Yes. Pilot and phase-one project with potential to be extended in reach, scale, scope, and/or impact AND a demonstrable need of new or additional capacity are eligible.

Expected outcomes will depend on the team’s final project plan and will be informed by the goals and deliverables the team sets for itself. The Salazar Center will want to understand long-term project success and impact over time, but implementation awards will not be contingent on explicit objectives. If other funders support implementation of Peregrine projects, they may institute their own expectations and/or grant reporting requirements. While implementation awards may be as high as $100,000, smaller awards may be made as well.

You can expect 1)an increased chance of getting your project funded, by way of introductions to prospective funders; 2) an increased likelihood of successful implementation, by way of a developed and refined implementation plan for your project, with feedback from mentors and advisors; and 3) an increased network of people and orgs Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin, by way of a community of other teams, mentors, funders, partners, and communities.

This accelerator program is designed to provide funding, wraparound implementation support, and connections to peers and investors to help participants implement, and amplify the impact of, their proposed projects.

Once the application opens, submit all required materials online before the deadline. We will offer two informational webinars, during which we will offer a demonstration of the online application portal and answer any questions you may have. More details coming soon.

Accepted participants in the Peregrine Accelerator should expect to dedicate 2-3 hours per week over the course of the 6-month accelerator between workshops; one-on-one sessions with mentors; introductions to investors; and other curricular and networking elements. Much of this content will be delivered virtually, however we hope to convene all participants in person at least once during the cohort period, for which participants expenses would be covered by the program. The program will conclude with a final presentation event, to be held virtually.

The Peregrine Accelerator builds on the success already realized through the Center’s Connectivity Challenge in 2020 and the Thriving Cities Challenge in 2021. Five finalist teams were selected for the Connectivity Challenge, and one team was awarded $100,000 to implement its proposed solution; finalist teams did not receive non-monetary support or resources from the Center in 2020. In moving from the Connectivity Challenge to the Thriving Cities Challenge in 2021, and based in large part on guidance and feedback from a group of expert partners and advisors, the Center decided to make initial grant awards of $10,000 to each of 15 finalist teams, and to develop a series of summer training sessions and mentorship opportunities to further support the cohort of teams. In contrast to the Connectivity Challenge, eight of fifteen finalist teams received implementation awards ranging from $35,000 to $100,000. Through the Thriving Cities Challenge, the Center learned that there was a strong interest in and need for capacity-building for conservation innovation, and that the cohort approach to developing innovative solutions can pay off in stronger teams and proposals, as well as increased funding. The design of the Peregrine Accelerator program has been shaped by these learnings and will emphasize team capacity-building and leadership development to an even greater degree than past Challenge programs.

This program is all about accelerating the pace and scale of conservation innovations, and the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in North America, and its range extends throughout the continent. The “birds-eye” or aerial view of a falcon is also the perspective of the Center in its work to promote conservation and climate resilience across landscape and political boundaries.