The MSC Group’s values have generated powerful initiatives for positive change over the years. The MSC Foundation was established in June 2018 as a non-profit organisation to lead and advance these commitments.
Based in Geneva, the MSC Foundation advocates for and implements the sustainable management and protection of ecosystems, empowers vulnerable communities around the world to realise their full potential, promotes equitable and inclusive quality education to support sustainable individual and collective development, and helps disaster-struck and crisis affected populations toward recovery.
The Foundation works to achieve this both independently, leveraging MSC Group engagement, and together with trusted partners that have a strong innovative vision or track record for effective action.
The MSC Foundation is family-led and reflects the vision and values of its founders.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Coral reefs support 25% of marine life and are critical to the health of the oceans. More than 10% of the world population depends on coral reefs for food, income and coastal protection. But despite their critical importance to people and society, we face the risk of coral reef systems dying out between 2030 and 2050.
There are multiple reasons for this, including overexploitation, destructive fishing techniques, coastal development, reduced water quality and above all global heating, with increasingly severe and frequent marine heatwaves. For coral reefs to survive, we need to ensure they are restored in a way that maximises their resilience to global heating.
In accordance with the MSC Foundation’s vision “to restore the critical balance between people and nature within a generation”, the MSC Foundation is seeking to assist and partner with innovative people/organisations that support the scaling up of coral reef restoration and resilience techniques that are environmentally friendly.
These innovative ideas and projects could harness innovative strategies, technologies, materials and/or techniques that are in harmony with the marine environment, such as the 3D printing of coral structures or the application of mass production techniques to the performance of restoration tasks, etc.
The MSC Foundation is calling for solutions that support the pipeline of coral restoration activities, including:
Solutions identifying high-value sites in environments likely to be less impacted by near-future climate change
Solutions that supply stress-hardened corals suitable for use in restoration initiatives in different parts of the world
Solutions for coral outplanting at an industrial level across multiple locations
Solutions that train people to oversee and evaluate restoration success
The proposals could, for example, address questions such as:
What models would be suitable for franchising the restoration of coral habitats?
Which solutions could increase the speed of coral out-planting?
WHAT WE OFFER
The organizations offering the solutions best suited to the MSC Foundation’s interests will have the opportunity to:
- Collaborate with the MSC Foundation on the potential development of a partnership to integrate and improve their activities or develop new projects
- Receive consulting and support from MSC Foundation Experts and Managers for the development of their project/s
- Gain visibility for their project/s through MSC Foundation channels
WHO CAN APPLY
The call aims to be inclusive and to enhance ideas, projects and initiatives with the potential for real impact.
Applications are open to researchers, academics, start-ups, innovative SMEs, NGOs and universities proposing solutions and projects that are aligned with the MSC Foundation’s needs and respect the core requirements of its programmes:
Relevance, Impact, Innovation, Sustainability and Cost-Effectiveness.
APPLICATIONS
Applications must be submitted in English and they will be evaluated by the MSC Foundation Advisory Board.
The awards for the top 3 solutions selected will be presented during an event in Autumn 2022. To submit your solution, please complete the form below in full by no later than 23:59 (11:59 PM) on 30 September 2022.
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