CFPs: Innovative Solutions Sought for Restoring and Connecting Natural Habitats (Serbia)

Deadline: 07-Oct-26

The Innovative Solutions Sought for Restoring and Connecting Natural Habitats public call provides technical and financial co-financing for innovative projects that restore degraded natural habitats and establish ecological corridors. Eligible applicants can receive up to 70% of total intervention costs, with project co-financing ranging from $30,000 to $150,000, while applicants must provide at least 30% of the total project cost.

About the Natural Habitats Public Call

The public call aims to support practical and innovative interventions that improve the condition and connectivity of natural habitats. The programme focuses on two major conservation needs: Establishment of ecological corridors connecting protected areas and natural habitats. Projects should involve active restoration or connectivity measures, rather than research or planning activities alone. The initiative is particularly relevant to protected area managers, local authorities, businesses, research institutions, and other eligible organizations with the legal authority and technical capacity to implement conservation interventions. What Does the Programme Support? The call has two thematic components.

Component 1: Restoration of Degraded Priority Habitats

Component 1 supports restoration activities targeting priority habitats that have become degraded.

Eligible habitat types include:

Pastures. Wetlands. Centuries-old forests. Activities must be located within protected areas or in their immediate vicinity. Projects should demonstrate how proposed restoration measures will improve habitat condition, biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, or long-term conservation outcomes.

Component 2: Establishment of Ecological Corridors

Component 2 supports the development of ecological corridors within or between protected areas. The component covers connectivity for different types of natural habitats. Ecological corridors can help connect fragmented habitats and facilitate the movement and dispersal of wildlife and plant species.

Projects should clearly explain:

Which habitats will be connected. Where the corridor will be established. Why connectivity is needed. What ecological benefits are expected. How the intervention will contribute to protected-area connectivity. Why It Matters Habitat degradation and fragmentation can reduce biodiversity and weaken ecosystem resilience. Restoring degraded habitats can improve ecological conditions, while ecological corridors can reconnect fragmented landscapes and help species move between suitable habitats. The call therefore combines habitat restoration and landscape connectivity to support stronger and more resilient natural ecosystems. Innovative approaches can also demonstrate new methods for restoring habitats or improving connectivity that may be replicated elsewhere. How Much Funding Is Available? The programme provides co-financing of up to 70% of the total value of the intervention. Applicants must provide at least 30% own co-financing.

The financial parameters are:

Maximum programme co-financing: 70% of the total intervention value.

Minimum applicant co-financing: 30%.

Minimum project co-financing amount: $30,000.

Maximum project co-financing amount: $150,000.

The $30,000–$150,000 limits apply to the absolute amount of project co-financing, regardless of the total value of the intervention. Project Duration and Implementation Period Projects supported under the call must be implemented within a maximum period of 12 months.

The stated implementation period is:

January 2027 to January 2028 Applicants should therefore ensure that proposed activities can realistically be completed within this timeframe. Who Is Eligible? Eligible applicants include organizations and institutions with the appropriate legal authority, expertise, and capacity to carry out the proposed activities.

Eligible applicant categories include:

Protected area managers. Public enterprises. Private enterprises. Local government units. Academic institutions. Research institutions. Eligible research organizations. Civil society organizations can hold project proposals only when they are also the manager of the relevant protected area. Applicants can implement projects independently or in partnership. Applicant Eligibility Requirements Applicants must meet several organizational and legal requirements.

The applicant must:

Be registered in the appropriate official register. Be registered with the Business Registers Agency where applicable. Have the appropriate legal mandate to conduct the proposed activities. Have sufficient professional capacity. Hold all necessary authorizations for implementation. Be legally able to undertake the proposed intervention. Not be undergoing liquidation. Not be in bankruptcy proceedings. Not be in receivership. Not be subject to a temporary prohibition on carrying out activities. The proposed activities must fall within the legal and operational competence of the applicant or relevant project partner. Protected Area Partnership Requirement A specific partnership requirement applies when the applicant is not the manager of the protected area where the proposed activity will take place. In this situation, the applicant must provide one of the following: A formal agreement with the protected area manager; or A letter of cooperation confirming that the protected area manager agrees with the proposed activities. This documentation must be submitted when the project idea is submitted. Applicants should establish this cooperation before submitting their proposal to avoid eligibility problems.

Partnership and Project Implementation

Projects can be implemented:

Independently by an eligible applicant; or Through a partnership with other eligible organizations. For activities taking place inside or outside protected areas, the proposed measures must fall within the legal competence of the applicant or project partner.

Partnerships can be particularly useful where different organizati