Applications are now open for the Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator Round II.
Applications will remain open until 11 December 2026 at midnight GMT (UTC+0).
Find out how to apply, read the guidance and access the application form:Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator Round II
About the Project Incubator
Addressing major ocean challenges and building a blue economy pipeline that is sustainable requires ambitious, government-led scalable pilot projects and proof-of-concept initiatives. By supporting early-stage innovation and implementation through the Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator, these projects can help drive the policy, regulatory, and legislative changes needed to drive long-term ocean action and investments across the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in June 2022. Through a catalytic grant (early-stage funding) mechanism of up to £50,000 awarded to governments for government-NGO or private sector partnerships, the Incubator supports Commonwealth countries in developing ambitious ocean conservation projects across five priority areas:
- Reducing marine pollution
- Ecosystem restoration
- Sustainable blue economy initiatives
- Sustainable fisheries
- The ocean–climate nexus
These focus areas directly support the priorities outlined in the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration.
Round I Blue Charter Incubator
The initiative was supported by an initial contribution from the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, with additional commitments from Bloomberg Philanthropies' Vibrant Oceans Initiative. Following a rigorous screening and due diligence process, eight projects were selected from Barbados, Canada, Fiji, Kiribati, Nigeria, Seychelles, and two from Sri Lanka.
Read more about the projects we supported in Round I:
- How Barbados is turning the tide on plastic pollution
- Eight Commonwealth countries advance ocean science with Canada’s GEM-in-a-Box project
- Sustainable mangrove management in Nigeria: Challenges and future directions
- Rivers as source of plastic pollution and marine litter in Seychelles
Round II Blue Charter Incubator
Round II is supported by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation: core support for technical assistance and capacity building.
- Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation: dedicated support for projects in South Asia and Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
- CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean: dedicated support for projects in the Commonwealth Caribbean.
About the Commonwealth Blue Charter
The Commonwealth Blue Charter is an agreement by all 56 member countries to actively cooperate to support ocean action and meet commitments for sustainable ocean development. Its work programme is implemented through six Action Groups, led or co-led by champion countries.
