Institutional biodiversity data mobilization grants for Latin America and the Caribbean

Institutional biodiversity data mobilization grants for Latin America and the Caribbean is sponsored by GBIF. These grants aim to strengthen institutional data management capacity and mobilize policy-relevant biodiversity data to support national and regional priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

GBIF—the Global Biodiversity Information Facility—seeks concept notes from eligible organizations in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pacific for project funding through the **Biodiversity Information for Development (BID)** programme.

Funded by the European Union through the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), the BID programme seeks to strengthen the capacity of institutions and countries to mobilize biodiversity data, making it openly available to inform decision-making and to support the knowledge needs of the **Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework**.

Selected projects should address critical gaps in biodiversity data by mobilizing data, promoting its application in research and policymaking, and building sustainable networks and communities of practice committed to sharing open data on biodiversity.

### Objectives of the call for proposals Concept notes should describe projects that support biodiversity data mobilization by: * Making existing sources of biodiversity data accessible through GBIF to address knowledge gaps and meet regional information needs * Enhancing regional and cross-regional capacity for managing and using biodiversity information * Supporting the application of biodiversity data in support of research and decision-making * Developing and strengthening sustainable regional and cross-regional partnerships for biodiversity data sharing and reuse * Developing and implementing mechanisms to support the mobility of skills at the regional or cross-regional level ### Grant types and funding Two types of grants are available: #### 1.

Regional biodiversity data mobilization grants * **Purpose:** Build or strengthen regional collaborations to enhance knowledge-sharing, including capacity building and skills mobility, and to mobilize data for research and policy that address regional priorities * **Funding:** Up to €90,000 * **Implementation Period:** 24 months #### 2.

Cross-regional biodiversity data mobilization grants * **Purpose:** Build or strengthen cross-regional collaborations to enhance knowledge-sharing, including capacity building and skills mobility, and to mobilize data for research and policy that address shared cross-regional priorities * **Funding:** Up to €120,000 * **Implementation Period:** 24 months Detailed project budgets submitted by applicants and approved by the selection panel will determine the exact funding amounts.

To apply, applicants must: * Be legal entities (e.g. research institutions, universities, museums, non-governmental organizations or government agencies) registered in eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean or the Pacific (see full list below).

Organizations with a legal presence in an eligible country (e.g. a branch or regional office), but headquartered in a non-eligible country, will be considered eligible provided they submit their application through their local entity. * The project team must **demonstrate sufficient previous experience within biodiversity data mobilization** to be able to implement the project. Please have a look at the **FAQ here**.

* Propose projects aligned with the objectives of the BID call for proposals * Ensure all proposed activities are not for profit * Ensure that all data mobilized is published under a **CC0 1. 0** waiver or **CC-BY 4. 0** licence Descriptions of both grant types specify additional eligibility criteria.

### Application process and timeline #### Step 1: Submission of concept notes * Submit concept notes in **English** through the GBIF Grants Portal by **2 February 2026**, 16:00 CET (UTC+1). **_Please note that the creation of a new account in the GBIF Grants Portal can take up to three working days.

_** * GBIF Secretariat staff will screen applications for eligibility, relevance and alignment with objectives of the BID call for proposals. * Eligible and in-scope applications will undergo two independent reviews and scoring, followed by an expert panel’s selection of a shortlist of applicants invited to submit a full proposal.

> _We strongly encourage you to create and test your account in the GBIF Grants Portal **well in advance** of the deadline. As the final submission day is a **Monday**, please be advised that the GBIF Secretariat and BID team **cannot guarantee** resolution for technical issues, particularly those concerning account creation, if they are reported over the preceding **weekend** (Saturday or Sunday) or on the final deadline day.

_ #### Step 2: Submission of full proposals * The GBIF Secretariat will invite shortlisted applicants to submit full proposals in **Q2 2026**. * Full proposals must include detailed project plans, budgets and letters of support.

In addition, applications led by a legal entity and/or involving partners from countries or organizations that already participate in GBIF must include a statement of endorsement from the GBIF Head of Delegation or node manager. * Proposals will undergo two independent reviews and scoring, followed by final selection by an expert panel.

