Development of the CEO Approval package for the GEF-SCCF Mauritius project “Blue Carbon Horizons"

Terms of Reference Title: Development of the CEO Approval package for the GEF-SCCF project “Blue Carbon Horizons: Strengthening Climate-Resilient Coastal Planning in Mauritius through Blue Carbon for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation” (GEF ID 12334) Objective of the Consultancy This consultancy has the following objective(s): Development of the CEO Approval Request package, including the IUCN Agency Project Document (prodoc) and all required annexes and relevant analyses for the Mauritius Blue Carbon Horizons project (GEF ID 12334), which would contribute to achieve GEF CEO Approval of the medium-sized project (MSP), with submission to the GEF Secretariat no later than 15 February 2027. Background Project Reference: GEF SCCF PPG Mauritius (IUCN Project ID: to be confirmed) / Mauritius GEF SCCF (GEF ID 12334) Donor reference: Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), Window A on Climate Change Adaptation / Global Environment Facility (GEF) About IUCN: IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well- being. www.iucn.org About the Project The project “Blue Carbon Horizons: Strengthening Climate-Resilient Coastal Planning in Mauritius through Blue Carbon for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation” (GEF ID 12334), co-developed by IUCN and the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries (Blue Economy Division) of Mauritius together with key national stakeholders, received GEF CEO approval of its Project Identification Form (PIF) and Project Preparation Grant (PPG) on 15 June 2026. It is a medium-sized project (MSP) financed under the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF-A), with an implementation period of 60 months. The objective of the project is to enhance the climate resilience of Mauritius' coastal communities and ocean-based sectors by enabling a regenerative Blue Economy through the development of a high- integrity knowledge base and the integration of blue carbon and biodiversity-based financial mechanisms into national adaptation and spatial planning frameworks. As a Small Island Developing State whose long- term resilience is closely tied to the health of its coastal and marine ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs and coastal forests), Mauritius faces rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, coastal erosion, pollution and development pressures that are degrading the natural buffers protecting coastal communities and Blue Economy sectors across its 2.3 million km² Exclusive Economic Zone. The PIF identifies the barriers the project is designed to address: a limited operational link between evidence, planning and implementation; an inadequate institutional architecture for integrated blue carbon governance across environment, fisheries, ocean economy, climate change, finance, tourism and spatial planning mandates; limited readiness to mainstream blue carbon into national policy instruments such as the NAP, NDC, NBSAP, ICZM and marine spatial planning; and weak valuation and monetisation of ecosystem services. It also identifies key enablers, including strong national policy momentum, the National Blue Carbon Task Force as an existing coordination platform, regional and international technical partnerships, and private sector exposure to coastal and marine climate risk. (Please refer to the GEF-approved PIF, available on the GEF portal: https://www.thegef.org/projects- operations/projects/12334) The project is divided into the following components: Component 1: Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Adaptation Readiness, Governance Frameworks and Knowledge Systems. This component establishes the institutional, policy, governance and knowledge foundations for blue carbon. It covers the National Blue Carbon Strategy and Action Plan and mainstreaming into the NDC, NAP, NBSAP, ICZM and Blue Economy and climate finance strategies (Outcome 1.1); a blue carbon and biodiversity finance framework including registry infrastructure and a regenerative Blue Economy taxonomy; national blue carbon assessment guidelines aligned with IPCC guidance, a national MRV system and digital data platform, and science-to-policy reporting mechanisms (Outcome 1.2); and a knowledge management and capacity-building suite with toolkits, training modules, legal and regulatory assessments and a community of practice (Outcome 1.3). Component 2: Strengthening Blue Carbon Ecosystem Mapping, Baseline Inventory and MRV Systems. This component generates a national high-resolution spatial map of blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass meadows and tidal wetlands) using standardised field survey protocols, and a decision-grade national blue carbon baseline inventory including a geospatial database and ecosystem extent, condition and carbon stock assessments (Outcome 2.1). [...] Procurement details Reference: IUCN-26-08-Development of the CEO Approval package for the GEF-SCCF Mauritius project “Blue Carbon H Procedure: SOP1 - Open Procedure Procurement type: Consulting IUCN office (lead): ESARO Kenya Requisitioning unit: ESARO - Coastal and Ocean Programme (KE) Project: P05483 PPG Blue Carbon Mauritius Country of performance: Mauritius Expected contract duration: 9 Months Estimated contract value: 25,000-199,999 CHF Currency of proposals: USD - United States dollar Language of documents: English Donor requirements: NA Deadline for questions: 09 September 2026 20:59 UTC Deadline for technical and financial proposals: 24 September 2026 20:59 UTC Expected contract award date: 08 October 2026 20:59 UTC Documents - Terms of Reference: GEFSCCF IUCN Mauritius_PPG ToR2_ GEF ESS Design_Consultancy_DB.pdf - Conditions for Participating: Conditions for Participating ENG-SPA-FRA.docx - Standard contract: Standard Agreement.docx The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership union of government and civil society organisations working on nature conservation and sustainable development. IUCN procures consulting services, goods and works for its projects worldwide through the IUCN Procurement Portal. For all contracts above CHF 25,000 IUCN selects contractors through a formal competitive tendering process under its Standard Operating Procedure 1 (Open Procedure). Interested bidders must register on the portal, review the Terms of Reference, the Conditions for Participating and the standard contract, and submit their technical and financial proposals through the portal before the stated deadline. Questions must be raised through the portal's Q&A function before the deadline for questions.