Call for Proposals to reduce Plastic Pollution in the Mediterranean Islands

On the initiative of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Tara Océan Foundation, Surfrider Foundation Europe, the Mava Foundation and the IUCN, Beyond Plastic Med (BeMed) was created in 2015 to combat plastic pollution in the Mediterranean. In January 2019, the Monegasque association BeMed was created.

Creating a local dynamic to respond to a regional issue is one of the major focuses of Beyond Plastic Med. To achieve this objective, BeMed launched a call for projects in 2020 to strengthen efforts to reduce plastic pollution on Mediterranean islands. As touristic hotspots, islands are heavily impacted by plastic pollution. However, their size means that actions to reduce this pollution on their territory can be expected to have a more effective impact.

The five projects supported within this framework ended in 2022 and were accompanied by the CapiMed-Islands capitalisation program, which aimed to ensure collaboration among the BeMed-Islands Community, to transfer results and impact policies at national and regional levels.

Objectives

• By supporting projects implemented by or in close collaboration with local stakeholders committed to combating plastic pollution on Mediterranean islands, BeMed aims to achieve the following objectives:
  • Reduce plastic pollution at source and its impact on the marine environment through field initiatives acting before plastic reaches the sea,
  • Implement environmentally and economically sustainable solutions, that have a long-term impact,
  • Improve understanding of the local context in relation to plastic pollution (major sources, level of information among the population, waste treatment system, regulations, main obstacles and challenges to implementing solutions, key stakeholders, etc.),
  • Build partnerships and strengthen the capacity of local stakeholders, including by strengthening the BeMed-Islands Community,
  • Reinforce and replicate the effective actions already underway in the Mediterranean.

Funding Information

• May not exceed 100,000€.

Duration 

• Projects will last a maximum of 24 months. In any cases, activities must begin no earlier than 1 February 2025 and end no later than 31 March 2027.

Eligible Countries/Geographical Areas 

• The call for projects concerns all countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
• Priority will be given to applications from the following countries: Egypt, Lebanon, Albania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey and Montenegro.
• The project must target a Mediterranean island (or group of islands) of any size, whether inhabited or not.
• It is possible to submit a transnational project (involving islands belonging to different countries) as long as there is a coordinator in each location (different project holders, branches of the same association, local partners, etc.).

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicant organisations
  • The call for projects concerns all types of organisations whose legal status allows them to receive grants.
  • Particular attention will be paid to the financial soundness of the applicant organisation.
  • Priority will be given to organisations whose activities focus on awareness-raising, nature conservation, environmental lobbying, the management of marine protected areas, societal change, the search for solutions and innovation.
  • It is possible to submit a project that is jointly supported by several organisations.
• Participation in the capitalisation program 
  • The project must include a proactive participation in the CapiMed-Islands capitalisation programme. Participation in this programme as part of the BeMed-Islands Community involves:
    • travelling to a Mediterranean country for one face-to-face meeting,
    • taking part in online meetings (around 4 meetings a year),
    • online time working together to follow up the meetings and preparing the issues that can be effectively passed on to the relevant political bodies,
    • taking part to a joint communication strategy.

For more information, visit BeMed.