The IKI Small Grants Programme has selected 25 climate and biodiversity projects in its third international call for proposals. Each project will receive between 60,00 and 200,000 euros of funding. 

Small sub-national, national, and regional organisations based in an ODA*-eligible country were invited to apply directly for funding to implement local or regional climate change and biodiversity projects. Out of 475 applications from all over the world, 25 particularly ambitious and sustainable projects in 18 countries were selected for funding. 

The selected projects’ total funding volume is 3.5 million euros and includes projects in the funding areas of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to the impacts of climate change, conserving biological diversity, and conserving natural carbon sinks with a focus on REDD+.  

Many projects strengthen particularly vulnerable groups and explicitly aim to improve the situation of women and youth. For example, a project in Kenya aims at equitable access to climate-related information and adaptation tools for women farmers. In Nepal, a sustainable business environment for clean cooking stoves will at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions, firewood consumption, and strengthen local women cooperatives. The upscaling of climate-smart agriculture models is the goal of a project in Mexico, where indigenous knowledge is passed on to students to reduce vulnerability to climate change and improve the communities’ livelihoods. 

IKI Small Grants is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Government and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Since 2022, IKI is implemented by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA). 

*ODA = Official Development Assistance