The CEF investment will be focused on Kenya's environmentally critical areas. The categories of projects to be considered under this call for proposals are:

Lot 1:  Projects proposed to be implemented in Kenya's five main water towers of Aberdares Range, Cherangani Hills, Mau Forest Complex, Mt. Elgon, and Mt. Kenya. This is because of their critical contribution to the Kenyan economy in hydropower production, ecological sustenance for wildlife, agricultural production, tourism and biodiversity conservation. Support to Lot 1 projects will amount to 40% of the CEF investment.

Lot 2:     Projects proposed for support in any other important environmental ecosystems in Kenya such as in forests, swamps, lakes, coastal, marine, important wildlife areas, river basins and dry-lands.  Support to Lot 2 projects will amount to 60% of the CEF investment.
Also, recognizing the need to enhance resilience of ecosystems and communities to the adverse impacts of climate change, take off pressure on forested ecosystems from energy requirements and address gender aspects, this Call for Proposals accords priority to projects proposed in the priority areas of 1) Climate change adaptation and mitigation, and  2) Renewable Energy under the above categories.

All projects under Lot 1 and Lot 2 will be implemented over a period of not more than 36 months.  


Priority issues to be supported
Broadly, the priority issues for both Lot 1 and Lot 2 include enhanced natural resource management, but not limited to: conservation of threatened ecosystems; soil and water conservation; renewable energy conservation; water, sanitation and pollution; nature-based enterprises; eco-agricultural initiatives, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and alternative technology adoption.

Specifically, the priority areas include, but are not limited to:
·    Forest protection and management including reforestation for livelihood enhancement and carbon sequestration;  
·    Rural renewable energy management and conservation;  
·    Pollution and waste control management in urban and peri-urban areas in Kenya;
·    Water supply development that is linked to improvement catchment management;
·    Enhance capacity of Water Resources Users Association (WRUAs) to allocate, regulate and conserve water in environmentally critical areas;  
·    Biodiversity conservation;  
·    Flood control and mitigation;
·    Wildlife and environmental conflict management;  
·    Climate change adaptation and mitigation on local livelihoods and natural resource initiatives;   
·    Innovative approaches relating to enhancing ecosystem services;   
·    Nature-based livelihoods support;  
·    Development of incentive mechanisms to enhance community participation and financing of natural resource management by private sector in especially in ecosystems they rely on for their day-to-day activities;  
·    Application of already developed appropriate technologies to enhance soil fertility and increased productivity;  
·    Conservation of degraded wetlands and marine ecosystems;  
·    Enhancement of pastoral livelihood systems including introducing safety nets;
·    Reduction of threats and conflicts over natural resources;  
·    Strengthening traditional management systems of pastoral communities; and  
·    Strengthening of local capacity environmental governance systems & structures.   

All CEF-supported environmental initiatives must:
1.    Show, whenever relevant, how the following cross-cutting issues have been considered in the project design, implementation and monitoring:

• Gender equality: that men and women participate in and benefit from the project
• Good governance: that projects are run in a transparent manner and that the project implementation committees  (PIC) are accountable and engage the project beneficiaries throughout the different stages of project implementation
• Prevention of HIV/AIDS and improved sexual and reproductive health.
• Participation and non-discrimination of vulnerable groups, such as children, older people and people with disabilities.  

2.    Show that the project has been collectively identified by the community or a group of communities and is a priority need;  
3.    Show how the community will monitor the technical and financial aspects of implementation; and
4.    Show how the outputs will be sustained after completion of the project.

Integration of projects with the Government's environmental and development plans.
The proposed project must be in line with the relevant Provincial or District Environmental Action Plan and progressively align to county plans. Therefore the District Environment Officer must confirm on the Concept Application Form and the Full Proposal Application Form that the proposed project is in line with the priorities of the District Environmental Action Plan (DEAP). In districts where there is no approved District Environmental Action Plan, the certification must attest that the proposed project does not contradict the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA), 1999 or NEMA's Strategic Environmental Plan.  

The proposed project should not presently be supported by any other major environmental programme.  Stalled projects due to lack of funds and which meet the eligibility criteria of this call for proposals qualify for support.