LocationsNational Call for Proposal on Strengthening Sustainable Production and Management in Thailand’s Tiger Landscape Buffer Zones
February 12, 2026
National Call for Proposal for Grant Submission by NGOs/CSOs in Strengthening Sustainable Production and Management in Thailand’s Tiger Landscape Buffer Zones
Project: “Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A. BACKGROUND
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and build the resilience of people and the planet so that countries can progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its global policy network and communities of practice bring a wealth of development insights to each country where it serves, while sharing those countries’ experiences with the world.
The Tiger Landscapes Investment Facility (TLIF) is an innovative financing initiative that channels public and private capital toward the conservation and sustainable management of tiger landscapes in Asia, including Thailand. TLIF mobilizes blended finance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that, directly or indirectly, contribute to conserving the habitat and biodiversity across tiger landscapes spanning over five major forest complexes(e.g., Western Forest Complex, Kaeng Krachan, Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai, Phu Khaeo Nam Nao and Klong Saeng Khao Sok Forest Complexes).
TLIF’s Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) aims to develop a pipeline of investable MSMEs that have a positive impact on nature. These MSMEs may operate in eligible sectors such as eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture and value chains, forest management, and value chains, as defined in the eligibility criteria. The specific activities to develop a pipeline of investable MSMEs may include market access, branding, marketing, quality improvement, business planning, financial management and accounting, storage and distribution, and packaging. TLIF’s financing facility works with the local financial institutions to enhance access to finance for eligible MSMEs.
Under the TAF, Local Value Grants (LVGs) will be implemented by civil society organizations (CSOs) in collaboration with MSMEs and local communities in tiger landscapes. The primary objective would be for the CSOs to provide hands-on support to MSMEs for a pipeline of investable, inclusive, and climate-resilient enterprises that generate benefits for both people and nature.
In Thailand, TLIF contributes to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) by advancing biodiversity conservation, tiger habitat restoration, and climate-resilient livelihoods in sectors such as watershed management, sustainable agriculture, and eco-tourism. It aligns with the country’s transition toward green, resilient, and inclusive growth.
B. PURPOSE OF THE GRANT PROGRAMME
The TLIF’s LVGs aim to support CSOs to work with MSMEs and build a pipeline of investable MSMEs with a positive impact in Thailand’s tiger landscapes. The grants focus on improving investment readiness, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) through practical capacity-building, market access, networking, and sustainable business development support.
In this regard, the grant will seek:
- To strengthen the business and financial capacities of local and community-based enterprises to enhance their investment readiness and facilitate commercial or concessional financing of those enterprises.
- To strengthen the positive biodiversity impact and minimize the potential negative impact of local and community-based enterprises.
- To build local resilience to climate change and biodiversity loss through sustainable production, livelihood diversification, and ecosystem stewardship.
- To promote inclusive partnerships, market access, and local networks that connect CSOs, communities, and private sector actors for biodiversity and climate action.
- To advance gender equality and women’s empowerment by supporting women-led and women-participating enterprises and ensuring equitable access to capacity-building and financing.
- To contribute to community-led conservation and sustainable use of forest ecosystems in buffer zones and corridors of tiger landscapes.
C. SCOPE OF THE GRANT PROGRAMME
The proposals shall take an innovative and participatory approach aimed at supporting CSOs to work with MSMEs, local enterprises, cooperatives, and community-based organizations to build a pipeline of investable MSMEs with a positive impact in Thailand’s tiger landscapes (including buffer zones and corridors). The grants will support initiatives that enhance investment readiness and enable MSMEs to access follow-on financing (e.g., green/blended finance, commercial lending, impact investment, or other appropriate sources), while delivering biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and GESI, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and the protection of forest ecosystems.
The programme prioritizes key target sectors that, if strengthened, can significantly reduce pressures from economic development on tiger landscapes while improving community livelihoods and linking them positively to biodiversity. These include sustainable agriculture and value chains; sustainable forest management (communal and commercial) and non-timber forest product (NTFP) enterprises; eco-tourism; protected-area management and monitoring; human–wildlife conflict mitigation; and technology-based businesses supporting biodiversity conservation.
