
The first Call for Proposals by the Galápagos Life Fund (GLF), opened from December 16, 2024, to January 20, 2025. The Call welcome proposals aligned with the two Priority Areas:
As part of Phase 1 of the Call, the GLF received a total of 114 Concept Notes from various sectors of the community.
Following an initial administrative review, 57 proposals (50% of the total) were deemed eligible and met the established requirements: 35 Education and Community Outreach, and 22 Sustainable Fisheries. The remaining 57 proposals were disqualified for reasons such as misalignment with the priority areas, failure to meet eligibility criteria, incorrect formatting, or incomplete documentation.
These 57 eligible proposals were evaluated by the GLF Technical Advisory Committee via an online platform, ensuring full transparency and free from conflicts of interest. Each Concept Note was evaluated using ten general and seven area-specific criteria, based on a 100-point scoring system. As a result, 19 Concept Notes were shortlisted to advance to Phase 2 of the evaluation process:
The shortlisted initiatives come from the islands of San Cristóbal (7 proposals), Santa Cruz (11), and Isabela (1), and will benefit fishing cooperatives, social organizations, academic institutions, private companies, and individual applicants.
The shortlisted concept notes will benefit:
Fishing Cooperatives and Associations
Local Community-Based Organizations
Academia or Educational Institutions
Private companies
Individuals
NGOs
Applicants submitted Concept Notes for funding under three (3) grant categories. The following are the shortlisted concept notes by grant category:
Small Grant – 10 Shortlisted Projects: Up to $100,000. The maximum grant duration is 12 months. Co-financing is not mandatory, but in-kind co-financing is recommended.
Medium Grant – 6 Shortlisted Projects: Up to $250,000. The maximum grant duration is 24 months. A co-financing equivalent to 10%, either in-kind or in cash, is required.
Large Grant – 3 Shortlisted Projects: Starting from $250,000. The maximum grant duration is 36 months. A co-financing equivalent to 25% of the amount requested from the Fund must be provided.
As part of Phase 2, applicants of shortlisted Concept Notes were invited to submit a Full Proposal using the official template provided. This proposal template consists of three main parts: a detailed project narrative—including objectives, activities, expected outcomes, and implementation timeline; a section with budget information; and the corresponding annexes. Additionally, an Excel form was shared, for applicants to complete their proposal .
All applicants were advised to carefully review this documentation and complete it according to the established guidelines. Informative webinars were organized to explain the details of the next steps in this stage and the forms to be completed.
The GLF technical team is available to provide support to applicants throughout the process, including during the development of Full Proposals.
The dates are approximate and subject to revision.
2025-03-11
Notify Shortlisted Applicants of Results
2025-03-14
Start of Full Proposal Preparation
2025-03-20
Webinar on Full Proposal Preparation for Small Projects
2025-03-21
Webinar on Full Proposal Preparation for Medium and Large Projects
2025-04-15
Final Submission Date for Full Proposals – Small Projects
2025-05-30
Final Submission Date for Full Proposals – Medium and Large Projects
A total of 114 concept notes were received within the established deadline.
Out of the 114 concept notes received, 57 passed the administrative review.
The proposals were rejected for the following reasons:
- Not aligned with the priority areas of the call (23 cases)
- Failure to meet the applicant eligibility criteria (10 cases)
- Inappropriate grant category (10 cases)
- Use of an incorrect format (7 cases)
- Incomplete Analysis and Safeguards Assessment (5 cases)
- Incomplete budget or other reasons (2 cases)
A total of 19 proposals were shortlisted: 12 in Education and Community Outreach, and 7 in Sustainable Fisheries.
San Cristóbal: 7 proposals
Santa Cruz: 11 proposals
Isabela: 1 proposal
- Fishing Cooperatives and Associations
- Local Social Organizations
- National Academic Institutions
- Local and National Private Companies
- Individuals
The 57 concept notes that met the administrative requirements were evaluated by the Technical Advisory Committee through the Qualtrics platform. Ten general criteria and seven category-specific criteria were applied during the assessment.
- Education and Community Outreach: Evaluated by three members of the Technical Advisory Committee with no conflict of interest.
- Sustainable Fisheries: Evaluated by four members of the Technical Advisory Committee with no conflict of interest.
Shortlisted applicants must submit a full proposal that includes:
- Project Narrative: Objectives, activities, expected outcomes, and implementation timeline.
- Budget Information: Presented using the official format provided in the call.
- Relevant Annexes: All required supporting documents.
Yes. Informative webinars have been organized to explain the process for submitting full proposals and to address any questions. Additionally, the GLF technical team will provide support throughout the proposal development phase.
All relevant information will be sent via email to the shortlisted applicants.
For further inquiries, you can contact the GLF team through the official channels:
- Email: convocatorias@glf.org.ec
- Or via our social media platforms.
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