Open questions and answers sessions for 2025 BID Regional and Cross-regional call – Concept Note phase
· Regional biodiversity data mobilization grants
· Cross-regional biodiversity data mobilization grants
· 2025 BID regional and cross-regional call for proposals: FAQs
Disclaimer:
The call text remains the official reference for all information provided. The questions and answers shared here are intended solely as supplementary clarifications based on inquiries received during the live Q&A sessions. For any further questions, please feel free to post them on the forum here or reach out directly to BID@gbif.org
Clarifications on roles, eligibility, and requirements for partners
Q: What is the distinction between regional and cross-regional projects? Is Africa treated as one region? What exactly qualifies as a regional vs cross‑regional project, and what partner compositions are eligible?
A: Africa is considered a region as a whole. The distinction between the two grant types is the composition of partners. We made some examples on the FAQ page:
Cross-regional projects must have at least two partners located in eligible countries, which is in addition to the lead project institution. Between the project lead and partners, at least two BID regions must be represented. Example:
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Project lead: Institution A located in Kenya, Africa
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Partner 1: Institution B, located in Kenya, Africa
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Partner 2: Institution C located in Colombia, LAC.
Regional projects must have at least two partners located in eligible countries, which is in addition to the lead project institution. Example:
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Project lead: Institution A located in Honduras, LAC
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Partner 1: Institution B, located in Honduras, LAC
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Partner 2: Institution C located in Nicaragua, LAC.
Q: Must “experience in managing and leading data mobilization projects” be from GBIF‑funded projects, or can it be other projects that publish to GBIF? Does the experience need to be held by the project lead institution, the local entity, or can broader organizational (global HQ) experience also count?
A: Applicants must demonstrate prior experience in data mobilization projects that include publishing data through GBIF. These prior projects do not need to have been funded by GBIF, funding source is not a determining factor. What matters is that the projects involved actual data publication via GBIF, as this will be a core deliverable of BID funded projects . Given the expected complexity of these projects and the limited two-year timeframe, there is no opportunity to learn GBIF data publishing from scratch during the project period.
Regarding whether this experience must come from the project lead: ideally, yes. It is strongly preferred that the project lead themselves has prior experience implementing data mobilization projects. If there is a choice between two potential leads, the one with greater relevant experience should be selected.
Q: Who is responsible for demonstrating experience in data mobilization, is it the lead applicant or the organization?
A: Grants are awarded to organizations rather than to individuals. As a result, the evaluation focuses on the experience of the organization as a whole, not solely on the person submitting the application. In the concept note, applicants must clearly demonstrate that the organization, and the relevant internal team, will actively support the implementation of the grant. This includes showing that the organization has the necessary institutional support and that appropriate resources will be allocated to ensure successful delivery of the project.
Q: For an institution in Venezuela, is a project with only Venezuelan partners eligible, or are additional partners from other eligible countries/regions required?
A: Project partners only from Venezuela, would not be considered eligible. You would need to get additional partners in a BID eligible country across the region (regional grant), or across the regions (cross-regional). See examples on project team composition on the FAQ page.
Q: Can a single project mobilize data for multiple taxonomic groups (e.g., plants and fish) in different countries and institutions? Do all partners need to work on the same taxonomic group?
A: Yes, data on different taxonomic groups can be mobilized within a single grant, there are no restrictions in this regard. Likewise, partners are not required to mobilize the same types of data. For example, one partner may focus on plant data in a specific area, while another partner works on fish data in a different area. It is important to present a coherent narrative across the partnership and datasets to be mobilized within your concept note to explain why you intend to work together and how the data will be of relevance.
Q: How will the panel distinguish between an “excellent” concept note and a merely “good” one?
A: We encourage you to review the evaluation criteria outlined in the call text, as these are the criteria that independent reviewers will use to assess your concept notes. These criteria are publicly available. In addition, the selection panel will also consider factors such as geographic and thematic balance, as well as the balance among different grant types.
Q: Is a small field trip to gather data on unsampled places eligible?
A: The answer is: it depends. BID funds cannot be used to support field trips or to purchase field equipment, regardless of scale. However, field trips may be included in the project if they are fully funded through co-funding or other sources outside the BID grant. It is also important to ensure that the success of the project does not depend on these field trips, they should not constitute a major component of the project and must be entirely supported by alternative funding. Applications must include a major component of data mobilization through the GBIF network. It is expected that at least 50% of BID funding is directed towards data mobilization activities.
Q: If an organization has submitted or received funding under a previous BID call, can it still apply to this one?
A: The answer is yes. However, it is essential that each new project proposal is distinct from previous ones and specifically designed for this call. Each proposal should include unique activities and deliverables. If two proposals under different calls were selected with identical activities and deliverables, the later proposal would be disqualified. Therefore, it is crucial from the outset to ensure that all proposals are clearly distinct, as the BID program cannot double-fund the same activities.
Q: Does GBIF-BID consider local presence of an organization enough to be eligible?
A: Based on the eligibility requirements, an organization will be considered eligible only if the application is submitted through its legally registered local entity in a BID-eligible country. Having the HQ in a non-eligible country (e.g., the US) is not an issue, however, the lead applicant must be the local entity, as this entity will be responsible for receiving and managing the funds, signing the contract, and ensuring compliance with local legal and financial obligations.
Q: Can students/interns (“stagiaires”) be included in the project, and how should this be documented?
A: Yes, you can involve students in delivering the objectives of your projects, Ideally the students or the intern you want to involve in the project should be affiliated with an organization that is part of the consortium, either through an internship contract or through some type of relationship.