The implementation should integrate social innovation, gender equality, and GESI of marginalized and vulnerable groups in project design. During implementation, UNDP will provide technical guidance and capacity building to help grantees apply these approaches effectively and ensure sustainability. UNDP will support and handhold the CSOs and the investment-ready MSMEs in accessing appropriate financing.
Proposals must include a clear theory of change demonstrating how activities will move targeted MSMEs along an investment-readiness pathway and toward accessing financing. Proposals should describe the MSMEs targeted, their key challenges, financing barriers and readiness gaps, and how proposed interventions will lead to investment readiness and, thereafter, financing outcomes (e.g., financing applications, investor/lender engagement, or financing secured). Particular attention will be paid to community participation, sustainability, and scalability.
Possible activities within a grant project (to achieve investment readiness and financing access) may include, but are not limited to:
- Capacity building for community-based enterprises and MSMEs to improve business planning, financial management, and access to green or blended finance
- Supporting and handholding on product development and quality improvements, facilitating market access, supporting product placement and pricing, branding, packaging, marketing, quality improvements/testing, and certification.
- Training on climate-smart and biodiversity-friendly production in agriculture, forestry, eco-tourism, or NTFP sectors.
- Strengthening women-led or women-participating enterprises to promote leadership, entrepreneurship, and equitable market access.
- Facilitating partnerships among CSOs, private sector actors, and local authorities to advance nature-positive and climate-resilient organizations and network.
- Community initiatives for human–wildlife coexistence, ecosystem monitoring, and sustainable use of natural resources.
- Facilitate pilots of technology-based innovations for biodiversity management, enterprise transparency, or ecosystem monitoring.
Collaboration among CSOs through networks or coalitions is encouraged to enhance learning and collective impact.
D. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Eligible applicants are Thailand-registered, local/community-based non-governmental and not-for-profit CSOs/NGOs, as well as formally registered community enterprise networks with a demonstrable non-profit or community-benefit objectivethat work on biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture and forestry, eco-tourism, or small-scale enterprise development are eligible to apply for this grant. Joint proposals or consortia of CSOs are encouraged, particularly when they demonstrate complementary expertise across TLIF’s target sectors and geographic areas. In the case of a coalition, the main applicant must have at least three (3) years of proven experience in sustainability, human rights, or community development, while each co-applicant must have at least one (1) year of proven experience in similar areas.
Government agencies, private-sector companies, and for-profit entities, and International NGOs (INGOs), including those with registered country offices in Thailand, are not eligible to apply as direct grant recipients. However, they may participate as cooperation or learning partners in the project, or as members of a CSO-led coalition, where a civil-society organization serves as the main applicant and grant manager.
The grants will focus on communities and enterprises located in tiger landscape buffer zones and corridors adjacent to or connecting Thailand’s five major forest complexes identified as current or potential tiger habitats—the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai, Kaeng Krachan, Phu Khieo–Nam Nao, and Khlong Saeng–Khao Sok.
Proposals should clearly identify the specific landscape, community groups, and enterprises to be engaged and demonstrate how the intervention will contribute to biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and inclusive local economic development in these areas. Applicants may propose interventions in one or multiple priority geographies to achieve landscape-level impact.
E. PROCEDURES OF GRANT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Those wishing to apply for grant under this call for proposal should submit the following:
1. Copy of the Registration of the Organization
2. Civil Society Organizational Structure
3. Resumes of the proposed project team
4. Sample of knowledge products (for example Annual Reports, or applicable Research products)
5. Proposed Work Plan (See Annex A);
6. Budget Form (See Annex A).
IMPORTANT: Please send Grant Submission Form electronically in one file (pdf format) signed and scanned, include ‘TLIF’ in the email subject line, and send to the following email: LowValueGrants.th@undp.org The Results and Resources Framework (See Annex B) together with Budget Form (See Annex C) shall be submitted as separate documents electronically in Excel format. If additional clarifications required, questions can be sent to the same email address indicated above. Answers to questions will be provided within two working days. A pre-bid Q&A session online (via Zoom) will be on 3 March 2026, 10-12 hrs. The deadline for applications is 2 April 2026, 23:59 hrs (Bangkok time). Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
Under the small grants programme, UNDP will contribute up to USD 90,000 for each successful proposal.
