Small Grants

To implement the Paris Agreement and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), all of society needs to participate in climate and biodiversity action. Financing and financial resources are required. Through its IKI Small Grants, the German Federal Government specifically supports local actors, such as non-governmental organisations, and enables them to implement climate and biodiversity action. These actors are essential as agents of change. They are at the frontline where climate change and biodiversity loss show the greatest impact, and they are close to the people affected most.

Since the beginning in 2019, more than 250 local project ideas and individual measures have been selected across two different funding lines. Through project work, around 48,000 people have already been supported in effectively strengthening their resilience to the negative impacts of climate change. This includes measures that help cope with or prevent drought-related crop failures or floods. Significant successes have also been achieved in biodiversity protection. To date, nearly 100,000 hectares of terrestrial, marine, and coastal ecosystems have been effectively protected or converted to sustainable management – an area approximately the size of 170,000 football fields.

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How much funding is provided?

60,000 to 200,000 euros

Who receives funding?

Regional, national and local organisations based in ODA countries

How long do the projects run for?

1 to 3 years

How often is funding provided?

Annual selection procedure

Where is funding provided?

Bilateral or regional

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IKI Small Grants is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and provides funding in two lines: International Calls and Funding Institutions. Both fund non-profit projects and initiatives that address the four IKI support areas: mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to the impacts of climate change, conservation of natural carbon sinks/REDD+, and conservation of biodiversity.

Funding opportunities

The projects in the International Calls funding line are identified through an annual selection procedure.

Funding amount: 60,000 to 200,000 euros
Funding period: 1 to 3 years

With the Funding Institutions funding line, national and regional institutions receive technical and financial support to carry out their own calls for proposals for local climate and biodiversity action.

Funding amount: up to 950,000 euros
Funding period: up to 36 months

Besides financing in both funding lines, organisations and actors receive support in building their role as strong actors through capacity development measures.

Funded organisations

Funding line International Calls

Funding is made available for sub-national, national and regional non-profit organisations in ODA-eligible countries. For-profit non-governmental organisations are also eligible as long as their proposal has not-for-profit objectives. Organisations who apply must have at least three years of relevant experience and an average annual revenue of between 60,000 and 500,000 euros.

Funding line Funding Institutions – „Funding the Funders”

The German government and GIZ together identify and select potential national and regional institutions, which must pass a comprehensive assessment of economic viability and other risks. The funding institutions selected are based in ODA-eligible countries and must have been operational for at least three years, with an average annual turnover of no less than 500,000 euros. Additionally, they are expected to have experience in managing grants and disbursing funds. IKI Small Grants ensures that projects address specific local challenges and achieve measurable impacts, guaranteeing that the funding is both valuable and effective.