African Elephant Conservation Fund

 

To provide financial assistance to support projects that will enhance sustainable conservation programs to ensure effective, long-term conservation of African elephants. The African Elephant Conservation Fund supports projects that promote conservation through: Applied research on elephant populations and their habitat, including surveys and monitoring; Development and execution of elephant conservation management plans; Compliance with applicable treaties and laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of elephants or regulate the use and management of elephant habitat; Conservation education and community outreach; Enhanced protection of at-risk elephant populations; Efforts to decrease human-elephant conflict; Habitat conservation and management; Protected area/reserve management in important elephant range; Strengthening local capacity to implement conservation programs; Transfrontier elephant conservation; and Wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills.

Active 15.620 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 Program received 35 applications and anticipates issuing 20 awards. The program received 36 applications, and issued 13 awards.
Fiscal Year 2018 38 applications received and issued 17 awards.
Fiscal Year 2019 In FY 19 the program received 44 applications and has issued 7 awards to date.
Fiscal Year 2020 No projects were selected for 2020.
Fiscal Year 2021 In FY21 the program received 83 applications, with 22 awards pending release.
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY22, the program issued 23 new awards (associated with prior FY NOFOs) and provided one financial modification to an active award. The program shifted in FY21 from an annual announcement to a biennial announcement (the next NOFO will be released in FY23).
Fiscal Year 2023 In FY23, the program provided one financial modification to an active award and anticipates providing an additional two financial modifications to active awards. Furthermore, the program anticipates receiving between 60 and 80 new applications, and issuing between 20 and 25 new awards.
Fiscal Year 2024 The program anticipates providing 1-3 financial modifications to active awards. In FY21, the program shifted from an annual announcement to a biennial announcement and does not anticipate receiving new applications or issuing new awards until FY25. African Elephant Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. §4201 et seq. Applications may be submitted by any African government agency responsible for African elephant conservation and protection and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience in African elephant conservation. Any African government agency responsible for African elephant conservation and protection and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience in African elephant conservation. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. The program announcement and application instructions for this program can be found at the Grants.gov website: http://www.grants.gov. The Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions are also located on this program's website at https://www.fws.gov/international/grants-and-reporting/how-to-apply.html. If you are unable to access the Internet, hard copies are available upon request from the Branch of Near East, South Asia and Africa, Division of International Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. A proposal will not be considered complete if all required elements are not submitted as instructed. U.S. applicants must submit (among other elements) a complete, signed Standard Form 424 "Application for Federal Assistance." Projects are reviewed and competitively selected for funding using criteria developed on the requirements of the African Elephant Conservation Fund (16 USC et seq.) Review criteria can be found in the application information at http://www.fws.gov/international/grants-and-reporting/how-to-apply.html. Once a proposal has been selected for funding, an FWS approving official executes an Assistance Award between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Recipient. Fully executed Awards are sent to the Recipient either electronically or through the mail. The Division of International Conservation then administers all other aspects of the Assistance Award. The program anticipates posting the next NOFO in the third quarter of FY23. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate, for application deadlines. From 120 to 180 days. Not applicable. Not applicable. Will be available in FY23. Project work should occur within the range of the African elephant, or, if work is to be conducted outside of the range, the proposal should show a clear relevance to African elephant conservation. Applied research projects should address specific management needs and actions. Funds provided under this program will not be used for: the purchase of firearms or ammunitions; buying of intelligence information or paying informants; gathering information by persons who conceal their true identity; law enforcement operations that prompt suspects to carry out illegal activities so they may be arrested (entrapment); or any activity that would circumvent sanctions, laws or regulations of either the U.S. or the country in which the activity would occur. Funds may not be used to provide material support or resources to individuals, entities, or organizations of countries that have been identified by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism. The countries currently identified are: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. This program is administered in compliance with the Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977, as amended. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel. Performance Reports: Performance reports are required. Recipients must monitor and report on project performance in accordance with the requirements in 2 CFR 200.329. A final performance report is due within 120 calendar days of the award period of performance end date, unless the awarding program approves a due date extension. The FWS details all reporting requirements including frequency and due dates in Notices of Award. Not applicable. Recipients will maintain records in accordance with 2 CFR 200. Program-specific legislation/regulation may dictate additional records retention requirements. Program will detail all non-standard records retention requirements in the notice of award. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. To the extent possible, grant funds are matched by nonfederal funds. Cost sharing is not required but priority will be given to projects for which there exists some measure of matching funds.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Assistance is available from the start data of the period of performance to the end date of the period of performance. Funding must be spent within 90 days of the end date of the period of performance. Program obligates funds and sends a notice of award to successful applicants. Recipients request funds in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E-Cost Principles, unless otherwise dictated by program-specific legislation or special award terms. Program will include any special payment terms and conditions in the notice of award. None/Not specified. Chief
Division of International Conservation
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior,
5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: IA

Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 US
MSCF_AfricanElephant@fws.gov
Phone: (703) 358-1754
Fax: (703) 358-2115 https://www.fws.gov/program/african-elephant-conservation-fund 14-1611-0-1-302 (Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$6,300,000.00; FY 23 est $8,799,999.00; FY 24 est $0.00; - Variable amounts. Generally $50,000 or less. Higher amounts may be requested Acceptance of a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of award. FWS Award Terms and Conditions are available at https://www.fws.gov/grants/atc.html. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to and approved by the Service. Awards from the Service are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated into the award either by direct citation or by reference to the following: Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation; and special award terms and conditions. The Service financial assistance award terms and conditions flow down to subrecipients and contractors, unless a particular award term or condition specifically indicates otherwise. Fiscal Year 2017 Program is currently going through the selection process and anticipates funding projects that are effective for the long-term conservation of African elephants, and those that are similar in scope to FY 2016. The program supported: 1) A project to increase law enforcement operational support for elephant security in the eastern Nsumbu-Mweru ecosystem, Northern Zambia; 2) a project to ensure long-term viability of elephants through exclusion fencing to permanently reduce human-elephant conflict in the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem, Kenya; 3) a project to provide aerial support for anti-poaching, monitoring and management of Zakouma National Park and periphery, Chad.
Fiscal Year 2018 The African Elephant Conservation Fund will be funding projects for the conservation of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana). The African Elephant Conservation Fund supports projects that promote conservation through: Enhanced protection of at-risk elephant populations; Efforts to decrease human-elephant conflict; Habitat conservation and management; Protected area/reserve management in important elephant range; Strengthening local capacity to implement conservation programs; Transfrontier elephant conservation; Wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills; Conservation education and community outreach; Applied research necessary to inform protection and management, including surveys and monitoring; Development and execution of elephant conservation management plans; Development of innovative technologies that have the potential to improve elephant protection; Compliance with applicable treaties and laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of elephants or regulate the use and management of elephant habitat; Reducing demand for and trafficking of illegal ivory products.
Fiscal Year 2019 Projects Funded in FY 19: 1. Zambia- Provided funding support to conserve an isolated, genetically distinct population of 100-200 elephants in northern Zambia. 2. Tanzania- Provided funding support to build local community support for elephant conservation in villages surrounding Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park and the adjacent Lunda-Mkwambi Wildlife Management Area. 3. Mozambique- Provided funding support to maintain long-term tracking of individual elephant movements within Kruger National Park, on village land and hunting blocks surrounding the Park, and into Mozambique, to better understand elephant habitat needs and how management decisions alter elephant behavior and distribution. Kruger, neighboring private reserves, and protected areas across three countries (Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe) comprise the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, which is estimated to contain over 33,000 elephants.
Fiscal Year 2020 Program did not selected any projects for funding.
Fiscal Year 2021 The program funded projects that support effective, long-term conservation of African forest and savanna elephants in 14 elephant population strongholds (as defined in announcement F21AS00490) in addition to ecologically or evolutionarily unique elephant populations (as defined in announcement F21AS00490) and other conservation interventions that seek to eliminate or reduce immediate threats to African forest and savanna elephants. Representative award titles: • “Our forest, our future: Community-led African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) conservation in the Bas Ogooue of Gabon” • “Supporting the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) to track the illegal ivory trade for CITES 2” • “Enhancing protection of Zambia's South Luangwa Valley at-risk elephant population, by sustaining critical anti-poaching support and addressing increasing human-elephant conflict”
Fiscal Year 2022 The program shifted in FY21 from an annual announcement to a biennial announcement (the next NOFO will be released in FY23). However, 23 awards associated with previous FY NOFOs were issued in FY22. Representative award titles: • “Aerial survey of elephants in the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe” • “Advancing Elephant Conservation and wildlife migratory routes in Kenya through Strengthening Collaboration and increasing Landscape Connectivity in Laikipia, Kenya” • “Monitoring and Protecting the Greater Nouabale-Ndoki Landscape of Congo-2”
Fiscal Year 2023 The program has not yet selected projects for funding. The program anticipates funding projects that support effective, long-term conservation of African forest and savanna elephants in elephant population strongholds (as defined by the forthcoming FY23 NOFO), in addition to ecologically or evolutionarily unique elephant populations, populations under immediate threat, and other conservation interventions that seek to eliminate or reduce threats to African forest and savanna elephants. One award associated with the FY21 NOFO (announcement F21AS00490) was issued in FY23. Representative award titles: • “Community owned elephants coexistence corridors in Southern Mozambique”
Fiscal Year 2024 With the official shift from an annual announcement to a biennial announcement, no NOFO will be released in FY24. The next NOFO will be released in FY25.