6th INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Have you submitted an application for the eligibility criteria check? Please check your emails for information about the result. Eligible organisations will receive further instructions for the submission of a project proposal.
IKI Small Grants is a global funding programme that supports impactful local and regional initiatives focused on climate and biodiversity action. The international call for proposals addresses small regional, national, and local organisations based in ODA-eligible countries (except for current and potential EU member candidates except for Ukraine). IKI Small Grants provides funding between 60,000 and 200,000 euros and is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Government.
Updated application procedure to simplify the process for applicants
IKI Small Grants has recently updated its application process, introducing an assessment of the eligibility criteria before inviting applicants to complete the project proposal. This reduces the workload for organisations that would not have met the eligibility criteria. The 6th IKI Small Grants ‘Call for Proposals’ launched on November 15, 2024 and the application period closed January 15, 2025.
Eligible organisations are invited to submit their project proposals by March 26
The IKI Small Grants team reviewed the submitted applications and confirmed eligibility to the eligible organisations by February 1, 2025. Organisations that qualified eligible are currently invited to submit their project proposals with details of the project idea and budget until March 26, 2025, through the same platform. Only organisations that successfully passed the eligibility criteria check are able to access the further application process. Please check the email address with which you registered on the platform for information on your eligibility.
Further application procedure:
The further application process of the 6th IKI Small Grants Call for Proposals is only accessible to organisations that successfully passed the eligibility criteria check between November 24, 2024 and February 1, 2025. Project proposals must be submitted by March 26, 2025 and must meet the criteria outlined in the following documents and below.
Documents:
Funding Information 2025 (PDF, English, 586 KB)
Application Guideline 2025 part 1 (PDF, English, 716 KB)
Application Guideline 2025 part 2 (PDF, English, 1 MB)
Budget template (XLSX, English, 31 KB)
Budget guide (PPTX, English, 3 MB)
Travel allowances (PDF, English, 500 KB)
Gender guidelines (PPTX, English, 5 MB)
Funding criteria
Project duration
The duration of the projects covers a minimum of twelve months and a maximum of two years. In exceptional cases, durations of up to three years can be acceptable if justified appropriately. The project start should be planned for the first quarter of 2026 or later.
Requested funding volume
Budget must be within the limits specified in the email that was sent to eligible organisations. IKI Small Grants selects project proposals with a total funding volume between EUR 60,000 and EUR 200,000. Furthermore, the requested funding volume must not exceed the average annual revenue of the implementing organisation over the past three years.
Geographic scope of the projects
Projects must be implemented on a local, sub-national or national level. No multi-country projects can be funded.
Project proposals must focus on one or more of the following IKI funding areas:
- Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
- Adaptation to the impacts of climate change
- Conserving natural carbon sinks with a focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
- Conserving biological diversity
FAQs
The FAQs present a quick overview. For comprehensive details on funding criteria, please carefully read the IKI Small Grants funding information and the application guidelines provided on this website.
The recording of the IKI Small Grants Launch Event in 2019 can offer further insights. You can find this and other recordings on the “Knowledge hub” page.
A: Who can apply for funding?
For detailed information regarding the eligibility criteria please see the funding information.
In the current call for proposals, IKI Small Grants does not support:
- Government organisations (e.g., ministries, municipalities, public universities).
- Branches of organisations based in a non-ODA country.
- Consortia, as this would imply forwarding project funds from the lead organisation to partners in the consortia. Forwarding funds is not permitted.
- Research projects, unless they have a strong implementation component. This means basic research projects with a primary focus on data collection, evaluation, and publications are not eligible as such. However, a project that has its main focus on addressing the needs of target groups and achieving substantial changes in the IKI Small Grants’ funding areas is welcome to carry out project-related research as a side activity.
B: What else is required from organisations that want to apply?
Applicants should be not-for-profit organisations and private companies only if they pursue strictly non-profit objectives as part of their proposed project. No individuals, natural persons, one-person organisations or governmental organisations are eligible.
Applicant organisations must have been operative for at least three years.
Over the past three years applicant organisations must have generated an average annual revenue of at least EUR 60,000 and no more than EUR 500,000.
The applicant organisation must have dedicated accounting staff and have accounting principles that ensure internal as well as external control mechanisms and must also employ a software-based accounting system.
C: When can I expect a first contact from IKI Small Grants?
After the application period ended 15th January 2025, the submitted applications underwent a thorough check and were treated with the utmost care and attention.
After 1st February, organisations received confirmation if they are eligible to continue the application process and submit their project proposals until 26th March 2025. As soon as the selection process for project proposals has been finalised, all submitting organisations will be informed.
In the meantime, please refrain from inquiries about the status of your proposal.
D: Can I hand in an application in any language other than English?
Applications must be submitted in English. Pease bear in mind that all communication after submitting your application will be in English too. IKI Small Grants works with organisations from many countries with a wide range of languages. Perfect English language skills are not required. However, good working English from at least one person in the project team is essential for effective cooperation. You are welcome to seek assistance in proposal writing from third parties including professional translation and/or online translation tools.