CEFAS24-18 ITT for advisory services on Sustainable Financing in Belize for OCPP

Tender description

Cefas requires services to identify and develop locally relevant sustainable financing mechanisms that could be used to support the legacy of the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) objectives in Belize. The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) is funded through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) as part of the UK’s Blue Planet Fund (BPF). The BPF is the UK’s £500 million programme supporting developing countries to protect the marine environment and reduce poverty. Through the OCPP, the UK government partners with ODA-eligible countries to deliver tangible and positive impacts on the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems. The OCPP aims to strengthen marine science expertise, develop science-based policy and management tools, and create educational resources for coastal communities under three main objectives described in terms of marine pollution, sustainable seafood, and marine biodiversity. OCPP supports activities in partnership with country governments, including Belize, that are directed towards capacity building for marine science in local institutions, organisations, and communities. An essential part of this work is ensuring key activities such as Belize’s public water quality testing labs, marine ecosystem monitoring, and disease surveillance in aquatic fisheries, have resilient funding models. These funding models are essential to contribute to the long-term sustainability of Belize’s marine environment, for the benefits of its people and their livelihoods, in accordance with OCPP outcomes. There are a wide range of sustainable finance mechanisms that could be used to support the transition of funding from the BPF through OCPP and other programmes, to longer-term funding models. This can include use of blended finance models that can attract further funding as they mature. Cefas requires services to identify and develop locally relevant sustainable financing mechanisms that could be used to support the legacy of the OCPP objectives, to equip communities to manage marine pollution, biodiversity, and sustainable seafood and thus improve health and livelihoods. The Supplier will be expected to engage with different Ministries and stakeholders in Belize, to gauge risk appetite and level of support for the proposed outcomes of this Contract. It is vital that cultural considerations are at the heart of all engagement.