I am seeking clarification regarding eligibility of applicants.
The general eligibility details in the Call for proposals state that “Organizations with a legal presence in an eligible country, but headquartered in a non-eligible country, will be considered eligible provided they submit their application through their local entity.”
At the same time, eligibility criteria in the descriptions of both grant types specify that: “Applicants must be legal entities located in eligible countries in sub-Sahara Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean or the Pacific. Legal entities include: national government agencies, GBIF Participant nodes and their host institutions, natural history museums and biological collections, research institutes, universities, and non-governmental organizations.”
Could you please clarify which of the two conditions apply if an applicant is headquartered and legally registered in an ineligible country, but has presence (active projects, staff) in an eligible country?
By legal presence, we mean that the organization must be registered as a legal entity in an eligible country and be legally able to receive and manage grant funds in that country. An operational presence alone (such as staff, projects, or offices) is not sufficient. Accordingly, organizations headquartered in non-eligible countries are eligible only if they apply through a locally registered legal entity in an eligible country that can legally receive the funds, sign a grant agreement and assume contractual responsibility for the grant.