Blue Catalyst Fund 2026: Funding and Technical Support for High-Quality Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Projects
The Blue Catalyst Fund 2026 accepts applications globally from eligible mangrove conservation and restoration projects. Led by Fair Carbon and Finance Earth, the initiative offers catalytic funding, specialist technical expertise, and transaction advisory services.
Overview
The Blue Catalyst Fund is designed to help high-quality blue carbon projects overcome financial, technical, and development barriers. The programme combines catalytic funding with specialist technical expertise, project development assistance, financial and transaction advisory services, and capacity building to help credible mangrove projects move from early-stage feasibility toward investment readiness.
Led by Fair Carbon and Finance Earth alongside technical partners, the initiative seeks to protect or restore 150,000 hectares of coastal and marine ecosystems, avoid or remove 32 million tonnes of CO2e, and unlock $275 million in private investment by 2035.
Eligibility
The call has a global scope and is open to eligible projects worldwide. The fund is suited for project developers and organizations rather than individual applicants. Eligible entities may include:
- Mangrove conservation organizations and restoration initiatives
- Blue carbon project developers
- Environmental and conservation organizations
- Nature-based solutions organizations and coastal ecosystem project teams
- Public, private, or nonprofit entities involved in eligible project development
Projects can be at various development stages, from establishing feasibility and developing concepts to working toward project design, validation, and investment preparation.
Benefits
Selected projects receive a combination of support rather than a conventional grant:
- Specialist technical and project development support covering feasibility, project design, and validation
- Early-stage catalytic funding provided as an unsecured contingent loan that does not require equity, with repayment needed only if follow-on investment is secured
- Financial and transaction advisory services to help position projects for larger-scale capital
- Capacity building through the Blue Carbon Academy to strengthen local technical expertise and long-term project management capabilities
How to Apply
Applicants should carefully review the official Applicant Information Pack before beginning the process. The application utilizes a two-step procedure:
- Step 1: Complete the initial Eligibility Questionnaire to determine if the project meets basic requirements.
- Step 2: Successful candidates are invited to complete a detailed Full Assessment.
Interested developers should submit their materials through the official application portal early due to the multi-stage evaluation process.
Deadline
The deadline for applications is 19:00 BST / 20:00 CEST on Thursday, 1 October 2026.