Special Fund for Nature-based Solutions: Public Support Grants

Background and Objectives

The Philippines is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. Situated along the typhoon belt and ring of fire in the Pacific Ocean, the country is prone to natural disasters such as flooding, cyclones, droughts, and landslides. To withstand and thrive in the face of the climate crisis, the Philippines must continue to strengthen its climate resilience through a comprehensive approach involving mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Climate change adaptation is fundamental to transform Filipinos’ way of life and forge a path towards building resilience and achieving sustainable development. Adaptation efforts must be based on improving collective understanding of climate impacts, capacity building for adaptation measures, reinforcing governmental support through policies and resources, and ensuring inclusivity in decision-making, particularly by engaging women and local communities.

In the context of such developmental challenges in a biodiversity-rich country, Forest Foundation Philippines (“Forest Foundation” or “the Foundation”), funded by the Government of Canada, will implement the Philippines-Canada Partnership on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Adaptation (PCP4NbS) (“the “Program”). Running from 2024-2028 and amounting to CA $8 Million, the Program will contribute to strengthening climate resilience of communities, particularly rural and indigenous women, while ensuring co-benefits from, and for, natural resources and healthy ecosystems. Grounded in the guiding principles of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, the initiative will specifically target the following three wins: biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, and ensuring gender equality in natural-resource management (NRM).

PCP4NbS will ensure that nature-based solutions are implemented in the target areas and sites, and generate results that are aligned with the Logic Model of the Program (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Logic Model of PCP4NbS

Special Fund for NbS

To support participatory development, implementation, and enhancement of NbS projects for climate change adaptation, a Special Fund was established under the program. The Special Fund aims to:

Increase capacities of women and communities in developing/designing and implementing NbS with biodiversity co-benefits;
Ensure women and community participation in protecting, enhancing, and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity; and
Protect and enhance biodiversity that provides multiple ecosystem goods and services.

The design and implementation of projects under the Special Fund will be aligned with the Foundation’s Results Framework 2023-2027, while expanding the sustainable management of forests to coastal and marine ecosystems for water, land, and biodiversity, and fostering nature-based climate action. It will support projects that can establish participatory and coordinated strategies on a large scale, enabling the Program to meet a range of local needs, while contributing to national commitments and targets.

The Special Fund will support three types of grants over the Program lifetime: (1) site-based grants to implement NbS; (2) thematic grants to demonstrate NbS; and (3) grants to sustain public support for NbS. This Request for Proposals pertains to applications for Public Support Grants.

Public Support Grants: Eligible Activities

Public Support Grants are open to projects that enhance support for NbS in the Philippines by (1) strengthening the implementation of existing NbS initiatives by deepening specific approaches or expanding their scope, (2) mainstreaming NbS across more diverse contexts and audiences, and/or (3) contributing to the sustainability of NbS at various levels.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

Enhanced capacity and knowledge building, knowledge co-creation and sharing on NbS (e.g. cross-site or thematic learning exchanges on NbS, participatory action research, co-development of knowledge products, toolkits, modules, and/or and knowledge sharing opportunities on gender-responsive NbS) for current PCP4NbS grantees, partners, and relevant stakeholders;
Supplemental funding for existing NbS initiatives that respond to climate-related hazards, to enhance particular approaches (e.g., gender-responsiveness, engagement of new/more stakeholder groups, technical and practical capacity to implement NbS, expansion or scaling of geographic scope, etc.);
Communications and advocacy that fosters awareness, understanding, and uptake of gender-responsive NbS (e.g., development of communications and knowledge products, awareness campaigns, involvement of new stakeholders, legal and policy advocacy for NbS institutionalization, etc.); and
Other complementary activities that contribute to the sustainability of gender-responsive NbS initiatives in PCP4NbS areas/sites and other areas in the Philippines.

Public Support Grants may be between PhP 1,000,000 to PhP 2,000,000, with an implementation period of up to 8 months starting in February 2027 onwards.

Note:The PCP4NbS program applies Nature-based Solutions as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as follows: “Nature-based Solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems in ways that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, to provide both human well-being and biodiversity benefits” (IUCN, 2016). Submissions under this request for proposals must take this definition into account when formulating proposed approaches and activities.

Public Support Grants: Geographic Scope and Priorities

Priority shall be given to eligible projects and entities within the PCP4NbS priority areas and project sites. These include:

1. Batanes
2. Calamianes group of Islands in Palawan
3. Camarines Sur
4. Negros Occidental
5. Negros Oriental

6. Davao de Oro & Davao Oriental
7. Maguindanao del Sur
8. Misamis Oriental
9. Sarangani Province
10. Leyte

Particular consideration will be given to strengthening, enhancing, or expanding existing or ongoing NbS initiatives that strongly contribute to Program outcomes.

Eligible entities and projects in other areas across the Philippines may also be supported, provided they demonstrably contribute to strengthening the implementation and sustainability of ongoing NbS initiatives, and/or the improved understanding and recognition of NbS as an effective response to climate change impacts.

