World Bank PROBLUE Ocean Trust Fund
Enriched International · Found: 2026-03-10 21:35
PROBLUE, the World Bank ocean trust fund, extended to 2030. Multi-donor trust fund supporting integrated and sustainable development of marine resources.
Funding Details
- Funder
- World Bank (PROBLUE — Multi-Donor Trust Fund)
- Funding Goal
- PROBLUE supports the sustainable and integrated development of marine and coastal resources in a healthy ocean. It funds technical assistance, capacity building, analytics, and investment preparation across four pillars: (1) Fisheries & Aquaculture — governance, sustainability, reducing overfishing; (2) Marine Pollution — preventing marine plastics, litter, and land-based pollution; (3) Oceanic Sectors — sustainable maritime transport, offshore renewables, tourism; (4) Seascape Management — integrated marine spatial planning, nature-based solutions, and blue finance mobilization.
- Funding Amount
- In FY2024, PROBLUE approved 64 proposals totalling $37.8 million, with an overall portfolio of $182 million supporting 247 activities in over 100 economies. Total donor contributions stand at $291.9 million (as of June 2025). Individual project grants vary; no fixed minimum or maximum published.
- Deadline
- Rolling basis (Rolling)
- How to Apply
- PROBLUE does not operate an open public call for proposals. Activities are initiated by World Bank country teams in collaboration with government counterparts and may involve NGOs and private sector as implementing partners. Interested governments should engage with their respective World Bank country office. See https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/problue/our-work for the portfolio of supported activities.
- Target Region
- Global — over 100 economies across Africa, East Asia & Pacific, Europe & Central Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, and South Asia
- Contact
- World Bank PROBLUE team — contact through the World Bank country offices or via the PROBLUE newsletter at https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/problue/brief/problue-newsletter
- Official Page
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/problue
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-15 13:23
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
PROBLUE is a Multi-Donor Trust Fund administered by the World Bank that supports the sustainable and integrated development of marine and coastal resources. Its overarching mission is to achieve a healthy ocean that underpins healthy economies and healthy communities, contributing to SDG 14 (Life Below Water). The fund was extended to 2030 in June 2024 and is co-governed by a Partnership Council of twelve donor countries and the European Commission, with total contributions of $291.9 million as of June 2025. The programme is organised around four thematic pillars. Pillar 1 targets fisheries and aquaculture governance, reducing overfishing through improved transparency, subsidy reform, and sustainable aquaculture development. Pillar 2 addresses marine pollution, with a strong focus on preventing marine plastics and litter from both land-based and marine sources, requiring policy reform, innovation, and private sector intervention. Pillar 3 promotes the 'blueing' of oceanic sectors including maritime shipping, ports, offshore renewable energy, and coastal tourism. Pillar 4 strengthens integrated seascape management, nature-based solutions, marine spatial planning, and the mobilisation of private blue finance. Activities funded by PROBLUE include technical assistance, analytical work, capacity building, investment preparation, policy development, and knowledge exchange. Examples include plastic waste value chain assessments in Southeast Asia and South Asia, marine litter governance studies in the Adriatic and Black Sea, sustainable aquaculture pilots in Indonesia and Kazakhstan, blue economy roadmaps in small island states, and blue finance instrument design in Latin America and Africa. Geographically, PROBLUE is a global programme active in over 100 economies, with substantial portfolios in East Asia and Pacific (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam), South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka), Latin America and Caribbean, Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia. Eligible applicants for PROBLUE-funded activities are primarily national governments and World Bank project teams in developing and emerging economies. Civil society organisations, NGOs, research institutions, and the private sector may participate as implementing partners within Bank-led operations, but the fund does not issue open calls for proposals to external organisations. Budget per activity ranged from small analytical grants to multi-year technical assistance programmes; in FY2024, 64 approvals averaged approximately $590,000 each.
Historical Context
PROBLUE was established as a Multi-Donor Trust Fund housed at the World Bank. It supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water). The fund was extended to 2030 in June 2024 with twelve donor partners. In FY2024, 64 proposals worth $37.8 million were approved; the overall portfolio stands at $182 million across 247 activities. Total contributions reached $291.9 million as of June 2025. Donor countries include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, UK, USA, and the European Commission.
Why it was added
FI2: World Bank PROBLUE blue economy trust fund extended to 2030
Sources
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/problue
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/problue/overview
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/problue/donors-and-supporters
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/problue/our-work
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