The Boring Fund 2025

The **Boring Fund** is now accepting applications for its **2025 grant cycle**, offering financial support to critical, behind-the-scenes projects that strengthen the global conservation technology ecosystem. Backed by WILDLABS in partnership with Arm, this fund addresses the foundational tasks that are essential but often overlooked.

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### 🎯 About the Boring Fund

* **Total Funding Available**: USD 80,000

* **Maximum per Project**: USD 12,500 (smaller requests encouraged)

* **Grant Timeline**: Projects should start by October 2025 and conclude by May 2026

* **Deadline to Apply**: 19 August 2025, 23:59 

Unlike traditional funding models that prioritize flashy innovations, the Boring Fund invests in groundwork—documentation, infrastructure, training materials, maintenance, and shared community resources—that amplifies the impact and sustainability of conservation technologies.

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### ✅ What Kinds of Projects Are Supported?

Eligible initiatives include, but are not limited to:

* **Community management**: Sustaining online networks or practice groups crucial to conservation tech

* **Cybersecurity implementation**: Strengthening the resilience of digital data systems and infrastructure

* **Data mobilisation**: Cataloguing, curating, and organising significant datasets or archives

* **Documentation & guidance**: Creating open guides, tutorials, or technical manuals for community use

* **Knowledge transfer & expert interventions**: Funding expert-led workshops or advisory support

* **Event support**: Small-scale workshops, webinars, or meetups that promote sharing and collaboration

* **Technical debt projects**: Maintaining backend systems, data servers, or core tools—not funding new feature development

* **Training materials**: Producing educational content like video guides or coursework

* **Self-led learning initiatives**: Offering access to certifications, learning resources, or expert mentoring 

**Note**: This fund does *not* finance entirely new tools or breakthrough innovation—those are better directed to WILDLABS Awards grants.

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### 🌍 Eligible Technologies & Focus Areas

Projects should support real-world use of conservation technology, especially those embedded in these fields:

* AI / machine learning

* Bioacoustics and bio-loggers

* Camera traps

* Data platforms like Movebank, Wildlife Insights, Zooniverse

* GIS, remote sensing, UAVs (drones)

* Genomics, eDNA, mobile apps, sensors, and protected area management tools

* Any tool or platform serving wildlife, environmental, or field-based data collection and sharing 

Suggested focus areas include biodiversity monitoring, climate resilience, illegal wildlife trade prevention, habitat restoration, citizen science, and ecosystem restoration.

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### 📋 Eligibility Criteria

Applicants may be **individuals**, research teams, community groups, NGOs, or government entities. Requirements include:

* Being **18 years or older** (or legal adult in your country)

* Not involved in the project’s review process

* Compliance with legal and grant terms

* Open to applicants globally—especially encouraged from underrepresented regions and voices in conservation tech

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### 🏆 Selection & Evaluation

Applications are evaluated based on:

1. **Fit** with the fund’s mission—does it strengthen underfunded infrastructure?

2. **Relevance** to the conservation technology community

3. **Quality and clarity** of the proposal

4. **Feasibility and impact potential**

5. **Inclusivity**—projects led by or benefiting underrepresented groups get priority for support

In last year’s round, only five grants were awarded from over 220 applications, highlighting the competitive nature and high demand for foundational conservation tech work 

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### 📝 Application Tips

* Focus on **value beyond flashy innovation**—describe how your project connects to community standards, data hygiene, or shared infrastructure

* Keep requests **realistic and focused** (smaller grants are favored when impactful)

* Provide a clear **budget, deliverables timeline**, and evidence of sustainability or continued benefit

* Emphasise how your project supports **equity, access, and shared benefit** within the conservation tech community

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### 🗓 Program Timeline

* **Applications close**: 19 August 2025, 23:59 BST

* **Project start date**: October 2025

* **Completion by**: May 2026

* **Award notifications**: Likely September 2025

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### 🖱 Apply Online

Are you doing the behind-the-scenes work that keeps conservation tech going?

**Apply Online Now**

Submit your application through the official submission form. Make sure your project clearly aligns with the fund’s goals, and that your documents—including narrative, budget, and impact plan—are ready for upload.

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### 🌟 In Summary

The **Boring Fund 2025** offers a rare and powerful opportunity to fund projects that build the scaffolding of conservation technology—from archiving data to producing training modules, curating content, improving cybersecurity, or organizing core infrastructure. If you're working to strengthen the ecosystem behind the tools, not just build new tools, this fund is for you.

Apply before **19 August 2025** to secure support for your community-first, infrastructure-building conservation tech project. Need help refining your proposal or budgeting? I’m here to assist.