Introducing the Wildlife Tech Grants

We are opening applications for the Wildlife Tech Grant: a programme that builds free custom web applications for small wildlife and conservation organisations that lack the budget to commission digital tools themselves.

Conservation work is often resource-constrained. Fieldwork, species monitoring, volunteer coordination, and public reporting all generate data and operational needs that a well-built digital tool could serve well. And yet for many small groups and informal organisations, commissioning bespoke software is simply out of reach financially.

The Merman Conservation Wildlife Tech Grants exist to close that gap in a small but practical way. Each year, Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd. will choose a limited number of projects and build a custom web application for the accepted organisation, free of charge. At completion, the code is handed over entirely. The organisation owns it.

Why we created this programme

Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd. is a UK-registered company working in marine biology, wildlife surveying, and ecological research. Over the years, we have collaborated with grassroots conservation groups carrying out valuable work despite having limited resources and infrastructure. Through this experience, we understand the challenges they face and the barriers that can make growth and expansion difficult.

A recurring pattern became clear: data was being collected on paper, in spreadsheets, or not at all, not because people were not committed, but because there was no straightforward path to a digital tool that fit the specific need. Generic platforms rarely fit well. Custom development is expensive. Grant funding for technology is inconsistent.

We have the technical capacity to build these tools. The Tech Grant is how we put that capacity to use for organisations that need it.

What we can build

The programme is not limited to a fixed format. We scope the tool around what the organisation actually needs. Past requests we have considered and built towards include:
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• Species sighting and logging tools
• Species field guides
• Project dashboards
• Public-facing data maps
• Incident and encounter reporting forms
• Survey data collection interfaces
• Simple internal monitoring portals
• Citizen science submission tools
• Population tracking systems
• and more

If your organisation has a specific operational problem that a web-based tool could address, we want to hear about it. We do not restrict the programme to marine or coastal conservation. Wildlife and ecological fieldwork of any kind is within scope.

What you receive

A working web application built to your specification, with source code and basic documentation handed over on completion.

What we do not provide

Ongoing maintenance, technical support after handover, or hosting costs. Your team will need the capacity to manage a simple web deployment.

Who can apply?

Small teams and informal groups working in wildlife or ecological conservation. Registration as a charity is not required.

Capacity

A small number of projects per year. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early and well-prepared applications have a stronger chance.

​​How to apply

Applications are submitted via the form on our website. We ask for your organisation name and background, your conservation focus, a clear description of the tool you need and why, your team's technical capacity, and your expected timeline.

There is no complex process. We read every application carefully and respond with either an acceptance, a request for more information, or a rejection with a brief explanation of the reason.

If accepted, we schedule a brief scoping conversation to define the project properly before any build work begins.
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A note on rejections​

Most applications will be rejected. We want to be direct about this because we think it is respectful of applicants' time to say so plainly.

Common reasons for rejection include: the request is too large or complex for the format we offer; the organisation already has adequate technical resources; the described need does not clearly map to what a web application can solve; the application does not provide enough information to assess the project; or the work falls outside wildlife and ecological conservation. A rejection is not a judgment of the quality or importance of your conservation work. If we say no, we will always tell you why.

You are welcome to reapply in a future cycle if circumstances change or if you can address the reason given.