The questions asked in this section of the full application allow us to understand the detail of your tree-growing project and its environmental impact. We compare the metrics outlined in this section with your historical work to see if the proposed project is attainable, but we also look at the proposed project's impact.
Projects will only be selected if they fall within our three landscapes: Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley; the Lake Kivu & Rusizi River Basin of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda; and the Ghana Cocoa Belt.
In this article, we highlight each of the questions we ask in this section of the full application, why we ask them, address any common concerns around each question and (where relevant) provide you with resources/examples to help answer the question.
There are multiple questions that applicants already answered in the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage. You will not be required to answer these again but you are encouraged to update your responses based on feedback that you received on your EOI. All of the questions from the EOI will be written in green below, in case you wish to review the guidance again.
If you have any further questions, you can add them below as a comment or submit them here, and our support team will try to address it.
Information For Questions Asked
- What is the name of your proposed project?
- What are the objectives of your proposed project?
- In what country will your project operate?
- In which subnational jurisdictions would you carry out this project?
- Please upload a detailed budget for this project/loan application.
- When do you expect this project to begin actively restoring land?*
- When do you expect this project’s final restoration activity to occur?*
- What are the key stages of this project’s implementation?*
- Which partner organizations do you intend to engage during this project?
- Which of the following land tenure arrangements govern your project area?*
- How does the land tenure system operate in your project area?*
- Please upload any documentation that explains the project area’s land tenure.
- What risks could your project will face, and how do you intend to reduce their likelihood and mitigate their effects?*
- How would you report on, monitor, and verify the impact of your project?*
- Please draw or upload a geospatial polygon of your proposed restoration area.*
- Which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would your project support? *
Q: What is the name of your proposed project?
Why we ask this question:
We would like to have a descriptive name with which we can identify your proposed project.
Examples of good project names:
- A unique name
- Some reference to the local village or a local ecosystem/geographical landmark
- The type of restoration or intended impact
- "Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad catchment restoration for improved environmental resilience and community livelihoods"
- "Forest and landscape restoration for enhanced ecological functionality and livelihood improvement at Chaka Zone in Southwest Malawi"
- "Aruban-Maben Community Forest Restoration Initiative through Sustainable agricultural practices, Re-afforestation and a Water Catchment Management"
- "Restoring for the Future – A community-led restoration project"
- "Restoring globally important wetlands"
- "Sustainable Forestry, Agroforestry And Adaptation Solutions Challenge"
Q: What are the objectives of your proposed project?
Why we ask this question:
We want to know how your project will impact the local community and ecosystem.
How do I describe my project's objectives? You are expected to describe the objective of your proposed restoration project in as clear detail as possible. Please provide details about your project's goals, how you intend to work with communities, how you intend to maintain and monitor your trees, and what your expected impact will be. The more detailed you are, using precise figures, the more accurately our team can review your application.
Q: In what country will your project operate?
Why we ask this question:
For TerraFund for AFR100 Landscapes 2023, we are only funding projects in the following countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda.
What if my country is not part of TerraFund for AFR100 Landscapes? While this round of TerraFund is focused on certain landscapes, we intend to open multiple funding opportunities and will inform the general public as they launch. We also open calls for capacity-building programs, like the Land Accelerator Africa. You can also join our mailing list by creating an account on www.terramatch.org.
Q: In which subnational jurisdictions would you carry out this project?
Why we ask this question:
We are only funding projects that are in three key landscapes: Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley; the Lake Kivu & Rusizi River Basin of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda; and the Ghana Cocoa Belt. By asking the subnational jurisdictions of the proposed projects, we can see if the project would be within the right area.
How do I know if my project is in an eligible area? You can find more information about our definitions and access our interactive maps here.
Q: Please upload a detailed budget for this project/loan application.
Why we ask this question:
We require a detailed budget from organizations to ensure that they have a solid financial plan for executing their proposed project or loan. The budget should clearly outline how the funding will be utilized to complete the proposed scope of work. By requesting this information, we can evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of the project, and ensure that the funding is being used efficiently.
Non-profit organizations must submit a budget that details how they intend to use this funding to complete the proposed scope of work. We provide a budget template for applicants to download and complete with the required information. Please ensure that the budget is submitted in the correct format. We will only accept budgets submitted in this format to facilitate our evaluation process.
Please thoroughly read our budget guidance article here. This is the most important section of your application.
