Call summary :

The Kiwa Initiative encourages regional cooperation on designing, implementing and monitoring Nature-based Solutions for climate change resilience in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories. These Terms of Reference for the 2024 Call for regional projects reflect the Kiwa Initiative’s commitment to:
- Act as a partnership platform with and for Pacific islanders.
- Foster a coordinated, relevant and complementary approach to official development assistance in the Pacific region.
- Support regional integration in the Pacific, in particular French territories with their neighbouring countries.
- Strengthen the capacities of local, national and regional actors in developing and carrying out their development projects and integrating NbS for climate adaptation in their strategies and policies.

Three windows of opportunity provided by the Kiwa Initiative
1. Regional projects consist of projects with a coherent regional dimension, involving at least 2 of the 18 eligible countries and/or territories, and a project budget ranging from MEUR 1.5 to 5. These terms of reference are dedicated to regional projects.
2. Local projects consist of very small grants (EUR 25,000 to 50,000), small grants (EUR 50,000 to 100,000) and medium-sized grants (EUR 100,000 to EUR 400,000). Those grants are managed by the regional office of IUCN Oceania (IUCN-ORO) based in Suva, Fiji.
- To learn more about local projects, please visit the dedicated IUCN website and contact IUCN by email: kiwainitiative@iucn.org
- Kindly note that these terms of reference DO NOT REFER to local projects but only to regional projects.
3. Technical assistance: Regional project proponents can benefit from technical support provided by Kiwa implementing partners: the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Please contact SPC and SPREP Kiwa focal points to request support in the regional project design. Focal points contacts are provided hereafter (appendix 3).
The Kiwa Initiative Secretariat supports AFD in the management of the Kiwa Initiative by providing technical, financial and administrative support. It ensures a constant link with the selected regional project leaders. The Kiwa Secretariat works with AFD’s Pacific Regional Office based in Noumea (New Caledonia). In the event technical assistance could not be provided by SPC or SPREP to the project applicant, the Kiwa Secretariat should be contacted directly by email kiwa_initiative@afd.fr .
Please note that information requests sent to SPC, SPREP or the Kiwa Secretariat later than Monday, November 25th 2024 may not be taken into consideration.

Sectoral scope for Kiwa regional projects
Kiwa projects must support the reduction of communities’ vulnerabilities to climate change through Nature-based Solutions and include the following characteristics:
- Demonstrated links between project activities/outputs and climate change adaptation;
- Cost-effective and efficient Nature-based Solutions with measurable and multiple benefits for climate change adaptation, biodiversity and human well-being;
- Contribution of the project to gender equity and social inclusion, with specific activities, indicators and a dedicated budget2;
- Active involvement of national/local public authorities and institutions from design to implementation (and even evaluation if possible);
- Active involvement and consultation of local communities from design to implementation (and even evaluation if possible);
- Alignment of proposed projects with key relevant regional, national and local policy frameworks;
- Projects led by regional or international organizations must demonstrate their clear alignment and their contribution to the implementation of relevant national and local policies (on climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation but not only), and must involve local stakeholders;
- Regional projects must include a relevant regional cooperation dimension between countries and/or territories (pooling, capitalization, sharing) whether they are implemented in French territories and/or in other eligible PICTs. A regional project must involve at least two countries and/or territories;
- Scalability of the proposed NbS interventions during the project implementation period;
- Demonstration of an outcome-based approach for the project supported by a robust monitoring, evaluation and learning framework;
- Sustainability of the proposed interventions (including exit strategies, sustainable financing mechanisms, etc.).
Projects must fall within the scope of the legal competencies exercised by the project leaders and must not derogate from the local national or regional regulations in force in terms of the exercise of those c