The Barbados Environmental Sustainability Fund (BESF), is a recently formed Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that was established to source and provide financial resources to enable environmental conservation and sustainability in Barbados. The NGO was incorporated under the Companies Act CAP 308 in April 2022. While the BESF was formed through an Act of Parliament, the organisation operates as an NGO and has a separate Board of Directors which is comprised of representatives from the Government of Barbados, the private sector, civil society and international partners.
The BESF was formed, in part, to support the Government of Barbados with the achievement of its conservation commitments, and particularly the development of the Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) which is being implemented by the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification, Blue and Green Economy (MENB), with project implementation being led by the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU). The BESF also aims to support Barbados’ progress toward achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by funding eligible projects that align with our strategic priority areas.
The BESF was formed in April of 2022 by the Cabinet of Barbados as a long-term financing mechanism to support the island’s environmental conservation and sustainability efforts.
The BESF Secretariat is led by a CEO, Ms. Kemi Linton, and supported by a Technical Officer, Ms. Catrina Hinds, and Administrative Assistant, Ms. Mechelle Lynch. The BESF is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors. The BESF’s Board is Chaired by Mr. Gregory Hinkson. For more information, please visit our website at www.besf.bb
The BESF is funded through an innovative debt-for-nature swap negotiated by the Government of Barbados which successfully redirected a portion of its sovereign debt service into marine conservation funding by completing a US $150 million debt-for-nature conversion. This has freed up approximately US $50 million to support environmental sustainability and conservation efforts over the next fifteen (15) years. The debt-for-nature transaction occurred between the Government of Barbados, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). For additional details on how the BESF is funded, please click here to view the Conservation Funding Agreement.
Calls for Proposals are issued on an annual basis. Notices of Calls for Proposals will be posted on the BESF website and social media channels. Interested parties are advised to sign up for the BESF newsletter for updates on Calls for Proposals.
Provisions have been made for an endowment fund to support the organisation after the initial 15-year period. The BESF will also mobilise new resources to support projects and programmes as approved by the Board of Directors.
The BESF offers grant funding, not loan funding, meaning that individuals and organisations that are eligible to apply and projects that are approved for funding do not have to repay the Fund. However, applicants will go through a rigorous evaluation process to determine whether the applicant is eligible and whether the long-term objectives of the project being submitted align with the BESF’s priority areas.
The BESF is committed to funding an innovative range of sustainable projects from eligible applicants. To be eligible for BESF grants, applicants must fall under one of the following groups:
Projects which are eligible for BESF grant funding must align with the strategic priority areas of the Fund and which helps supports the Government of Barbados in its efforts to meet its conservation commitments. We are looking to fund projects that can show a demonstrable and measurable positive impact on our sustainability goals.
Projects eligible for BESF funding must align with one or more of the following thematic areas:
If you have any questions about your project’s eligibility, please visit our website at www.besf.bb/eligibility, or email us at [email protected].
Only nationalised Barbadian students and postdoctoral researchers and locally registered entities are eligible to receive grant funding.
You can find information on the grant application process on our website (www.besf.bb) and on our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also reach out directly to the BESF Secretariat at to [email protected]
The BESF grant-making lifecycle will be managed through an online grant management platform. Applicants are required to register to the platform and apply by filling out and submitting the appropriate form. For guidance on utilising the BESF Grant Management Platform, please access the manual here. Only applications submitted via the online platform will be accepted. Hand-delivered or emailed concept notes, full proposals, applications or other documentation will not be accepted.
The BESF has secured funding to award grants in three tiers: small, medium, or large. The respective amount for each tier is shown below in Barbados dollars:
Grant Tier | Funding Range (BBD) |
Small | Up to $50,000 |
Medium | $51,000- $100,000 |
Large | $101,000 – $300,000 |
Grants will typically be awarded for a maximum of 2-years, and up to 3-years in special cases.
Co-financing will be optional for small grants but required for medium and large grants and may take the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions. Cost-sharing should be directly related to project implementation and the achievement of expected outcomes. These costs can be related to labour, equipment and materials, rental venues, and any other quantifiable resources.
Applicants of medium-sized grants are required to mobilise and/or demonstrate a minimum of 15-25% of the total project budget from other sources; while for large-sized grants, co-financing should be in the range of 25-40% of the total project budget. The source, value, and nature of such contributions should be clearly defined in the proposed project budget.
Yes. Applicants may submit more than one Concept Note during a Call for Proposals.
Yes, applicants can contact the BESF Secretariat for guidance on completing application forms.
Yes, however, consideration should be given to any previous feedback provided to strengthen your proposal.
An independent Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) provides the BESF with expert and transparent technical advice in the application review process and makes recommendations to the Board on which applications should be funded. The evaluation criteria that will be utilised by the TAC are outlined in the Call for Proposals/Applications document.
The BESF’s Call for Proposals is a competitive process that is comprised of two stages:
Stage 1: Open call for project concept notes; and
Stage 2: By invitation only, preselected concept notes are invited to submit a full project proposal.
Each Call will outline important dates and deadlines throughout the application process. In Stage 1, applicants should receive a notification of whether or not their concept note has been preselected in approximately 30 days after submission. In Stage 2, applicants should receive notification of whether their full proposal has been approved or not, between 35 days to 40 days after submission. Please note that these timelines are indicative only.
Note, Student and Postdoctoral Researcher applications are reviewed by the TAC in a single-stage process.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications via the online grant management platform and email notification once the TAC and Board review process has been completed. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the review process, whether or not their applications have been approved for grant funding.