Introduction
Biodiversity Challenge Funds is the collective name for three UK Government competitive grant programmes: the Darwin Initiative, Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus. Together, they support biodiversity conservation, environmental protection and benefits for communities living alongside nature.
The funds provide distinct routes for organisations working on conservation, poverty reduction, wildlife crime and environmental resilience. Each programme has its own geographical eligibility, funding streams and application requirements.
History and Background
The three programmes developed at different times. The Darwin Initiative has awarded grants since 1993, supporting conservation and poverty reduction projects internationally.
Darwin Plus began in 2012, focusing on biodiversity and environmental priorities in the UK Overseas Territories. The Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund launched in 2014, supporting efforts to address wildlife trafficking and its effects on people and nature.
Their shared Biodiversity Challenge Funds identity brings these complementary programmes together while retaining their separate objectives and grant schemes.
Mission and Purpose
The Darwin Initiative supports communities to conserve and restore nature while reducing poverty. Its approach emphasises evidence, local capability, lasting benefits and interventions with potential to expand.
The Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund addresses wildlife trafficking and wider environmental crime through demand reduction, effective legal frameworks, stronger law enforcement and sustainable livelihoods.
Darwin Plus supports biodiversity, environmental quality, climate resilience and local conservation capacity in the UK Overseas Territories. Projects contribute to territory-specific environmental commitments and priorities.
Governance and Structure
The funds are financed by the UK Government through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or Defra. NIRAS administers all three programmes, managing applications, project finances, monitoring, evaluation, learning and grantee support.
Specialist assessment structures include the Darwin Expert Committee, the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund Advisory Group and the Darwin Plus Advisory Group. These arrangements provide technical advice within the funds’ governance and grant assessment processes.
Applicants and grantees must follow programme guidance, financial requirements and grant terms and conditions.
Funding and Grants
Published Darwin Initiative funding ranges include £200,000–£1 million for Main projects, £1 million–£5 million for Extra projects, and £75,000–£250,000 for Capability and Capacity projects. These streams support different levels of project delivery, expansion and organisational development.
The Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund offers £75,000–£600,000 for Main projects, £600,000–£1.5 million for Extra projects, and £20,000–£150,000 for Evidence projects.
As of 2 November 2026, IWT Round 12 Main and Extra first-stage applications close on 23 November 2026. Evidence applications close on 15 February 2027.
Eligibility requires careful checking. Darwin Initiative Round 32 introduced significant geographical changes, including requirements concerning eligible countries and biodiversity hotspots. Historical funding in a country does not establish eligibility for the current round.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Conservation and Poverty Reduction
Darwin Initiative projects combine biodiversity objectives with improvements in people’s lives. Main grants support evidence-based interventions, while Extra grants focus on expanding approaches with demonstrated potential. Capability and Capacity funding strengthens local and national organisations’ ability to deliver conservation and poverty reduction work.
Wildlife Crime Prevention
IWT funding supports interventions ranging from behaviour change and enforcement to community livelihood opportunities. Its Evidence stream helps organisations investigate environmental crime problems and develop a stronger basis for future interventions.
Overseas Territories Environmental Support
Darwin Plus provides Main, Local, People and Skills, and Strategic funding routes. Its overall purpose is to strengthen environmental outcomes and conservation capacity within the UK Overseas Territories.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
The Darwin Initiative reports awarding more than £289 million to over 1,370 projects across 159 countries since 1993.
The IWT Challenge Fund reports supporting 187 projects across more than 69 countries, with funding exceeding £68 million. Darwin Plus reports awarding more than £64 million to over 395 projects across the UK Overseas Territories.
One Darwin Initiative project in Madagascar supports community-based black soldier fly farming, involving Health In Harmony and local partners. The work explores nutritious food, livestock feed and organic fertiliser production while seeking to reduce pressure on forests and wildlife. Its published account describes farmers testing fertiliser on their own fields, illustrating how conservation funding can connect research, local knowledge and livelihoods.
Conclusion
Biodiversity Challenge Funds offers complementary funding routes for conservation, wildlife crime prevention and environmental resilience. Prospective applicants should select the appropriate programme, verify current geographical eligibility and demonstrate a clear connection between proposed activities, evidence and benefits for nature and people.
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