Call for projects to establish and monitor biodiversity indicators

Ref: IP-EN-2025

Introduction

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are a key tool for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), defining targets and actions tailored to each country. Countries party to the CBD have committed to updating these NBSAPs and producing regular national reports to assess their progress towards these biodiversity targets. These national reports include specific indicators, in particular those contained in the Monitoring Framework of the CBD new Global Biodiversity Framework, to measure the state of ecosystems, the pressures on biodiversity and the results of conservation measures. These commitments make it possible to monitor and compare progress at a global level, while strengthening transparency and international cooperation for the protection of biodiversity.

The CEBioS programme

The framework agreement between the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD) and the Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) aims, through the CEBioS (Capacities for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development) programme, to increase knowledge of biodiversity and related policies, while promoting the implementation of international environment conventions in developing countries. It provides technical, scientific and financial support to help its partner countries integrate biodiversity into their strategies and honour their international conservation commitments.

The Indicators for Policy (IP) component of CEBioS focuses on the use of biodiversity indicators to help decision-makers make the right choices in the face of today’s environmental challenges. By linking scientific data to policy-making, this component makes it possible to assess changes in biodiversity, analyse progress in conservation and strengthen National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) as well as national reports under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The development of indicators is a key tool for monitoring and reporting on the state of biodiversity, particularly in the context of implementing the CBD and other international agreements. It makes it possible to assess the application of national strategies and action plans and to produce reports at local and national levels. This process is based on the mobilisation of data, which is essential for the establishment of indicators, which are also used to measure the effectiveness of policies and projects, guide decisions and adjust the actions taken.

This call aims to promote links between the worlds of science and policy, in order to develop and monitor such biodiversity indicators.

Eligibility

Country

This call is open to the following partner countries:  Palestinian Territory – Tanzania – Uganda.

Partnerships may be set up to implement the project, in order to strengthen cooperation between countries. The following countries are eligible for partnerships: Benin* – Burkina Faso* – Burundi* – Cape Verde – Cambodia – Ivory Coast – DR Congo* – Gambia – Ghana – Guinea* – Guinea Bissau – Kenya – Laos – Liberia – Mali* – Morocco* – Mozambique* – Niger* – Nigeria – Palestinian Territory* – Senegal* – Sierra Leone – Tanzania* – Thailand – Togo – Uganda* – Vietnam

*Partnerships with official Belgian Development Cooperation partner countries (indicated by an asterisk in the list above) will be given priority.

Project promoter and partners :

The project must be submitted by a partnership of at least two entities:

• A scientific entity, i.e. a national institute, a research centre or a public university capable of gathering, mobilising and supplying the necessary data;
• An entity for the policy aspects, i.e. a government institution (ministry, local government, etc.), a structure in charge of biodiversity management or an NGO, capable of applying the data or indicators to the monitoring of the NBSAP and the preparation of the national report to the CBD.

Two people must be appointed – one per entity – one of whom will be responsible for the budget, coordination, implementation and reporting of the project (the promoter).

Women’s participation

CEBioS strongly encourages the involvement of women in the implementation of projects. Particular attention will be paid to the selection of projects actively involving women. CEBioS stresses the importance of reaching a female audience in the context of this call, particularly in scientific and political fields where women remain under-represented. By encouraging greater participation by women in the projects selected, CEBioS aims to enrich research with a diversity of perspectives and to promote greater inclusiveness at the Science-Policy interface.

Themes and activities

Projects will aim to use existing biodiversity data to develop, apply or refine one or more biodiversity indicators relevant for your country NBSAP. You can find more information on biodiversity indicators (including examples) in the resources at the bottom of the page. If targeting specific headline indicators of the Monitoring Framework, the following headline indicators are priorities for CEBioS under this call for projects:

• A.1 Red List of Ecosystems
• A.2 Extent of natural Ecosystems
• A.3 Red List Index
• B.1 Services provided by ecosystems
• 3.1 Coverage of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures
• 5.1 Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels
• 6.1 Rate of invasive alien species establishment
• 10.2 Progress towards sustainable forest management

Projects can be on a local, national or regional scale.

Do not hesitate to contact your CBD focal points (see here ) for questions on indicators specific to your country, and CEBioS for questions on indicators in general (cebios-ip[at]naturalsciences.be).

Objectives

The objectives of the project can be many, but must include one or more of the following:

• Formulation of national indicators: Development of indicators for monitoring the updated NBSAP or for specific targets (if this has not yet been done).
• Improving existing national indicators: refining existing indicators.
• Mobilisation of existing data: Mobilisation of existing data required to calculate indicators for monitoring progress on the NBSAP.
• Integrating indicators into policies: taking greater account of indicators in national strategies and policies.
• Biodiversity monitoring and assessment: Improvement of national monitoring systems for calculating the priority indicators selected, including the establishment of baselines (data for a reference period).
• Collaboration and capacity building: regional and national cooperation, consultation and training of stakeholders.

