Environmental Funding Support Scheme for Voluntary Organisations

Through this scheme, the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change (MESDC) , on behalf of the Government, offers financial support to non-Government, not-for-profit organisations engaged in environmental conservation and its promotion, to incentivate them to undertake further environmentally-beneficial projects and initiatives.

The objectives of this scheme are to: improve the state of conservation of the environment; promote responsible environmental management and raise awareness about environmental conservation and protection; assist in progressing good environmental management practices; restore degraded environments to their pristine condition; combat, and if possible, reverse environmental degradation and habitat deterioration; protect, rescue or rehabilitate indigenous wildlife (both terrestrial and marine); develop and foster closer collaboration on environmental initiatives between these organizations and the MESDC; strengthen the set-ups engaged in environmental conservation, environmental restoration and provision of environmentally-beneficial services; enhance the provision of community education programmes, including development of educational material, regarding the environment, its appreciation and its conservation; and/or otherwise contribute to any of the above-listed objectives, inter alia by serving as pilot initiatives for eventual environmental projects, or by catalysing or kick-starting any such project.

Targetted actions through projects and initiatives eligible under this scheme relate to:

Conservation and enhancement of sites, such as: restoration of degraded land, habitats or environmental features to their pristine state; clean-up of land from dumped material, rubble, scrap or refuse; reversal, mitigation or stabilisation of ongoing degradation, to prevent further damage and facilitate recovery or natural regeneration; planting of indigenous or archaeophytic trees or shrubs in appropriate locations, including new or replacement planting; rehabilitation of degraded routes into informal, non-intrusive nature/ heritage trails; installation or improvement of context-appropriate protective measures to prevent or minimise damage/ degradation caused by vehicular access and trampling; removal of environmentally-incompatible or landscape-intrusive structures, unsightly boundary walls or redundant infrastructure; replacement of existing structures/ infrastructure with more environmentally-compatible alternatives; repair of damaged soil-retaining rubble walls, or like-with-like reconstruction of damaged soil-retaining rubble walls in line with traditional good practice; acquisition of land for the purpose of environmental conservation; other initiatives aimed at protection, conservation and appreciation of the countryside, the rural landscape and the natural environment; replacement of artificial hard-surfacing or hard landscaping with soft landscaping; undoing of existing environmental damage, including damage or disfigurement of sites caused by vandalism.

Conservation of fauna and flora, such as: curing and rehabilitation of injured or diseased indigenous trees, flora or fauna for subsequent re-establishment/ release in the wild, and ancillary equipment or material; protection, rescue or rehabilitation of indigenous wildlife, or conduction of ancillary educational and awareness programmes; propagation of native species of flora and fauna, for preservation of native stock and/ or restocking of depleted/ threatened wild populations, and ancillary equipment; installation of reversible irrigation systems for initial maintenance of plantations of native trees/ shrubs; removal or eradication of ecological pests and invasive species.

Environmentally-friendly infrastructure, such as: provision, repair, maintenance or improvement of waste separation facilities, and recycling facilities; installation, repair, maintenance or improvement of sewage/ watsewater treatment facilities; installation, repair, maintenance or improvement of greywater re-use facilities; installation, repair, maintenance or improvement of photovoltaic panels; installation, repair, maintenance or improvement of rainwater collection facilities other than the construction of new reservoirs above ground level; installation, repair, maintenance or improvement of surveillance infrastructure for protected areas, dumping sites, and other environmentally-relevant contexts; fire fighting equipment for wooded areas, protected areas, habitats prone to arson/ vandalism and other environmentally-relevant contexts.

Environmental Education, such as: installation, repair, maintenance or improvement of environmental information boards, heritage interpretation facilities, and informative signage; environmental education publications and their dissemination; media documentaries and educational campaigns for environmental education and environmental awareness, including campaigns for environmental protection and for environmental initiatives such as promotion of organic agriculture, permaculture, eco-tourism, or rural/ urban sustainability; repairs, maintenance and improvements to existing environmental education facilities; restoration, re-use, repair, maintenance or conversion of old historic buildings for environmental education; environment-related training courses for volunteers, site wardens, employed staff, targeted sectors, or the general public, including overseas training where adequate courses are not reasonably available locally; education programs on environmental conservation and environmentally-friendly behaviour patterns; provision of facilities necessary to conduct environmental education programs, and advertising.

Environmental research, innovation and guidance, such as: preparation of specialist reports to guide/ support specific conservation efforts; conduction of controlled experiments/ trials in preparation for specific conservation efforts; pilot projects/ trials for testing the feasibility or effectiveness of potential environmental initiatives; development of innovative solutions to pre-empt, alleviate or remedy environmental impacts; schemes to promote green procurement and environmentally-friendly business/ household practices; implementation of green procurement practices, including installation of environmentally-friendly consumables and appliances, and upgrading/ replacement of other equipment to enable or facilitate their use.

Other actions, such as: continuation of already-ongoing projects/ initiatives falling within the above-listed categories; widening or extension of successfully established projects/ initiatives falling within the above-listed categories, onto adjacent areas; hiring of duly qualified persons to manage and operate sites or facilities falling within the above-listed categories.

Guidelines 

Guidelines Environmental Funding 2017

Results

Results Environmental Funding 2018