Biodiversity Partners Program (BIPP): supporting pro-nature initiatives in Southern Africa

How can pro-nature actions be expanded to reach beyond existing stakeholders already working to promote biodiversity? The Biodiversity Partners Program (BIPP) pilot project, launched for the first time this year by Campus AFD, seeks to answer this question. The BIPP will offer an innovative 4-month program to support 30 participants from the world of business and entrepreneurship, public institutions and NGOs in their pro-nature projects. 

This pilot project conducted in partnership with the Sustainability Institute and the African Management Institute seeks to get new institutions and companies involved in creating pro-nature projects, and expand how we perceive our connection with living things, with the aim of developing an ecosystem of regional stakeholders. 

A community working to promote biodiversity

With the goal of creating a network of stakeholders working to restore biodiversity in Southern Africa, the BIPP is open to participants from Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.

The 30 participants, leaders of collective or individual initiatives, from the public sector, private sector or NGOs, will be selected based on the innovative and replicable nature of their project and diversity of their profiles, in order to create multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral synergies around the issues of biodiversity. The call for applications targets two types of profiles: 

• Entrepreneurs who have created an NGO or company with a pro-nature mission 
• Intrapreneurs leading a pro-nature project within their institution or company 

An innovative program 

The Biodiversity Partners Program, which will be conducted in 3 phases from June to October 2021, will provide participants with a broader perspective of biodiversity issues, enable them to integrate these issues into their projects, and provide support in their operational deployment, in order to work to ensure their viability and impacts. The training is based on innovative content, collective intelligence techniques, and a business "sprint" aimed at accelerating their projects. 

Participants will have the opportunity to browse and test an entire range of knowledge and tools in their project, including nature-based solutions, deep ecology, systematic thinking, local knowledge and biodiversity project management. In order to provide project leaders with comprehensive training, the program offers a broader vision, integration of their commitment on the ground, and guidance on action suited to their development in a complex environment.

How to participate 

The call for projects will be open from April 1st to May 6. Applicants can complete the online form available on the program website. Applications will be assessed based on the innovative nature of the project and the positive impacts on biodiversity. Training costs will be fully covered. For more information, please contact the team (Jeanne Henin - heninj@afd.fr or Augustin Jeanjean - jeanjeana@afd.fr) or email hellobipp@afd.fr.