The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are currently accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) from nongovernmental organisations, community groups, Indigenous People’s organisations, women’s groups, private companies and other civil society organisations for projects that address the conservation of biodiversity in the Indo-Burma Hotspot. CEPF is designed to safeguard Earth’s biologically richest and most threatened regions, known as biodiversity hotspots. CEPF is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. In the Indo-Burma Hotspot, it is also supported by the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. Priority Areas Strategic Direction 1. Safeguard priority globally threatened species by mitigating major threats CEPF and IUCN invite proposals that address one or more of the following investment priorities: Sustain long-term conservation programmes for core populations of priority species. Re-establish viable wild populations of priority species in line with global guidelines. Conduct research on globally threatened species for which there is a need for greatly improved information on status and distribution. Research and pilot innovative funding sources for species conservation. Support species champions at the community level to implement locally identified actions for priority species. Strategic Direction 2. Mitigate zoonotic disease risks by reducing illegal trade and consumption of and threats to wildlife CEPF and IUCN invite proposals that address one or more of the following investment priorities: Support enforcement agencies to unravel high-level wildlife trade networks by promoting the application of global best practice with investigations, intelligence and informants. Facilitate collaboration among enforcement agencies involved in combatting illegal wildlife trade, as well as with other sectors as part of a One Health approach. Work with private and state-owned companies, with a particular focus on logistics and online platforms, to reduce their involvement in wildlife trafficking. Support targeted campaigns to reduce demand and mobilise public participation in detecting and reporting wildlife crime. Understand and support action to address linkages between biodiversity and human health, including the role of biodiversity loss in the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Strategic Direction 8. Strengthen the capacity of civil society to work on biodiversity, communities and livelihoods at regional, national, local and grassroots levels CEPF and IUCN invite proposals that address the following investment priority: Establish mechanisms to match volunteers to civil society organisations’ training needs. Funding Information Large grants - up to US$40,000 to US$250,000 Small grants - up to US$40,000 Eligibility Criteria This call is open to both international organisations and organisations local to the IndoBurma Hotspot. Individuals wishing to apply must work with civil society organisations to develop applications, rather than apply directly. Please note that preference will be given to projects that demonstrate a leading role for local organisations and/or an explicit focus on capacity building for local civil society. Preference will also be given to projects that actively incorporate gender considerations, in line with CEPF’s gender policy and gender toolkit. Grants cannot be used for: purchase of land; removal or alteration of any physical cultural property (including those with archaeological, palaeontological, historical, religious or unique natural values); relocation of people or any other form of involuntary resettlement; capitalization of trust funds. Eligible countries: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. For more information, visit CEPF.