The Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund is a UK government grants scheme that provides support to projects around the world that are tackling the illegal wildlife trade
We are now inviting applications to all three IWT Challenge Fund schemes:
Please note all IWT Challenge Fund projects should address one, or more, of the following themes:
There is a two-stage application process for all Round 10 applications.
The timetable for Round 10 is:
All successful projects are expected to be notified by February 2024 with projects starting from May 2024.
Before applying, you should first read:
We also ran a webinar to provide applicants interested in applying to Round 10 of the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund with an overview of the fund. Other topics also covered during the webinar included:
If you missed it, you can find the slides and a recording of the event by following this link: IWT Challenge Fund Round 10 Stage 1 Webinar, May 2023.
Please note all applications are required to be submitted through the Flexi-Grant Application Portal.
IWT Challenge Fund Extra invites projects aimed at expanding activities that have already demonstrated success and impact at a smaller scale. This can be through landscape or replication scaling, or through delivering systems change which will have sustained impact beyond the project’s original scale.
IWT Challenge Fund Extra will provide grants between £600,000 – £1,500,000 for projects lasting between 2 to 4 years maximum.
How to apply:
Once you have ready the guidance, complete the IWT Challenge Fund Extra Round 10 Stage 1 application form on the Flexi-Grant application portal. For drafting purposes you may find the IWT Challenge Fund Extra Round 10 Stage 1 form useful.
If you invited to Stage 2, you will be asked to complete the Stage 2 application form on the Flexi-Grant portal. For drafting purposes, you may find the IWT Challenge Fund Extra Round 10 Stage 2 application form useful.
The budget spreadsheet for IWT Challenge Fund Extra projects can be found below:
Additional materials that you will be required to complete as part of your application can be found below or downloaded from within Flexi-Grant. Please note there are different requirements for Stage 1 and Stage 2 – read the guidance for more information.
IWT Challenge Fund Main projects are expected to deliver strong results to tackle IWT and poverty reduction based on good evidence, and strongly demonstrate the potential to scale. Main grants will be awarded to projects which test new and innovative interventions to provide proof of concept at a smaller scale.
IWT Challenge Fund Main will provide grants between £75,000 – £600,000 for projects lasting between 1 to 3 years maximum.
How to apply:
Once you have ready the guidance, complete the IWT Challenge Fund Main Round 10 Stage 1 application form on the Flexi-Grant application portal. For drafting purposes you may find the IWT Challenge Fund Main Round 10 Stage 1 form useful.
If you invited to Stage 2, you will be asked to complete the Stage 2 application form on the Flexi-Grant portal. For drafting purposes, you may find the IWT Challenge Fund Main Round 10 Stage 2 application form useful.
The budget spreadsheet for IWT Challenge Fund Extra projects can be found below:
Additional materials that you will be required to complete as part of your application can be found below or downloaded from within Flexi-Grant. Please note there are different requirements for Stage 1 and Stage 2 – read the guidance for more information.
IWT Challenge Fund Evidence grants are for projects which gather evidence to design an intervention. Applications should describe how the improved evidence base will be used to design an intervention where there is a gap in approaches. Projects may include, for example, market research to design and baseline demand reduction interventions. Applicants are encouraged to develop evidence projects into full interventions as part of follow-on applications to the IWT Challenge Fund.
IWT Challenge Fund Evidence will provide grants between £20,000 – £100,000 for projects lasting up to 2 years maximum.
How to apply:
Once you have ready the guidance, complete the IWT Challenge Fund Main Round 10 Stage 1 application form on the Flexi-Grant application portal. For drafting purposes you may find the IWT Challenge Fund Evidence Round 10 Stage 1 form useful.
If you invited to Stage 2, you will be asked to complete the Stage 2 application form on the Flexi-Grant portal. For drafting purposes, you may find the IWT Challenge Fund Evidence Round 10 Stage 2 application form useful.
The budget spreadsheet for IWT Challenge Fund Evidence projects can be found below:
Additional materials that you will be required to complete as part of your application can be found below or downloaded from within Flexi-Grant. Please note there are different requirements for Stage 1 and Stage 2 – read the guidance for more information.
If you would like to contact us regarding an application, and you can’t find the answer in the guidance documents, please contact the IWT Challenge Fund Administration Team:
