreach to potential grantees and solicit proposals. The MEPA Trust will release the Request for Concept Notes (RCN) through its official website and, where possible, distribute to donors for broader dissemination. The MEPA Trust will also conduct outreach by making announcements (e.g., church announcements, public service announcements), posting on its Facebook page, distributing flyers, and hosting meetings to inform potential grantees about the application process. Throughout the proposal solicitation and outreach process, the MEPA Trust will serve as a resource for potential grantees by responding to grantee questions about the RCN, Request for Proposals (RFP) and the grant-application process.
Step 3: Reviewing and Awarding Grants
The MEPA Trust’s grant-making strategy lays the groundwork for its grant-making activities and determines what the MEPA Trust will fund each year. The grant-making strategy will be revised annually based on findings and lessons learned throughout the process and identified through MEL to adapt to the changing landscape of threats, needs, and priorities for Antigua and Barbuda.
Step 4: MEPA Trust and Grantee Implementation
After awarding grants, the MEPA Trust will work closely with selected grantees to execute the grant agreement. The implementation includes several components including Execution of the grant agreement, Fund disbursement, Administrative and field supervision of grantees, Annual work plans, Amendments, Conflicts of interest and Misuse of funds.
Step 5: Grant Closeout
The MEPA Trust’s grant-making strategy lays the groundwork for its grant-making activities and determines what the MEPA Trust will fund each year. The grant-making strategy will be revised annually based on findings and lessons learned throughout the process and identified through MEL to adapt to the changing landscape of threats, needs, and priorities for Antigua and Barbuda.
Step 6: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
A robust MEL process is an essential step of the MEPA Trust’s grant-making process because it will allow the MEPA Trust to evaluate the impact of its grants, report results and impacts to target audiences and provide tools for decision-making for adaptive management of projects and for amending the grant-making strategy. In addition, MEL will promote transparency by generating lessons learned that can be publicly shared. This section describes the MEL process that the MEPA Trust will use to monitor and evaluate its programs in relation to its purpose, strategic direction, and national and international conservation indicators, targets, and strategies.
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