* Projects not selected for funding may be placed on a reserve list for future consideration within the BID programme. #### Step 3: Project implementation * Projects selected for funding are expected to start on **2nd September 2026** and will run for a maximum of 24 months. Two independent reviewers will review and score concept notes and full proposals based on: 1.

**Relevance:** Alignment with objectives of the BID call for proposals and regional needs identified in the reports of the Engagement Meeting for the Biodiversity Information for Development Programme in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pacific and/or relevant sources clearly identified by the applicant. 2. **Impact:** Contribution to regional or national biodiversity data priorities 3.

**Sustainability:** Potential to deliver long-term benefits for biodiversity. Institutions that have previously received BID programme support should demonstrate how their proposed actions build upon past achievements to sustain and enhance their impact. 4.

**Cost-effectiveness:** Number of beneficiaries/partners included in the proposal, efficient use of resources, including co-funding. Co-funding contributions below 25% of the total budget will be regarded as poor value for money. 5.

**Collaboration:** Inclusion of diverse project partners and promotion of best practices. 6. **Response to feedback** (at full proposal stage only): Response to feedback shared by the selection panel following the concept note stage.

Each criterion will have equal weight in the scoring of proposals.

A selection panel composed of external experts assembled by GBIF will evaluate the proposals based on the reviewers’ scores and comments, the balance of geographic, thematic and grant types representation, the balance of projects that build on the activities of previous grantees and those that are led by new institutions, and the potential for similar proposals to combine into a single submission ensuring the best overall impact of the annual funding round.

Based on the recommendations of the selection panel, the GBIF Secretariat retains the right to place projects not initially selected on a reserve list for future consideration. Being on this list means that, if opportunities arise, these projects may still be considered for BID funding. The reserve list will be valid until **31 December 2026**.

Applicants for the regional and cross regional Biodiversity data mobilization grants in Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Pacific call must be based in one of the following eligible countries: [](https://www. gbif.

org/news/4uU4o1vqXN95wBTnHS5ZTl/2025-bid-call-for-proposals-regional-and-cross-regional-biodiversity-data-mobilization-projects-closed) **Latin America and the Caribbean** * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines [](https://www. gbif.

org/news/4uU4o1vqXN95wBTnHS5ZTl/2025-bid-call-for-proposals-regional-and-cross-regional-biodiversity-data-mobilization-projects-closed) * Central African Republic * Democratic Republic of the Congo [](https://www. gbif.

org/news/4uU4o1vqXN95wBTnHS5ZTl/2025-bid-call-for-proposals-regional-and-cross-regional-biodiversity-data-mobilization-projects-closed) * Report of the BID engagement meeting and regional consultation for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pacific * Analysis of the data currently available through GBIF for the BID-eligible countries and areas in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific * Previous projects funded under the BID programme * Specific requirements for the BID datasets You can reach us in two ways: * **Public forum** – If your question could benefit others, we encourage you to ask it on our public forum.

By posting your question there, you agree to let us publish and share the information to support the broader community. * **Email** – For private inquiries, you can contact us at bid@gbif. org.

_This programme is funded by the European Union.

_ Country or area Tuvalu Tanzania, United Republic of Liberia Djibouti Honduras Palau Lesotho Paraguay Dominica Dominican Republic Haiti Uganda Madagascar Marshall Islands Ecuador Mali Mauritania Montserrat South Africa Mauritius Malawi Mexico Mozambique Eritrea Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Angola Ethiopia Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Argentina Zambia Namibia Niger Nigeria Nicaragua Zimbabwe Vanuatu Jamaica Nauru Fiji Rwanda Niue Micronesia, Federated States of Burundi Benin Bolivia, Plurinational State of Wallis and Futuna Solomon Islands Brazil Sudan Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Botswana Belize Sierra Leone Kenya Gabon Senegal Samoa Somalia Grenada Kiribati Suriname South Sudan Sao Tome and Principe Ghana Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Comoros Central African Republic El Salvador Congo Gambia Côte d’Ivoire Guinea Equatorial Guinea Cameroon Colombia Guatemala Costa Rica Guinea-Bissau Chad Panama Guyana Cuba Togo Peru Tokelau Papua New Guinea Saint Lucia Timor-Leste Tonga Topic Data publishing Data digitization Capacity enhancement