Activities

The eligible activities, aimed at formulating indicators, strengthening monitoring systems and/or calculating one or more given indicators, are as follows:

• Involvement of stakeholders (the project cannot focus solely on this type of activity)
  • • Concertation frameworks to encourage exchanges and synergies between stakeholders (political decision-makers, NGOs, communities and others).
    • Activities aimed at assigning entities responsible for the ongoing monitoring of NBSAP indicators.
    • Gathering and analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions, knowledge and priorities in terms of monitoring, indicators and data collection.
    • Organisation of information and training workshops targeting potential data holders.
    • Involving indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity monitoring.
• Data enhancement and management, methodologies
  • • Use of data from theses, inventories, reports, field notebooks and other sources of grey literature.
    • Monitoring chronological evolution and developing a standardised methodology for ongoing monitoring.
    • Design, harmonisation and improvement of methodological tools for data collection, monitoring and analysis.
    • Development of methodologies for calculating indicators.
• Creating, updating and digitising databases
  • • Developing and putting online national and common databases dedicated to indicators.
    • Digitisation and access to international databases.
    • Regular updating of databases to ensure effective monitoring.
    • Collaboration with the national or regional GBIF node to publish data online.
• Institutional strengthening and training
  • • Training in the use of platforms such as GBIF and data management tools.
    • Capacity building for institutions involved in biodiversity monitoring and indicators.
    • Establishment of national, provincial and inter-institutional focal points to facilitate the capitalisation and sharing of data.

Compulsory activities :

• Incorporation in the next national reports to the CBD (2026, 2029) of the (pre-) results of the project. To this end, an asset of the project is to accompany the project submission by a letter from the CBD focal point in your country explaining how your project contributes to the follow-up of the NBSAP and to future national reports to the CBD (see here for the contacts of your national focal points and below for a model letter).
• Publication on your national Biodiversity Clearing House (CHM) of the key results of your project, in collaboration with your CHM focal point (see here for contact details).

Collaboration between countries (South-South) (optional)

The involvement of another country is possible, for mutual capacity building, exchange of experience, sharing of knowledge and good practice on specific aspects of data mobilisation and the establishment or monitoring of indicators.

As part of the South-South component activities linked to the sharing of methodologies and experience on central elements of the project may take place, for example :

• The mobility of one or more experts from one country to another.
• The organisation of a joint workshop.
• Regular distance, online and hybrid exchanges.

Scientific support and workshop planned

Those responsible for the projects will be invited to an online training workshop (last quarter of 2025) and a live closing workshop (last quarter of 2027, place and date to be determined), bringing together one person per project and those responsible for monitoring the projects within CEBioS. The workshops will provide an opportunity to present and discuss the projects, and to exchange experiences, best practices and difficulties. The aim will also be to jointly draft a scientific publication and/or communications to policy-makers on the results of the projects.

Type of support

The maximum amount financed by CEBioS is 10,000€ per project.

A South-South component may be added for a maximum of €3,000, covering mobility and exchanges with partners in another partner country. Please note that it is possible that only your main project will be selected, without the proposed additional South-South component.

The number of projects supported will depend on the type, size and quality of the projects submitted.

The RBINS will finance the selected projects up to 80% of their estimated total cost. The remaining 20% will have to be covered by the local partner. This means, for example, that for a project totalling €12,500, the local partner will have to provide €2,500 (20%), and CEBioS will fund the remaining €10,000 (80%).

A project contract will be drawn up between the RBINS and the promoter’s institute. The breakdown of funding will be as follows: 90% of the budget requested at the start of the project and 10% at the administrative and financial close of the project. The latter payment will only be made once the RBINS has received and validated the narrative and financial reports.

Possible eligible costs include: communication (internet, credits, etc.), the organisation of small workshops, all costs related to local transport, local accommodation and, if necessary, small equipment (e.g. USB key, hard drive, etc., do not hesitate to contact us if any doubt). Local consultancy fees and salaries are not eligible, unless duly justified in the project and limited to a maximum of 15% of the total budget. However, subcontracting or consultancy contracts for essential tasks of the subsidised organisation, as well as those concluded with its own employees, are not eligible.

In addition to the budget allocated to the project, travel and accommodation costs for one person for each selected project will be covered by CEBioS for the closing workshop at the end of 2027 (date and venue to be determined).

There will be an opportunity to submit a communication and awareness-raising project on the theme of the project following the closing workshop, for implementation in 2028-2029. Details will be set out in the contract for the projects selected in this call for proposals.

Preparation of a proposal and submission instructions

Projects must be submitted to CEBioS by 11 May 2025 at the latest, to the e-mail address cebios-ip<at>naturalsciences.be.

Projects must be submitted using the template available here.

As an appendix, a letter from the CBD Focal Point of your country accompanying the submission is an asset, explaining how the project will support the implementation of the NBSAP and its monitoring, and how the results will be incorporated into the next national report (see appendix).

Selection criteria

A selection committee will analyse the applications and make the final decision on the selection of projects, no later than four weeks after the project submission deadline.

There are two stages to the selection process:

• Stage 1: Checking project eligibility. If a project does not meet the eligibility criteria, it will not be subject to any further analysis.
• Stage 2: Evaluation of content and budget using the scoring table below. Proposals will be ranked according to their final score and a final decision will be made. The selection committee retains the right to change the order of priority established by the scoring table, provided that any change is justified.

Scoring table: Each criterion will be assessed on a scale of 0 to 5, then weighted according to an assigned coefficient.

Reports

An activity report and a financial report must be submitted to the RBINS at the end of the project (this will be stipulated in the contract).

Scans of the supporting documents for the expenses will be requested, and the original documents must be kept by the promoter, in order to comply with the requirements of the Belgian Development Cooperation. Any expenditure that cannot be justified will not be taken into consideration and must be supported by the promoter.

All the information on administrative and financial rules can be found in the CEBioS Vademecum and must be applied when implementing projects.

Templates for the financial and technical reports will be provided when the contract is drawn up.

Any report not complying with the instructions will not be accepted.

Indicative dates for examining proposals and carrying out projects

Contacts

The following people will be responsible for evaluating and monitoring the projects, with the help of experts:

• Anne-Julie Rochette
• Thomas Wouters

To ensure that each of these people is kept informed at all times of the progress of the application, please use only the generic e-mail cebios-ip<at>naturalsciences.be.