We announce a small grants competition for the conservation of the saiga antelope. The competition is funded by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Wildlife Conservation Network and administered by the Saiga Conservation Alliance.
Eligible projects will:
• Be concerned with the conservation of the saiga antelope • Have a direct and clear impact on the status of the saiga antelope • Be undertaken in the period 15th July to 15th October 2016 • Have a budget of up to approx. US$5,000 • Be affiliated to the Saiga Conservation Alliance, and bound by the rules of its constitution, and the reporting requirements that are laid out therein.
The SCA small grants programme will fund three or four projects with budgets in the region of $5,000. The programme is aimed at financing in-country grass-roots research and conservation. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the project contributes to fulfilling the goals of the Convention on Migratory Species’ Medium Term Work Programme for the saiga antelope (http://www.cms.int/species/saiga/1st_saiga_range_states_meeting.htm).
The call for projects will be limited to projects which can be executed within 3 months; this could include projects providing needed equipment for anti-poaching teams, contributions towards the costs of anti-poaching activities (such as fuel and vehicle maintenance), development, printing and distribution of educational materials, or events and training/capacity-building (e.g. for customs officials).
The grants will be available to people based in the 4 countries (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia), which comprise the saiga range, plus the main consumer countries (including but not limited to China).
There is no requirement to be associated with the SCA in order to submit a proposal, but if you would like advice before submission, you are welcome to discuss your proposal with the Steering Committee member in your country (http://www.saiga-conservation.com/who.html).
Please submit your proposal in English or Russian by e-mail as an attachment to the Saiga Conservation Alliance (mail@saiga-conservation.com), by 15th June 2016. Proposals received after 15th June will not be considered. Successful applicants will be notified by 30th June 2016. No expenditure incurred on project activities before 15th July 2015 or after 15th October 2016 can be refunded. The final report on project progress must be submitted to the SCA by 15th November 2016.
