Writing of Grant Proposal for a feasibility assessment and stakeholder engagement for the establishment of an artificial reef and divers' park in the Nacala Bay

Marine Market Systems (MMS [login to view URL] ) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic growth in coastal areas while at the same time preserving and reconstructing the marine environment. Grounding its approach in Market Systems Development, MMS brings unparalleled experience in working with business communities and governments to unlock countries’ and sectors’ potentials for sustained blue growth. MMS’s staff is well-experienced in applying the principles and best practices of the market systems development approach to coastal blue economies. Market systems approaches address the root causes of why markets often fail to achieve broad economic inclusiveness and protect the environmental assets they thrive upon. They focus on interventions that modify the incentives and behaviour of businesses and other market players – public, private, formal and informal – to ensure lasting and large-scale beneficial change that benefit growth and the marine environment at the same time. Although MMS has just been recently formed, its members are experienced private sector development and market systems experts, with a long track record working for USAID and other international donors. All of the MMS members bring a passion for the marine environment, although as a new organization MMS still needs to establish its track record in this area. Through its members' personal network and contacts, MMS has identified the opportunity to work with the private sector and the government of the Nacala province to establish an artificial reef and a marine park based on an artificial reef, that can attract regional tourism and, at the same time, be a nursery for the depleted fish stock in the area. MMS has a strong interest in developing the feasibility analysis documentation, as well as in playing a coordination role between the local private sector, the government and the donor community to find the resources to scuttle one or more wrecks in the area, which will need to be identified. The Nacala bay is an important deep sea port for Mozambique, and it is the terminal for the export of coal ore. Large international extractive companies have invested in the port infrastructure, and are, in principle, interested in working with the local community to mitigate their impact on the marine environment. The Nacala bay is a very sheltered body of water. The shallow areas of the bay have mangroves and are are an important nursery. Since a few years, a number of local tourist resorts have been able to work in partnership with the local fishermen to earmark and protect stretches of the reef system in order to improve tourism and allow the fish stocks to replenish. Although the work done so far has been very low scale, these experiences can be catalyzed around a larger vision, to create a marine park and project in the bay. MMS has already identified experts and local consulting companies in Nacala that can lead the project on the ground. The grant proposal writer can have access to MMS's contacts to gather information that may be useful for the preparation of the proposal. In recent years, with support from international donors, including the World Bank, Mozambique has established Pro Azul, a government body whose mandate is to promote blue growth and marine protection. MMS has established good relationships with Pro Azul, as well. as with the ministry for Fisheries and the Environment. Given these premises, MMS is looking for a proposal writer that can take all of these elements together, and turn them into an unsolicited bankable proposal to be submitted to interested donors in Mozambique. The tasks involves carrying out research, both based on existing literature, as well as through phone interviews with a few stakeholders in Mozambique, to prepare a document that will explain the objectives, the approach, the methodology and the budget for the project.