Proposals with project staff salary costs exceeding 25% of the total budget will be disqualified without further consideration. Co-funding and in-house contributions are strongly encouraged.
Eligible costs include honorarium/salary, workshops and trainings, rental, stationery and office equipment, printing and translation, creation of online tools and resources, and other costs directly related to this assignment.
Expenditures such as the infrastructure improvement, equipment, maintenance, utilities, overhead and similar costs are ineligible for this grant proposal.
F. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION TIMEFRAME
Implementation period for approved projects shall not exceed two (2) years, counted from the date of the contract signature to the date when all relevant activities have been successfully completed.
G. SELECTION PROCESS
Decisions on awarding grants are made by a Grant Selection Board (GSB). The Board will be comprised of the representatives of relevant UNDP representatives and other experts engaged for this process.
All GSB decisions on funding projects will be taken no later than four weeks after the closing date for applications. UNDP will inform successful applicants in writing no later than two weeks after the date of the GSB decision.
Note: If the total cost of awards for successful applications exceeds the overall budgeted amount, GSB will award grants according to the total score for each application, starting with the highest scored application, until the available budget has been fully committed. However, if there will still be a number of eligible applications for which grants cannot be awarded due to the insufficient funds available, these non-funded applications will, upon the consent of the GSB, be placed on a reserve list, in descending order of their scores. In the cases where applications awarded grants have subsequently been withdrawn or found non-compliant, applications will be replaced from the reserve list in order of their respective scores for funding.
Applications will be disqualified and will not be further considered, if they:
• Do not comply with priorities or instructions provided in this announcement;
• Contradict principles of non-discrimination and gender equality.
H. SELECTION CRITERIA AND SCORING
Proposed projects will be selected based on the criteria outlined in table 1 below.
Table 1. Selection Criteria and Scoring
| Selection Criteria | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nature-positive enterprises established or scaled — Enhances local and community-based enterprises, increase incomes and sustainable financial capacities, and improves access to markets or finance, including for women-led or women-owned enterprises. possible, the criteria will be assessed based on quantified targets (e.g., number of enterprises receiving concessional/commercial financing, number of enterprises reaching investment-ready stage). [An applicant receiving a score of less than 15 will automatically be excluded even if 100% points are scored in all other criteria.] | Max. 25 points |
| 2 | Foster biodiversity and ecosystem conservation impact — Contributes to improved and advanced conservation, restoration, or utilization sustainable use of ecosystems within tiger landscape buffer zones and corridors; where possible, quantifies results (e.g., hectares under improved conservation or sustainable use) [An applicant receiving a score of less than 12 will automatically be excluded even if 100% points are scored in all other criteria.] | Max. 20 points |
| 3 | Partnerships, networking, and leverage — Promotes collaboration among CSOs, communities, local authorities, and private-sector partners; strengthens local networks, knowledge exchange, and sustainable resource mobilization for biodiversity and climate action. | Max. 15 points |
| 4 | Building climate resilience and low-carbon practices — Supports communities and enterprises in adapting to climate impacts and promotes climate mitigation co-benefits. Where possible, quantify expected results (e.g., emissions reduced, or carbon stocks enhanced). | Max. 10 points |
| 5 | Previous experience in enterprise development and financing – demonstrated previous experience in supporting and developing enterprises that reach investment ready stage and receive commercial or concessional financing. | Max. 10 points |
| 6 | Gender equality and social inclusion — Integrates a gender-responsive approach, promotes participation and leadership of women and marginalized groups, and ensures inclusiveness in capacity building and decision-making. | Max. 10 points |
| 7 | Feasibility, scalability, sustainability, and applicant capacity — Demonstrates realistic, cost-effective design and feasibility within the grant timeframe; sound management systems, and clear plans for sustaining results beyond the grant period. | Max. 10 points |
| TOTAL | 100 Points | |
Grants will be awarded in accordance with the nature and relevance of the project. The payment schedule will be agreed before signing the contract.
IMPORTANT: You will be notified by email no later than three (3) working days after we have successfully received your application. If you do not hear from us within this timeframe, please contact us during the next two days and request a confirmation of receipt of email. Otherwise, UNDP will not be responsible for any potential problems in terms of considering the application.
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