Q: Can a cross‑regional consortium join Africa and Pacific partners, and how many Pacific countries can be involved?
A: Yes, you can involve organizations located in both Africa and the Pacific, provided they are in eligible countries. A list of eligible countries is available in the call for proposals. In addition to the lead organization, each project must include at least two additional partners located in BID focus regions. For example, if GBIF Togo is leading the project, you would need at least two additional partners in eligible countries in Africa and Pacific: for example, one additional partner in Africa and one in the Pacific, such as another organization in Togo and one organization in Fiji.
Q: Can organizations outside eligible countries (e.g., Europe, US) participate, and under what conditions do they count as partners or co‑funders?
A: Yes, they may participate as additional partners however, they do not count towards the minimum required partners from BID eligible countries.
Q: How many projects are likely to be selected, and how competitive is concept‑note vs full‑proposal stage?
A: We have an expected budget for funding projects under this call. We do not anticipate funding a high number of projects, as these are large grants. Likely, we may be able to support only a couple of regional projects per region, and a few cross-regional projects. The exact number will depend on the quality of the proposals and the amount of funding requested.
It is also important to note that the second phase of the selection process will be competitive. Being invited to submit a full proposal does not guarantee funding, as there will still be a competitive evaluation at that stage.
Q: Is it necessary to have an endorsement letter?
A: At the concept note stage this is an optional document, however the letter of endorsement from the node will be a mandatory document at the full proposal stage. We will provide templates for these letters for your convenience. If, for some reason, you cannot get the letter in time, when you submit your proposal, you can also include the communication you sent to GBIF node manager or Head of Delegation to inform them about the project, as demonstration that you have informed them and requested endorsement. We can accept a PDF of an email correspondence and receiving the endorsement letter by email on a later stage.
Q: What experience with data mobilization is “enough” for the lead institution (e.g., is publishing two datasets in GBIF sufficient)?
A: The applicant must demonstrate that the institution has the technical capacity and experience to carry out the project, as well as previous experience with data publishing through GBIF. However, there is no minimum number of datasets required for this criterion.
Q: Can the project focus mainly on developing data‑enrichment / analytic tools or AI algorithms, as long as they lead to new/updated datasets in GBIF? What is GBIF’s stance on AI‑generated / AI‑enriched data, and what proof of authorization from original data holders is needed?
A: Using AI is not automatically ineligible, but it may be considered at the edge of the program’s main objective, which is to mobilize new data. It is therefore important that your project includes the mobilization of new data. It is essential to demonstrate that you have the authorization of the original data holders to publish any data compiled or enriched through AI. The project must ensure that all use of AI-generated data is done with the full acknowledgement and agreement of the original data holders and publishers in line with the GBIF data publisher agreement and data user agreement.
Q: If an organization is not in a GBIF participant country, is it still possible to participate to the call for proposal?
A: The answer is yes. As long as your organization is in an eligible country in Africa, LAC or Pacific, then you are very welcome to participate to this call independently of whether or not your country is a GBIF participant country and there is a GBIF node. In this case we will not ask you to provide the statement of endorsement from the GBIF node, because there will be none.
Q: Can a partner institution be the same as the GBIF node?
A: Yes, the institution that hosts the node can be a partner in a project or can lead a project, as long as they are in an eligible country.
Q: Are partners from ineligible countries allowed?
A: Yes, they can be involved, but they do not count as one of the required number of partners for the different grant types.
Clarifications on budget structure, costs, and funding rules
Q: Do the co-financing contributions (monetary or in-kind) need to be distributed across the entire proposal period, or can they cover specific activities? Can expenses related to inter-institutional arrangements be considered as co-financing?
A: We do not have specific requirements on the co-funding. It is up to the applicant how the co-funding will be distributed. Yes, the contributions in-kind can fall under the co-funding category.
Q: Can overhead be included?
A: The answer is no. Overhead costs – costs that cannot be directly attributed to the activities of the project - are considered to be ineligible.
Q: Can the budget for the project come entirely from the BID programme? Would the institutions involved be expected to co-fund the activities?
A: Projects are expected to include co-funding from the participating institutions. While BID funding can cover a substantial portion of the budget, co-funding contributions below 25% of the total project budget may be viewed as offering poor value for money.
Q: Are there maximum budget amounts for specific activities like tools, travel, workshops, etc.?
A: No, there is no maximum budget limit for covering different activities. However, there is a restriction on the use of funds for purchasing IT equipment. BID funds may be used to cover up to a maximum of €9,000 (regional grant)/ €12,000 (cross-regional grant) of the costs of any IT services or purchases. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, a) computer equipment, such as laptops, desktop computers, servers, hard drives and printers; b) software licences and subscriptions; c) digital cameras and scanners; d) other electrical equipment and electronics; e) lab equipment including microscopes, sequencing equipment, etc.
Q: Can developer time / staff salaries (e.g., for a software developer or accountant) be funded?
A: Yes, project‑related staff time is eligible. General overhead costs not directly attributable to project activities are ineligible.
Q: If university bureaucracy delays access to funds, can GBIF send money to another organization in the consortium instead, and what is the procedure?
A: In exceptional cases, yes. The project lead must formally request this arrangement in writing on behalf of the lead organization, asking that the grant be disbursed to a third party, such as a partner. The letter should also confirm that the project lead organization assumes full responsibility for any liabilities that may arise and remains fully responsible for reporting.
Q: What are the budget items that are allowed for each grant?
A: The costs must be described per activity and broken down into the expense type as defined by GBIF. For the sake of simplicity, the expense types will be restricted to 5 categories:
· Salary
· Travel
· IT; including equipment, services or licences
· Consumables
· Conference and logistics