Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation (BaltCF)
Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-10 21:07
Germany-based foundation providing grants for Baltic Sea habitat restoration and resilience projects. Funds NGOs across the entire Baltic Sea catchment area.
Source: https://www.baltcf.org/
Funding Details
- Funder
- Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation (BaltCF)
- Funding Goal
- Grants and other financial support for projects contributing to the conservation and restoration of the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Funds habitat restoration and conservation projects, reduction of eutrophication, improvement of marine protected areas, reduction of harmful fishing practices, capacity building for NGOs, grant writing support, isolated equipment expenses, and zero-interest loans for reimbursement-based programs.
- Funding Amount
- Variable by project type; total grants awarded to date EUR 4.9 million across 41 projects. Capacity grants include up to 40% overhead. No fixed maximum per project stated on website.
- Deadline
- Rolling basis (Rolling)
- How to Apply
- Step 1: Download and review Funding Guidelines. Step 2: Schedule a call with project coordinator Kathleen (kathleen.schwerdtner-manez@baltcf.org) before submitting. Step 3: Submit concept note (one-pager) to applications@baltcf.org. Assessment takes up to 2 months. If approved, invited to submit full grant application. For capacity grants and special funding types, separate application guidelines apply. Southeast Baltic Capacity Grant had a 30 April 2026 deadline (now passed).
- Target Region
- Baltic Sea catchment area (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Norway)
- Contact
- Kathleen Schwerdtner Manez: kathleen.schwerdtner-manez@baltcf.org | General applications: applications@baltcf.org
- Official Page
- https://www.baltcf.org/funding/
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-07 06:03
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Summary
The Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation (BaltCF) is a non-profit, grant-making foundation based in Germany and governed by environmental NGOs. Its mission is to help protect the Baltic Sea by funding and supporting projects across the entire Baltic Sea catchment area. Thematically, BaltCF prioritizes measures that reduce eutrophication, conservation or restoration of marine and coastal habitats, creation/expansion/improvement of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), reduction of harmful fishing practices, and other improvements for the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Ghost gear removal is an example of funded activities. The foundation takes a broad view of eligible activities as long as they contribute meaningfully to the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Eligible activities include conservation and restoration projects, grant writing support for larger applications, isolated equipment or infrastructure purchases, legal action for Baltic Sea protection, zero-interest loans for reimbursement-type programs, and capacity building (including Frankfurt Spring School scholarship). Projects purely focused on research, awareness-raising, lobbying, or education alone are not eligible, but these can be components of a larger eligible project. Geographically, BaltCF operates across all countries in the Baltic Sea catchment, which includes Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, and several central European countries whose rivers flow into the Baltic. Eligible applicants are NGOs/non-profits based in Baltic Sea catchment countries, governmental authorities acting beyond their legal mandate, and universities/research institutions with a concrete conservation component. For-profit entities are not eligible for grants. No minimum size requirement for applicant organizations. Budget information: BaltCF has awarded EUR 4.9 million in total across 41 projects. There is no stated per-project maximum. Capacity grants allow up to 40% overhead. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The Southeast Baltic Capacity Grant had a deadline of 30 April 2026.
Historical Context
BaltCF is a non-profit grant-making foundation based in Germany and governed by environmental NGOs. It has funded 41 projects to date, created 40 km² of marine protected areas, restored 15 km² of peatlands, neutralized 22 fish migration obstacles, and retrieved 8.5 tonnes of ghost gear. Funded projects include ghost net removal from the Baltic Sea and Baltic Sea Ranger programme.
Why it was added
DE round 6 - Pan-Baltic conservation foundation funding NGO projects
Sources
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