F24AS00433 Central Africa Regional Program Bushmeat Notice of Funding Opportunity

Background
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) aims to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the benefit of the American people. Through its International Affairs Program (IA), FWS supports strategic projects that yield measurable conservation results globally.

The Central Africa Program, administered by the Africa Branch of FWS/IA, focuses on enhancing the capacity of protected area and conservation managers to sustain healthy wildlife populations while benefiting local communities. A significant threat to wildlife in Central Africa is the illegal commercialization and trafficking of bushmeat from protected species. This Notice of Funding Opportunity seeks to address the unsustainable urban trade of protected species through targeted objectives that improve governance and evidence-based decision-making regarding wild meat.

Grant Details
The funding opportunity targets three main objectives:

1) Enhance wild meat governance at national, regional, and international levels using evidence-based approaches; desired outcomes include increased access to evidence bases for stakeholders.

2) Expand the evidence base for understanding intervention effectiveness in reducing illegal bushmeat trade; desired outcomes include improved databases with online visualizations and additional data on monitoring interventions.

3) Build individual capacity in Central Africa for governance and evidence-building activities focused on reducing illegal bushmeat trade; desired outcomes include stakeholders acquiring skills to utilize online resources effectively and recognition of research databases as valid information sources for policy decisions. Proposals should involve key stakeholders in activities such as workshops that facilitate collaboration and skill development.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include multi-national secretariats, U.S. and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations, community and Indigenous organizations, as well as public and private institutions of higher education from both the U.S. and abroad. Cost sharing is not required but may be voluntarily committed.

Period of Performance
Projects are expected to last between two to five years.

Grant Value
The total estimated funding available is $2,000,000 with individual awards ranging from $200,000 to $400,000 per year for each project.

Place of Performance
The projects must be conducted within Central Africa or demonstrate how work outside this region will benefit stakeholders in Central Africa.