To complete your loan application, you need to provide a detailed budget that outlines how you intend to use the funding. The budget should include all expenses associated with the project, such as salaries, equipment, supplies, travel, and overhead costs. Download the budget template provided, complete it with the required information, and upload it in the designated field. We only accept budgets submitted in the correct format, so please ensure you follow the template's instructions carefully.
Please thoroughly read our budget guidance article here. This is the most important section of your application.
Why do we ask for the project budget in USD? As an international program operating across different countries, we use USD as a benchmark currency to evaluate all financial plans. We understand that some countries are experiencing rapid devaluation of their currency against the USD.
In this scenario, submit additional documentation that explains the rate of exchange used to calculate the exchange rate between your local currency and the USD. If your project is selected for funding and a currency devaluation occurs between your application and budget discussions, you can revise this figure during the negotiation process.
Q: When do you expect this project to begin actively restoring land?
Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to have a clear understanding of when the project will begin its on-the-ground work. This information is crucial for monitoring the project's progress, evaluating its success, and ensuring that it aligns with our funding goals and timelines.
What do we expect?
To help us understand the timeline of your project, please indicate the date when you expect the first preparation activity to occur on one of the project’s restoration sites. This should include the first time that the land is actively improved by the project’s employees or volunteers.
We recommend selecting a date during the site preparation phase, after communities are mobilized and sites are selected but before planting or natural regeneration begins. For this opportunity, we expect this to be no earlier than January 2024. Note that all planting must be completed by December 2025.
Q: When do you expect this project’s final restoration activity to occur?
Why we ask this question:
We ask for the date of the final restoration activity to understand the timeline of the project and to ensure that the proposed activities align with the project's goals. It's important for us to know when the last tree will be planted or the last natural regeneration area will be treated, as this helps us track progress and measure the success of the project.
What do we expect?
Please indicate the expected date of the final active restoration work on the site. For most projects, this is the day that the last tree will be planted. This date should not include the years in which only monitoring, maintenance, and evaluation are conducted. Note that all planting must be completed by December 2025.
Q: What are the key stages of this project’s implementation?
Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to help understand the timeline and milestones of your project. This information is important to ensure that the project is feasible, well-planned, and has a clear path to success. It also helps us understand how the project will be implemented and how resources will be allocated over time.
What do we expect?
We would like you to describe in detail each of the stages of your project and when they will occur. These stages can include community mobilization, site preparation, planting, maintenance, and monitoring. Please provide the months and years in which each stage is expected to take place and describe, in detail, what you will do during each time period. It's important to note that we will not consider proposals that suggest additional land be brought under restoration or trees planted after December 2025. Providing this information will help us to evaluate your project and ensure it has a clear and achievable plan for implementation.
Q: Which partner organizations do you intend to engage during this project?
Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to understand the network of organizations that you plan to engage with during the implementation of your project. This helps us evaluate the strength of your partnerships and the potential for collaboration and mutual support.
What do we expect?
If your project is delivered in conjunction with an additional non-profit or for-profit project developer, a government agency, a technical partner, a university, or any other partner, list them all and explain each of their proposed roles. You are encouraged to submit letters of recommendation from each of these partners before submitting this application (this can be added as part of your additional documents. Please name the documents to reflect this). This will help us better understand how the proposed partnerships will contribute to the success of your project.
Q: Which of the following land tenure arrangements govern your project area?
Why we ask this question:
Understanding the land tenure arrangements that govern the project area is crucial to ensure that the project is implemented in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations. It also helps us understand the potential risks and challenges associated with the project area.
What do we expect?
Please indicate which of the following land tenure arrangements govern the proposed project area. This may include public lands, private lands, communal lands, leasehold lands, or any other applicable land tenure arrangements. If there are multiple types of land use or ownership systems in the project area, please select all that apply.
Below are the definitions of different land tenure arrangements.
- Private land is owned and managed by a private landowner or company.
- Public land is managed or owned by a government body (except for national parks or reserves).
- Indigenous land is governed by indigenous customary tenure and other community agreements.
- Communal land is acquired, possessed, and transferred under community-based regimes and is typically under customary tenure systems.
- National protected areas are protected areas, parks, or reserves managed by the corresponding national body. These lands typically have regulations on access and use and are managed for the purpose of conserving nature and natural resources.
- Other land is any land that does not fall under the categories mentioned above.
More information about submitting land tenure information can be found here.
Q: How does the land tenure system operate in your project area?
Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to understand the land tenure system in the proposed project area and how it operates. This information is crucial to ensuring that the project is implemented in a way that does not cause any harm or exacerbate any existing inequalities.
What do we expect?
In this section, please provide a detailed description of the land tenure system operating in the proposed project area. This should include any significant changes that have occurred within the past decade. Please outline who owns, leases, and uses the land, and any current disputes related to land ownership or use.
In addition, explain how you plan to select sites for restoration within the proposed project area, ensuring that there are no negative impacts on the land tenure system. Finally, describe how you will ensure that the project will not exacerbate any existing inequalities related to land tenure, and what measures will be put in place to mitigate any potential negative impact.
More information about submitting land tenure information can be found here.
Q: Please upload any documentation that explains the project area’s land tenure.
Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to ensure that the proposed project area has a clear and well-defined land tenure system in place. By requesting documentation that outlines the land tenure arrangements, we can better understand the ownership, lease, and use of the land in the proposed project area. This information is crucial for ensuring that the project will not cause any conflicts or disputes related to land tenure.
What do we expect?
If available, please upload any documentation that describes the land tenure arrangement in your project area and/or an example of a past agreement that you have signed. This can include information collected by your own organization, a government body, or an independent assessment. If you already have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with any communities, the government, or traditional authorities within the proposed project area, you are highly encouraged to upload it. This is optional.
More information about submitting land tenure information can be found here.
Q: What risks could your project will face, and how do you intend to reduce their likelihood and mitigate their effects?
Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to understand the potential risks that could affect the success of your proposed project. This is important to ensure that your project is viable and can be implemented in a sustainable and responsible manner. By identifying the risks and mitigation strategies, we can work together to minimize the negative impacts on the environment and local communities.
What do we expect?
We understand that restoration projects can face various environmental, social, and economic risks, and it's crucial to identify them and develop mitigation strategies. In your proposal, please describe the specific risks that your project could face, such as natural disasters, social unrest, or financial challenges.
Additionally, explain the measures you will take to reduce the likelihood of these risks, such as developing early warning systems, community engagement, or creating contingency plans. Lastly, describe any specific risk mitigation policies that your organization has in place.
Q: How would you report on, monitor, and verify the impact of your project?
Why we ask this question:
It is important to have a clear plan to monitor and evaluate the impact of a project to ensure that it is achieving its intended goals and to make adjustments if necessary. Monitoring and reporting on project impact also allows us to understand the progress being made and can inform your own decision-making.
What do we expect?
The purpose of this question is to understand how the applicant plans to report on, monitor, and verify the impact of their project. We ask for a detailed description of the monitoring and evaluation plan that outlines the specific metrics used to denote success, as well as the methods for gathering and assuring the quality of relevant data. This information is essential to ensuring that the proposed project achieves its intended impact and has long-term sustainability. Additionally, by identifying any necessary assistance needed to carry out the plan, we can better understand how to support the applicant in successfully implementing their project.
For more information about how TerraFund monitors, reports on, and verifies the success of its projects, read this article.
Q: Please draw or upload a geospatial polygon of your proposed restoration area.
Why we ask this question:
We require applicants to submit a geospatial polygon of their proposed restoration area to ensure that the location of the project is appropriate and complies with TerraMatch's eligibility criteria. Providing a geospatial polygon of the project area helps us to accurately evaluate the feasibility of the project, its location and assess the environmental impact.
What do we expect?
TerraMatch requires applicants to indicate where they will restore the land. At this stage, you must submit the approximate location of your proposed project area. If your project is selected for funding, you would be required to precisely identify the locations of each of your restoration sites with a geospatial polygon. Do not submit the location of one of your past projects.
TerraMatch has several built-in ways for you to geospatially define your project area:
1. Create points representing the project location(s) using TerraMatch (Recommended)
2. Draw a boundary representing your project location(s) using TerraMatch (Recommended)
3. Upload a boundary file (shapefile) to TerraMatch (Advanced)
Please thoroughly read and review this article to understand how to submit accurate location data on TerraMatch.
Q: Which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would your project support?
Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to determine how your proposed project aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all." By identifying which SDGs your project will support, we can better understand the potential positive impact of your project.
Which SDG applies to my project?
Please select the SDGs that your project will support from the list provided on the application form. It is important to carefully review each goal and its associated targets to determine which goals are relevant to your proposed project. We encourage applicants to consider how their project aligns with the overarching goals of the SDGs, including poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, and social equity. You can find more on the definition of each goal at https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
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