Deadline Date: February 27, 2026
The Blue Carbon program is requesting grant applications to strengthen market-based approaches that integrate conservation and sustainable production in blue carbon ecosystems.
The focus areas include scaling business models that conserve blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes; addressing climate change and biodiversity loss; supporting local economies through technical assistance, grant funding, and private finance; creating scalable and regenerative business models that integrate conservation and production goals; overcoming systemic bottlenecks in shrimp production; improving carbon sequestration and biodiversity; strengthening market differentiation and equitable income generation; enhancing community ownership and benefit sharing; and ensuring financial sustainability and scalability.
The BC+ Ecuador Mangrove Positive Shrimp Funding Window seeks to scale high-impact shrimp production in Ecuador by addressing systemic bottlenecks within the sector. The initiative provides up to $250,000 USD in total funding and technical assistance this year, with the potential for additional support in the future. The objective is to unlock business growth and long-term ecological and economic benefits by integrating conservation with productive activities.
The programme prioritizes organizations operating in close proximity to project sites to ensure contextual understanding and sustainable impact. Eligible applicants include local businesses, NGOs, community enterprises, cooperatives, and other organizations working in Ecuador to eliminate sectoral bottlenecks.
Applicants must demonstrate tangible environmental, social, and economic outcomes for blue carbon ecosystems, including improved carbon sequestration, enhanced biodiversity, market differentiation, and increased and more equitable income generation for local communities. Proposals that strengthen local ownership, equitable benefit sharing, participatory decision-making, and capacity-building are strongly encouraged.
Applicants are also required to present a clear pathway toward financial sustainability and scalability, outlining how addressing systemic challenges will enable business expansion and sustained impact over time.
For more information, visit BC+.
