On Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 4th September the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund (SLUNCF) hosted a training session for those entities that had submitted Concept Notes and have been chosen for the submission of Full Proposals. The one-and-a-half-day training session was conducted by Mr. Felix Finisterre. The training was to:
introduce the SLUNCF to potential grantees and to explain its grant-making strategy;
increase participants’ knowledge about the grant funding process in general; and specifically, the SLUNCF grant application process;
develop the capacity of participants in proposal development and writing by guiding them through the SLUNCF project cycle; and
assisting the prospective grantees to transit from their Concept Notes to the successful completion of full proposals which in line with the SLUNCF procedures.
It is envisaged that at the end of the training participants would have achieved the following:
Understand the project cycle and thus better plan and develop programmes and projects;
Comprehend the activities, priorities and challenges of the grant funding process;
Master the steps involved in proposal design and the components of a good funding proposal which is compliant with the SLUNCF;
Develop an accurate project budget which is consistent with the activities that will be implemented; and
Understand the due diligence requirements of the SLUNCF.
The Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund which began operations in January 2018 is uniquely positioned to tackle Saint Lucia’s many conservations needs through its structure, organisational capacities. And mix of private and public funding. Specifically, its overall niche is to:
raise funds for re-granting to projects on the sustainable use of natural resources, protection and maintenance of biological diversity and the environment, and the creation of sustainable alternative livelihoods
distribute funds, through grants to a wide range of grantees, including the public and private sectors, community based organisations and NGOs, and academia
coordinates programmes and granting with a national scope, working in collaboration with the St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association, Massy Stores Saint Lucia and other likeminded entities
pursues an agenda that is aligned with government goals and public sector priorities
operates a unique structure of public, private sectors and non-governmental and community based organisations.
In 2018 the SLUNCF issued a grant to the Laborie Development Foundation. In April of this year, the SLUNCF issued its first call. There were seven (7) entities that had submitted Concept Notes. Of these five (5) were selected by the Technical Advisory Committee to proceed to full proposal stage. The full proposals will then be reviewed and evaluated again for receipt of grants. The training today is to ensure that perspective grantees are fully aware of the SLUNCF procedures and its grant making template so that they can submit well-articulated and robust proposals.