Promoting small-scale organisations for climate action and biodiversity worldwide

Project description

Title: IKI Small Grants (Capacity Building and Finance for Local Action on Climate and Biodiversity)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA)
Country: Global
Overall term: 2019 to 2026

A man clears weeds on a meadow in India. Behind him is a large solar panel, which drives a solar-powered irrigation pump in the foreground. © SwitchON

Context

Since 2008, the German Federal Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) has been successfully funding climate and biodiversity projects in countries that receive public funds for development cooperation. Up to now, small national and regional organisations have lacked direct access to international funding. This project is the first programme that is specifically geared to this target group.

Objective

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity, sub-national, national and regional organisations, non-governmental organisations, funding institutions, think tanks and private enterprises are developing suitable measures. They are implementing these measures in line with international standards and contributing to transformation in the partner countries.

A group of farmers wearing traditional Indian clothing sit in a circle on a blanket on the ground and listen to the trainer, who is sitting in the middle of the group. © SwitchON

Approach

The project pursues two parallel approaches, which are reflected in two components:

In the first component, the project regularly conducts global tenders and awards financing agreements. It selects individual projects that have approaches that are tailored to the regional context, but where results and lessons learned are also transferable and can be incorporated into further projects. The projects thus contribute to achieving national and international climate and biodiversity goals. 

The second component of the project supports national and regional funding institutions in implementing their own funding guidelines for local projects and measures. It provides intensive advisory services and expert support to the selected institutions. The end recipients of the funds are also small, mostly regional organisations from the partner country.

The country offices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in particular, support the selected small-scale projects and funding initiatives, providing them with intensive support in professional and administrative capacity building. The aim is to ensure that the supported organisations can also take on more extensive projects and cooperation arrangements in the future.

Last update: July 2022

Eight men and women with tree seedlings ready for distribution in a rural area in Kenya. © Elynn Cherop

Additional information