Public Support Grants: Eligible Recipients

Public Support Grants will be open to all interested eligible proponents in any part of the Philippines. Entities eligible to receive funds under the Program include:

Non-government organizations (NGOs) active in the Philippines involved in environmental conservation, development, education, scientific research, ecosystems management, gender equality, and/or other related fields. NGOs refer to non-government organizations duly registered under Philippines laws;
Organized and recognized community-based organizations, people’s organizations (POs), indigenous peoples’ organizations (IPOs), and/or women’s rights organizations (WROs) who work in the environment and/or development field; and
Other appropriate local or regional entities active in the Philippines.

Implementation may be through integrated projects by one organization, or several organizations in a consortium, agreeing to perform or achieve particular outputs, for example in support of a common project outcome, conservation agreements, or a project based on local development plans.

Public Support Grants: Application Process

To apply for a public support grant, eligible organizations shall complete and submit the requirements for proposals listed below.

Requirements for Project Proposals

The full proposal and other templates may be downloaded from the Forest Foundation Philippines Grants Portal, downloaded at this link, and/or requested by sending an email to pcp4nbs@forestfoundation.ph.

Completed project proposals shall be uploaded and submitted through the Grants Portal (https://grants.forestfoundation.ph/) on or before 5:00 pm (Philippine Time) on November 23, 2026.

Public Support Grants: Proposal Evaluation and Approval

Project proposals will initially be reviewed to ascertain merit and completeness of design and technical aspects. Proposals that meet these criteria (see below) will be reviewed and endorsed to the Executive Director. For proposed projects above PhP 500,000, these will be elevated to the Program Committee of the Foundation, which will prepare and submit recommendations to the Board of Trustees (BOT) on proposals to be funded.

Projects are expected to encapsulate how the proposed intervention will strengthen and support implementation of gender-responsive NbS initiatives in the proposed site. Proposed activities and outputs must align with the Program’s target outcomes and priorities.

Proposals shall be evaluated in a holistic manner, according to: (a) general criteria on soundness, feasibility, and alignment with the Program’s Logic Model (see Figure 1) and (b) criteria in support of NbS. Proposals must meet general criteria and those criteria that demonstrate support for NbS implementation and sustainability.

The proposal must meet the following general criteria:

Technical soundness and feasibility;
Financial soundness and feasibility;
Social soundness and feasibility;
Organizational capacity to implement the project;
Clear outcomes and results with high likelihood of achievement (feasible and attainable given the budget and duration); and
Alignment of the expected results (outputs and outcomes) with the Program’s Logic Model (see Figure 1).

The proposal must also demonstrate support for NbS initiatives by responding to one or more of the following criteria (mandatory):

Does the project support the enhancement and sustainability of existing NbS initiatives?
Does the project contribute to strengthening the capacity and capability of organization(s) to implement existing and future NbS initiatives?
Does the project support the mainstreaming of gender-responsive NbS?
Does the project support the documentation and dissemination of best practices, stories of change, and other lessons from gender-responsive NbS initiatives?

The proposal may be strengthened by responding to the following questions (optional):

Does the project contribute to community and gender empowerment?
Does the project support transdisciplinary knowledge sharing, strategic communications and/or learning mechanisms and processes towards building capacities on NbS towards transformative change?
Does the project target other NbS criteria under the IUCN Global Standard for NbS?

Awarded grants shall be publicly announced by the Foundation and communicated to the grantee. Once a proposal is approved, the Foundation will enter into a legally-binding Special Fund Agreement with the grantee.

Timeline

For this round of proposals, please note the indicative timeline below.

Proposal Submission and Evaluation Timeline

Activity	Tentative Schedule
First Request for Proposals (Issuance)	October 15, 2026
Virtual Information Session(s)	October 27, 2026
Deadline for Technical Questions	October 31, 2026, 5:00 pm (PHT)
Deadline of Submission of Proposals	November 23, 2026, 5:00 pm (PHT)
Proposal Evaluation	November 2026 to January 2027
BOT Deliberation	January 2027 to February 2027
Announcement of Results	February to March 2027
Start of Project Implementation	February 2027 onwards

Virtual information session(s) shall be conducted to provide further information about the Program, the scope of public support grants, the types of projects that may be supported, and the grant application process, among others. These sessions will be open to all interested proponents. As needed, Project Development sessions will be organized to provide technical assistance on the grant application process to enhance and strengthen submissions for possible funding.

Proponents may reach out to the Foundation via email (pcp4nbs@forestfoundation.ph) for any assistance needed in proposal development. Technical inquiries, or those related to Proposal Evaluation and Approval in Section VII above, shall only be accepted until 5:00 pm (Philippine Time) October 31, 2026.

All proposals shall be submitted no later than 5:00 pm (Philippine Time) on November 23, 2026. Proposals received after the deadline may be considered based on the availability of funds, and/or included and evaluated under a subsequent RFP.

Contact

Philippines-Canada Partnership on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Adaptation (PCP4NbS)

Forest Foundation Philippines

1F Valderrama Bldg., 107 Esteban St., Legaspi Village

1229 Makati City, Philippines

Phone: (+63 2) 8891 0595; (+63 2) 8864 0287

Email: pcp4nbs@forestfoundation.ph

Full Proposal
Annex A. Work and Budget Plan
Annex B: Project Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
Annex C: Proponent Information Sheet