SeyCCAT announces the grants recipients of the fifth cycle of the Blue Grants Fund |30 March 2022
The board of SeyCCAT (Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust)has announced nine recipients of the Blue Grant Fund under the fifth funding cycle. They are as follows:
1. Project: Rapid assessment of fish biodiversity in swallow water (<40m) habitats of the Alphonse group
Applicant: Alphonse Foundation (original application as Blue Safari)
Partners: Marine Conservation Society Seychelles
BGF grant amount: R96,545.00
2. Project: Exploration of the contribution of fishing to the socio-cultural wellbeing of Seychelles artisanal fishermen
Applicant: Sustainable Synergies
Partners: Seychelles Fishing Authority
BGF grant amount: R100,000
3. Project: Assessing the impact of Covid-19 on the management of protected areas and exploring financing mechanisms to strengthen sustainable financing as a key component to build resilience against exogenous shocks
Applicant: Kalsey Belle
Partner: Didier Dogley Inspire 4 Tomorrow Consultancy
BGF grant amount: R96,500
4. Project: Production of a high-quality documentary to safeguard, promote and educate fishers and the public to the local sustainable fishing knowledge
Applicant: Frankie Rignace
Partner: Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, and Fishermen and Boat Owners Association
BGF grant amount: R579, 700
5. Project: Macro-algal resources in Seychelles: diversity and sustainable uses
Applicant: Mariette Dine
Partners: Seychelles National Herbarium, Plant Conservation Action Group, University of Seychelles, Seaweed Seychelles Ltd, Ministry of Education, Seychelles Parks & Gardens Authority, et al.
BGF grant amount: R1,000,000
6. Project: Determining baseline information for the effective management of the Seychelles small-scale octopus fishery
Applicant: Seychelles Fishing Authority
Partners: Anse Boileau and Glacis Fishermen Association
BGF grant amount: R1,645,000
7. Project: Sustainable Crab Mariculture in Seychelles
Applicant: Gonzague Dailoo
Partners: Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA)
BGF grant amount: R501,000
8. Project: Eco-mooring buoys – Improving sustainable use of the Ste Anne Marine National Park through the installation of an eco-designed mooring system
Applicant: Marine Conservation Society Seychelles
Partner: Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA)
BGF grant amount: R937,945.00
9. Project: The last dugongs in Seychelles – baseline population assessment of Dugong dugon at Aldabra Atoll
Applicant: Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF)
Partners: Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University (JCU), Australia
BGF grant amount: R2,000,000
The SeyCCAT board continues the review of several additional projects; their outcomes will be announced upon the conclusion of the consultations.
In 2021, the Trust received 54 applications with a total requested value of R49.6 million.
Mumtaz Hasan,grants manager of SeyCCAT, said: “In 2021, we made several major updates to our BGF offer. First, we introduced the large grants – up to R2 million – and received 10 applications for this category. We also established the Blue Business Grant – a specific category for entrepreneurs. We also stepped up our training with Early Feedback Labs, which generated a lot of interest. As a result, we received 54 applications for a record-breaking amount of nearly R50 million. That is despite entering a lockdown during the application window. At SeyCCAT, we are happy to see the unwavering interest in the Blue Grants Fund, and we are looking forward to the next – the sixth – funding cycle in April-May 2022,” added Ms Hasan.
The Blue Grant Fund of SeyCCAT offers grants to sustainable and innovative Seychellois-led projects that advance marine conservation, climate adaptation, and the blue economy in Seychelles. The Blue Grants Fund is capitalised from the proceeds of the Debt-for-Nature Swap and Seychelles’ first sovereign Blue Bond.
The BGF offers small grants up to R100,000, medium grants up to R1,000,000, and large grants up to R2,000,000. The annual call for proposals is launched in April/May and invites project applications from all Seychellois, Seychelles-based NGOs, businesses, governmental agencies, and parastatal organisations.
Full details about SeyCCAT and the Blue Grants Fund can be found online at www.seyccat.org.
Press release from SeyCCAT