The Darwin Initiative is a UK Government grants scheme that supports communities to find just, scalable, and sustainable ways to conserve and restore nature while growing their economies and reducing poverty.
Successful Darwin Initiative projects are likely to:
- Facilitate changes that improve biodiversity conservation and reduce poverty
- Operate in ways that make change likely to last beyond external funding, including enhancing the capability and capacity of national and local partners and stakeholders
- Strengthen, promote, and use evidence to inform and scale changes
- Facilitate large-scale benefits for biodiversity and people, or test approaches that have the potential to deliver large-scale impact
- Demonstrate an understanding of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion within their context, and effectively reflect this in their approach to deliver sustained outcomes
The guidance documents for each scheme can be found below. All applications should be submitted via the Flexi-Grant application portal.
Funding Schemes
Round 32 of the Darwin Initiative includes the following schemes:
- Darwin Initiative Main
- Stage 1 – open – deadline Monday 20th July 2026
- Stage 2 – by invite only – deadline Monday 30th November 2026
- Darwin Initiative Extra
- Stage 1 – open – deadline Wednesday 1st July 2026
- Stage 2 – by invite only – deadline Monday 2nd November 2026
- Darwin Initiative Capability & Capacity – open – deadline Monday 31st August 2026
Funding Available
- Extra Scheme: £1 million – £5 million (2–5 year projects)
- Main Scheme: £200,000 – £1,000,000 (2–5 year projects)
- Capability and Capacity Scheme: smaller awards for institutional strengthening
Round 32 funding update webinar
On Thursday 28 May 2026, we hosted a Darwin Initiative Round 32 Funding Update Webinar. This webinar provided an update on the Darwin Initiative, outlining what has changed in Round 32, why these changes have been introduced, and what they mean in practice. There was also an opportunity for participants to ask questions.
You can access the webinar recording and presentation slides here.
Guidance
Before applying, you should first read the following documents:
- Round 32 Guidance for applicants
- Finance Guidance
- Flexi-Grant Guidance
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Guidance
- Darwin Initiative Standard Indicators Guidance
- Biodiversity Challenge Funds Risk Management Guidance
- Biodiversity Challenge Funds Terms & Conditions
- Biodiversity Challenge Funds Privacy Notice
- Biodiversity Challenge Funds Artificial Intelligence Policy
Please refer to the Round 32 Guidance for applicants for the list of countries and organisations eligible for the schemes
