FCDO Blue Planet Fund — OCEAN Grants Programme

Enriched government · Found: 2026-03-14 20:33

UK GBP 500M ocean ODA. OCEAN programme: waste management systems, circular economy for ocean plastics. Small grants GBP 250K, large grants GBP 3M. Runs to 2029. All developing country regions covered.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-planet-fund/blue-planet-fund

Funding Details

Funder

FCDO (UK Government) via Blue Planet Fund

Funding Goal

Strengthen waste management systems, reduce solid waste entering marine environment, support inclusive poverty reduction and women's empowerment

Funding Amount

Two tiers: small grants up to GBP 250,000; large grants up to GBP 3,000,000

Deadline

First call opened February 2024. Status of 2026 round unknown — direct verification needed (periodic)

How to Apply

Via the OCEAN programme page on GOV.UK; managed by implementing organisations under FCDO. Application form via OCEAN programme portal — check gov.uk/blue-planet-fund. Identify who manages the OCEAN grant programme for FCDO (likely Mott MacDonald, DAI, or similar). Use FCDO DevTracker portal (devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk) to identify implementing organisations.

Target Region

South and Southeast Asia, West Africa, East Africa, Latin America, Caribbean SIDS, Pacific SIDS

Contact

Via GOV.UK Blue Planet Fund page or FCDO country offices

Last Checked

2026-03-14 20:35

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Registered as a CSO/NGO in a recognised jurisdiction
• Demonstrate prior experience in coastal/marine waste management
• Projects must operate in ODA-eligible coastal countries
• Gender and poverty reduction components required

Project Scope

• Focus on waste management systems strengthening or circular economy for ocean pollution reduction
• Reduce solid waste (including plastic) entering marine environment
• Include coastal community engagement and local stakeholder partnerships

Constraints

• Two grant tiers; large grants likely require significant prior track record
• Co-financing likely required for large grants

Summary

The Blue Planet Fund is the UK's flagship ocean-related ODA instrument, totalling GBP 500 million committed for ocean health through 2025 and beyond. The OCEAN programme within it represents the civil society-accessible window, with the stated objectives of strengthening waste management systems and circular economy approaches to reduce ocean plastics — essentially the description of the organisation's own mission. The first call for proposals opened in February 2024, and given the programme runs to 2029, at least two more rounds are expected. The GBP 3 million large grant ceiling makes this one of the most generously funded bilateral grant opportunities for NGOs in this space. The recommended action is to immediately identify who manages the OCEAN grant programme for FCDO (likely a contractor such as Mott MacDonald, DAI, or a similar firm) and make contact to understand the pipeline for 2026 calls. The FCDO DevTracker portal (devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk) can help identify the implementing organisations. Given the multi-country geographic focus of the organisation (India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania), a proposal covering 2-3 countries simultaneously would align well with the programme's ambition to support scalable solutions. The local partnership model with community-level collection networks directly matches the Blue Planet Fund's priority for coastal community empowerment.

Historical Context

The Blue Planet Fund was announced in 2021 with GBP 500 million to reduce plastic pollution, protect and restore marine ecosystems, and support sustainable management of the ocean. The OCEAN programme specifically funds NGO-implemented activities and opened its first civil society call in February 2024. Previous UK ocean funding (Darwin Initiative, Blue Belt) established that FCDO is a major player in marine conservation grant-making. Annual or biennial call cycles are typical for FCDO-contracted programmes of this size.

Why it was added

grant-scan-2026-03-14-government

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