Established in response to decisions from the Convention on Biological Diversity COP15, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) will scale up financing for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The GBFF aims to help countries achieve the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework goals and targets with a strategic focus on strengthening national-level biodiversity management, planning, policy, governance, and finance approaches. The fund was ratified by 186 countries and launched at the Seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver, Canada in August 2023.
The decisions of the 1st GBFF Council Meeting, which took place on February 8 and 9, 2024, in Washington, DC, enabled the start of programming under the biodiversity fund.
Eligible countries have been invited to participate in the first GBFF programming tranche, which is making $211 million available for programming. This amount corresponds to all confirmed pledges at the time of the 1st Council, which include the pledges from Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Spain, minus the corporate budget needs that were approved by the GBFF Council. Luxembourg also confirmed a pledge at UNEA-6 in Nairobi, Kenya, and New Zealand made a contribution in July 2024.
GBFF In Focus
In less than one year, the GEF’s Global Biodiversity Framework Fund has moved from launch to full-speed operation, with four projects already reviewed, approved, and funded, and dozens more in the pipeline. GBFF In Focus is a series showcasing how the new biodiversity fund is changing the game for how countries can invest in nature, starting with four projects in Brazil, Gabon, and Mexico. These projects moved from concept approval to implementation in just six months, and stand out for their inclusive, integrated approach to building a more nature-positive future.
GBFF Webinars
The Global Environment Facility hosted a series of briefing sessions for operational focal points and agency representatives on the start of programming under the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF). Participants were updated on the decisions of the first GBFF Council, which convened on February 8 and 9, 2024, in Washington, DC, and informed on the first two GBF Fund selection rounds that have been opened from February 21 to March 1, 2024, and March 4 to April 1, 2024, respectively. The briefings covered the Fund’s operationalization, its resource allocation system and selection criteria, its project cycle, and its Project Preparation Grant request form.
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Key Documents
- Establishment of a New Trust Fund: The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund - the agreed arrangements for the GBFF, including scope, structure, financial resources, policies, and governance
- Programming Directions - describes the activities eligible for funding
- Project Cycle Policy - sets the rules governing the cycles for GBFF-financed projects
- Resource Allocation Policy - explains how GBFF financial resources are allocated in a country-driven manner
- Table of Country Maximum Dollar Value of Funding Request(s) for the first Programming Tranche
Templates to submit funding requests
For entering a selection round:
Once selected/PPG approved: