Tenders Are Invited For Development Of The Ceo Approval Package For The Gef-Sccf Project Blue Carbon Horizons: Strengthening Climate-Resilient Coastal Planning In Mauritius

Tenders are invited for Development of the Ceo Approval Package for the Gef-Sccf Project Blue Carbon Horizons: Strengthening Climate-Resilient Coastal Planning in Mauritius. Closing Date: 24 Sep 2026 Type: Consultancy Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy Development of the CEO Approval package for the GEF-SCCF project Blue Carbon Horizons: Strengthening Climate-Resilient Coastal Planning in Mauritius through Blue Carbon for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (GEF ID 12334) Objective of the Consultancy This consultancy has the following objective(s): Development of the CEO Approval Request package, including the IUCN Agency Project Document (prodoc) and all required annexes and relevant analyses for the Mauritius Blue Carbon Horizons project (GEF ID 12334), which would contribute to achieve GEF CEO Approval of the medium-sized project (MSP), with submission to the GEF Secretariat no later than 15 February 2027. Background Project Reference: GEF SCCF PPG Mauritius (IUCN Project ID: to be confirmed) / Mauritius GEF SCCF (GEF ID 12334) Donor reference: Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), Window A on Climate Change Adaptation / Global Environment Facility (GEF) About IUCN: IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the worlds largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve peoples well-being. www.iucn.org About the Project The project Blue Carbon Horizons: Strengthening Climate-Resilient Coastal Planning in Mauritius through Blue Carbon for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (GEF ID 12334), co-developed by IUCN and the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries (Blue Economy Division) of Mauritius together with key national stakeholders, received GEF CEO approval of its Project Identification Form (PIF) and Project Preparation Grant (PPG) on 15 June 2026. It is a medium-sized project (MSP) financed under the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF-A), with an implementation period of 60 months. The objective of the project is to enhance the climate resilience of Mauritius coastal communities and ocean-based sectors by enabling a regenerative Blue Economy through the development of a high-integrity knowledge base and the integration of blue carbon and biodiversity-based financial mechanisms into national adaptation and spatial planning frameworks. As a Small Island Developing State whose long-term resilience is closely tied to the health of its coastal and marine ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs and coastal forests), Mauritius faces rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, coastal erosion, pollution and development pressures that are degrading the natural buffers protecting coastal communities and Blue Economy sectors across its 2.3 million km² Exclusive Economic Zone. The PIF identifies the barriers the project is designed to address: a limited operational link between evidence, planning and implementation; an inadequate institutional architecture for integrated blue carbon governance across environment, fisheries, ocean economy, climate change, finance, tourism and spatial planning mandates; limited readiness to mainstream blue carbon into national policy instruments such as the NAP, NDC, NBSAP, ICZM and marine spatial planning; and weak valuation and monetisation of ecosystem services. It also identifies key enablers, including strong national policy momentum, the National Blue Carbon Task Force as an existing coordination platform, regional and international technical partnerships, and private sector exposure to coastal and marine climate risk. (Please refer to the GEF-approved PIF, available on the GEF portal: https://www.thegef.org/projects-operations/projects/12334) The project is divided into the following components: Component 1: Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Adaptation Readiness, Governance Frameworks and Knowledge Systems. This component establishes the institutional, policy, governance and knowledge foundations for blue carbon. It covers the National Blue Carbon Strategy and Action Plan and mainstreaming into the NDC, NAP, NBSAP, ICZM and Blue Economy and climate finance strategies (Outcome 1.1); a blue carbon and biodiversity finance framework including registry infrastructure and a regenerative Blue Economy taxonomy; national blue carbon assessment guidelines aligned with IPCC guidance, a national MRV system and digital data platform, and science-to-policy reporting mechanisms (Outcome 1.2); and a knowledge management and capacity-building suite with toolkits, training modules, legal and regulatory assessments and a community of practice (Outcome 1.3). Component 2: Strengthening Blue Carbon Ecosystem Mapping, Baseline Inventory and MRV Systems. This component generates a national high-resolution spatial map of blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass meadows and tidal wetlands) using standardised field survey protocols, and a decision-grade national blue carbon baseline inventory including a geospatial database and ecosystem extent, condition and carbon stock assessments (Outcome 2.1). Component 3: Accelerating the transition to a regenerative Blue Economy. This component integrates blue carbon into national and sub-national planning instruments, marine spatial planning, climate finance and coastal zoning frameworks (Outcome 3.1); implements priority restoration and conservation interventions at demonstration sites, operationalises community-based co-management systems, and supports blue jobs and livelihoods across tourism and blue food value chains with targeted inclusion of women and youth (Outcome 3.2); and operationalises blue financial instruments, an investable NbS pipeline with benefit-sharing mechanisms, and a Mauritius Blue Finance for Adaptation roadmap and regulatory framework aligned with TNFD (Outcome 3.3). M&E: Monitoring and evaluation. A GEF and IUCN compliant project monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting system, including annual Project Implementation Reports, a Mid-term Evaluation and a Terminal Evaluation. Indicative demonstration and sampling sites are Mont Choisy (north-west coast), Poste Lafayette (east coast), Bain Boeuf (north coast), Le Morne (south-west coast) and Albion (west coast), alongside Rodrigues and offshore areas to be confirmed during the PPG phase. Exact site boundaries, polygons and coordinates will be validated during the PPG through GIS review, field verification and confirmation with the Ministry and the National Blue Carbon Task Force. IUCN is the GEF Agency (Implementing Entity) and the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries (Blue Economy and Fisheries Division) will act as the Executing Entity. The National Blue Carbon Task Force, which validated the project concept on 2 April 2025, provides the principal national coordination platform for the project and for the PPG phase. Coordination is also foreseen with regional and international research programmes, including the IORA Blue Carbon Hub, CSIRO, the WIO Mangrove Network and the Blue Africa network. Description of the Assignment As per the GEF and IUCN project cycle, the next and final stage in project development is for IUCN to implement the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) phase based on the funding received from the GEF (as indicated above), and lead the development and submission of a fully developed GEF CEO Approval Request, IUCN Agency Project Document and all required annexes and relevant analyses that contribute to the achievement of GEF CEO Approval (clearance from the GEF CEO to begin implementation of the Project). As the project is a Medium-Sized Project (MSP), the applicable GEF decision at this stage is CEO Approval rather than CEO Endorsement. The GEF CEOs approval of the PIF on 15 June 2026 requires the final project document to be approved within 12 months, that is by 15 June 2027. To allow sufficient time for the iterative review process with the GEF Secretariat, IUCN will submit the GEF CEO Approval package no later than 15 February 2027, after completing the iterative process with different stakeholders, including validation of the project design through a national Validation Workshop. Included in these ToRs is all the work to respond to any and all GEF Secretariat review requests, to revise submitted project documents and all necessary annexes, as needed to address any concerns or needs to achieve GEF CEO Approval. The review period after submission to the GEF Secretariat will last from 15 February 2027 until CEO Approval is achieved (by 15 June 2027, if not prior). This final PPG development work is supported by GEF PPG financing under implementation by IUCN, in close collaboration with the Blue Economy and Fisheries Division, the Ministry of Environ Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4228429/development-ceo-approval-package-gef-sccf-project-blue-carbon-horizons-strengthening-climate-resilient-coastal-planning-mauritius