About this opportunity
The Incubator was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in June 2022 to turn government led ocean ideas into work that can be tested and scaled. It is deliberately small and catalytic: the money is meant to help a country build evidence, strengthen capacity and prepare the ground for larger investment rather than fund a full programme.
Each project receives between £20,000 and £50,000 and must run for a minimum of six months and a maximum of eighteen months. The lead applicant has to be a legally established national or sub national government entity, such as a ministry, department, agency or other public body with formal government status, and partnerships with NGOs, academic and research institutions, community organisations and the private sector are strongly encouraged. That is the opening for a consultancy, a university team or a coastal community organisation to be named in a bid put forward by a state or federal ministry.
Round I selected eight projects from Barbados, Canada, Fiji, Kiribati, Nigeria, Seychelles and two from Sri Lanka, and the mangrove management case study from Nigeria is published on the Commonwealth site. New backing from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, alongside the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, expands Round II to an expected 10 to 15 projects, with dedicated funding windows for South Asia, Pacific small island developing states and the Caribbean while countries outside those regions are equally welcome. Proposals have to contribute to the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration across marine pollution, ecosystem restoration, the blue economy, fisheries or the ocean and climate nexus. Each country may submit up to two applications, and the closing date is 11 December 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
What you receive
- A grant of £20,000 to £50,000 per project
- Technical assistance and capacity building support through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation
- A common application and assessment process open to all 56 member countries
- Dedicated funding windows for projects in South Asia, Pacific small island developing states and the Commonwealth Caribbean
- Part of an expected 10 to 15 projects selected by the second quarter of 2027, with published case studies after Round I set the precedent
- Evidence, capacity and a tested model that can support a larger investment case later
Who can apply
- The lead applicant must be a legally established national or sub national government entity, such as a ministry, department, agency or other public body with formal government status
- The project must be located in one of the 56 Commonwealth Member Countries, which includes Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and India among others
- The project must contribute to the implementation of the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration
- The project must address one or more of the priority areas: reducing marine pollution, restoring marine ecosystems, advancing a sustainable blue economy, strengthening sustainable fisheries, or the ocean and climate nexus
- The project must last a minimum of six months and a maximum of eighteen months
- Each country may submit up to two project applications in this round
- Non governmental, technical and implementation partnerships are strongly encouraged alongside the government lead
Who should not apply
- Applications led by an organisation that is not a national or sub national government entity do not meet the lead applicant rule
- Projects outside the 56 Commonwealth Member Countries are not covered by this call
Documents to prepare
- The online Round II Grant Application Form
- The Word version of the application form, used to draft your responses before completing the online submission
- The Application Guidelines and Assessment Criteria document, which sets out how proposals are judged
How to apply
- Read the call page at https://thecommonwealth.org/commonwealth-blue-charter-incubator-round-2 and check your idea against the five priority areas
- Download the Application Guidelines and Assessment Criteria and the Word version of the grant application form to draft your responses
- Agree the partnership with the ministry, agency or public body that will lead the application, since a government entity must be the applicant
- Submit the Round II application online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCIRoundII
- Complete the submission before Friday 11 December 2026 at 23:59 GMT
Selection process
- All applications pass through a common application and assessment process regardless of region
- Proposals are assessed against the criteria published in the Application Guidelines and Assessment Criteria document
- Between 10 and 15 projects are expected to be selected by the second quarter of 2027
Sources and verification
Related opportunities
- Yves Rocher Foundation Terre De Femmes International Award 2027, €10,000 For Women Leading Urban Tree Projects
The Yves Rocher Foundation has opened applications for the 2027 Terre de Femmes International Award on the theme Trees in the City. Two projects led by women anywhere in the world each receive a €10,000 grant, provided the work runs through a non profit organisation that has existed for at least one year. Applications close at midnight on 30 November 2026.
Questions applicants ask
Can an NGO or a startup apply directly?
Not as the lead. The lead applicant must be a national or sub national government entity, but the Incubator strongly encourages partnerships with NGOs, academic and research institutions, community organisations and the private sector, so the practical route is to build the bid with the relevant ministry or agency.
Is Nigeria eligible?
Yes. All 56 Commonwealth Member Countries may apply, and Nigeria had a project selected in Round I on sustainable mangrove management.
How long can the project run?
A minimum of six months and a maximum of eighteen months.
How many applications can one country send?
Each country may submit up to two project applications per funding round.
Important disclaimer
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