Blue Action Fund 2026 – Mangroves, Blue Carbon Markets, and 30×30 in Asia

BLUE ACTION FUND

★ PremiumForeign FundingOtherMarine and Coastal Biodiversity

Ref code

ID-GRT-2377

Location

Pan-India

Grant

€17 million

Funding category

Foreign Funding

FCRA

FCRA registration required

Posted on

7 Sep 2026

Apply by

16 Oct 2026 · 33 days left

Description

Grant Provider

The grant is offered by the Blue Action Fund, an international conservation funding organisation that supports NGOs working to protect marine and coastal biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of coastal communities. Blue Action Fund is financed by several international development partners, including the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Agence Française de Développement, Norad, and Irish Aid.

Grant Objective

The objective of this call is to support large-scale projects that combine mangrove conservation and restoration, area-based biodiversity conservation, sustainable coastal livelihoods, and high-integrity blue carbon development. The programme aims to contribute to the global 30×30 biodiversity target, strengthen climate mitigation and adaptation, and create long-term financing mechanisms for mangrove conservation.

Key Focus Areas

Projects should integrate the following areas:

Conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems
Establishment or improved management of Protected Areas (PAs) and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs)
Development of high-integrity blue carbon projects
Carbon accounting and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV)
Sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities
Biodiversity conservation
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Community participation and governance
Gender equity and equitable benefit sharing
Long-term financing through credible carbon markets

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are charitable non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or consortia of NGOs with demonstrated experience in mangrove conservation/restoration, sustainable livelihoods, and/or blue carbon development.

Applicants should also demonstrate access to technical expertise in areas such as carbon accounting, MRV systems, carbon methodologies, financial feasibility assessments, and preparation of carbon Project Design Documents (PDDs).

Important Project Requirement

The proposed intervention must cover mangrove ecosystems and should build upon existing preparatory work. Projects that are only at the initial idea or conceptual stage are not eligible.

Applicants should already have relevant pre-feasibility or feasibility assessments, including areas such as project geography, land tenure, stakeholder mapping, regulatory assessment, financial viability, carbon stocks, and additionality.

Grant Amount

Applicants may request a Blue Action Fund contribution of between:

€2 million and €4 million per project.

The overall funding envelope available under this call is approximately €17 million.

Project Duration

Projects must be completed within a maximum period of 5 years.

Expected Outcomes

Selected projects are expected to achieve measurable outcomes such as improved mangrove protection and restoration, strengthened coastal biodiversity, improved protected-area management, sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities, stronger local governance and participation, and development of credible pathways toward high-integrity carbon credits.

Projects should also demonstrate how future carbon revenues could contribute to long-term conservation financing and equitable benefits for communities.

Relevance for India

This grant is particularly suitable for Indian NGOs and conservation organisations working in mangrove landscapes, coastal ecosystems, marine biodiversity, climate resilience, blue carbon, community livelihoods, fisheries, and nature-based solutions.

Potential Indian project geographies could include mangrove and coastal landscapes where organisations already have strong community and institutional partnerships. Because the minimum intervention scale is 1,000 hectares and applicants need technical readiness for carbon-market development, the opportunity is more suitable for established organisations or strong consortiums than very small NGOs.

Application Process

Blue Action Fund uses a two-stage selection process. Applicants first submit a Grant Application. Selected applicants are then invited to develop a Full Proposal through a collaborative process with Blue Action Fund, including preparation of a detailed budget, results framework, and environmental and social safeguards.