Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund

About this project

Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a widespread and lucrative criminal activity causing major global environmental and social harm. The IWT has been estimated to be worth up to £17 billion a year. Nearly 6,000 different species of fauna and flora are impacted, with almost every country in the world playing a role in the illicit trade. The UK government is committed to tackling illegal trade of wildlife products and is a long-standing leader in efforts to eradicate the IWT. Defra manages the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, which is a competitive grants scheme with the objective of tackling IWT and, in doing so, contributing to sustainable development in developing countries. Projects funded under the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund address one, or more, of the following themes: • Developing sustainable livelihoods to benefit people directly affected by IWT, • Strengthening law enforcement, • Ensuring effective legal frameworks, • Reducing demand for IWT products. By 2023 over £51 million has been committed to 157 projects since the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund was established in 2013. This page contains information about Rounds 7 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 6, please see the IWTCF website -https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/

Goals

Sustainable Development Goals this project works towards

• 1No Poverty
• 14Life Below Water
• 15Life on Land

Published by

Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs · Government

Countries

Indonesia, Nepal, South Africa, Tanzania, Vietnam, Malawi, Bolivia, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Madagascar, Mongolia, Mozambique, Kenya, South Sudan, Liberia, Mexico, Laos, Philippines, China, Benin, Ghana, Congo - Brazzaville, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Congo - Kinshasa, India, Gabon, Namibia, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Somalia, Cambodia, Brazil, Nigeria, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cape Verde, Sri Lanka, Senegal, Colombia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras

Sectors

Biodiversity

Focus

Environment · Main focusBiodiversity · Main focus

Funded by

Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

Implemented by

Alliance of Religions and Conservation, Asociacion Armonia, Basel Institute on Governance (International Centre for Asset Recovery), Biosfera, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Conservation Lower Zambezi, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Endangered Wildlife Trust, Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Ltd, Environmental Investigation Agency, Fauna and Flora International, Free the Bears Fund Inc, Fundacion Natura Bolivia, International Institute for Environment and Development, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust

Accountable

Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs

Published by Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), last updated 29 Jun 2026 and imported automatically. IATI identifier: GB-GOV-7-IWTChallengeFund.

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