Category Archives: News

Tuesday online consultations for 5th call for proposals

Over three Tuesdays, IKI Small Grants is holding Online Consultation Hours to address queries or concerns about the application process for the 5th call for proposals. On 20th and 27th February, and on 5th March between 9-10am CET and 4-5pm CET, these sessions offer an opportunity for potential applicants to ask questions on application procedures, program prerequisites, and any other related matters. All organisations interested in submitting an application or that have created an account are welcome to join the consultation as an aid for their application process.

The Online Consultation Hours are over three Tuesdays in February and March, providing a platform for organisations to engage directly with the IKI Small Grants applications team. Whether they require support navigating application requirements or simply need further insights into programmes, the team is here to provide guidance.

Details:

📅 Dates: 20.02.2024, 27.02.2024 & 05.03.2024

⏰ Times: 9:00-10:00 and 16:00-17:00 CET

🖥️ Links:

Select the date for the 9:00 – 10:00 CET time slots

20th February 2024

27th February 2024

5th March 2024

Select the date for the 16:00 – 17:00 CET time slots

20th February 2024

27th February 2024

5th March 2024

IKI Small Grants understands the importance of a well-informed application process and is dedicated to ensuring our organisation’s journey is as seamless as possible.

For urgent questions, organisations can contact IKI Small Grants at iki-small-grants@giz.de.

Weekly info sessions for budget submissions to the 5th Call for Proposals

On Friday 23rd February, Friday 1st and Thursday 7th March, IKI Small Grants is holding morning and afternoon online sessions to provide guidance on filling in the budget section of IKI Small Grants applications for the 5th Call for Proposals. Organisations that have created an account and are waiting to submit are welcome to join the budget information sessions as an aid for their application process.

The sessions equip potential applicants with the knowledge needed for the budget templates and give guidance on how to properly fill in the revenue template to ensure alignment with IKI’s guidelines and requirements.

Details:

📅 Dates: 23.02.2024, 01.03.2024 & 07.03.2024

⏰ Times: Morning session between 9:00-10:00 and afternoon session between 16:00-17:00 CET

🖥️ Links:

Select the date for the morning 9:00 – 10:00 CET time slots

23rd February 2024

1st March 2024

7th March 2024

Select the date for the afternoon 16:00 – 17:00 CET time slots

23rd February 2024

1st March 2024

7th March 2024

The sessions walk applicants through the specifics of the IKI Small Grants budget template, best practices and what to bear in mind when filling out the revenue template.

The sessions also provide opportunities for addressing any queries applicants have. The team at IKI Small Grants is also available at iki-small-grants@giz.de if applicants are encountering problems or have questions

5th Call for Proposals now ready for applications until 13 March 2024

Small organisations in ODA-eligible countries can apply for funding for climate and biodiversity projects. The IKI Small Grants call for proposals is open until 13 March 2024.

This international call for proposals addresses small regional, national, and local organisations based in ODA-eligible countries (except for current and potential EU member candidates, other than Ukraine).

They are invited to apply directly for funding for local or regional climate and biodiversity projects. IKI Small Grants provides funding of between EUR 60,000 and 200,000 and is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Government.

Local initiatives and solutions for global challenges

Ambitious project proposals should 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

We further explicitly encourage projects which:

  • Support action on the ground to contribute to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030
  • Promote a just transition of economies towards decarbonization including fair social change especially for vulnerable groups
  • Strengthen networks, knowledge sharing and cooperation of organisations working on climate change and biodiversity related issues
  • Develop and promote use of climate smart technologies
  • Contribute to awareness raising and education regarding climate change and biodiversity
  • Engage in cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder cooperation
  • Support implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

The selected organisations are accompanied and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, which implements the IKI Small Grants Programme on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).

Small-scale projects on climate and biodiversity action worldwide

Under the IKI Small Grants programme, many projects are to be selected in the coming years via international calls for proposals and funded with up to EUR 200,000 each. Four calls for proposals have already been implemented, and more than 120 projects in over 50 countries have been selected so far.  

Further information including the funding information and application guidelines can be found at https://iki-small-grants.de/application/ 

5th call in planning

As the planning for the 5th call for IKI Small Grants moves ahead, small organisations in ODA-eligible countries are encouraged to review the application guidelines for funding climate and biodiversity projects. Pending final confirmation, the IKI Small Grants call for proposals is in the planning stages for a 2024 launch.

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, excluding Ukraine). As soon as the potential launch is announced, these projects and organisations can apply directly for funding for local or regional climate and biodiversity projects on the IKI application platform. IKI Small Grants provides funding to the amount between 60,000 and 200,000 euros and is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Government.

Upon announcement of the launch, project proposals can 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

The selected organisations are accompanied and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, which implements the IKI Small Grants programme on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA) with the support of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).

© Jagannath Jena

Small-scale projects on climate and biodiversity action worldwide

Under the IKI Small Grants programme, many projects are to be selected in the coming years via international calls for proposals and funded with up to 200,000 euros each. Four calls for proposals have already been implemented, and 120 projects in 52 countries have been selected so far.

The planned launch of the 5th international call would continue the IKI Small Grants programme. The German Federal Government is planning to pledge funding to the amount of €54 million over the next six years. The 5th call would then be the first of three international calls (5, 6 and 7) for small climate and biodiversity action organisations worldwide. In the next six years, the programme is potentially planning to offer two rounds of financing for 12 funding institutions in ODA countries. With the funds, institutions can offer funding opportunities locally for small organisations and actors and broaden the outreach of IKI Small Grants to address small actors.

Further information including the funding information and application guidelines will be published here on the IKI Small Grants website during the course of 2024 at Application | IKI Small Grants (iki-small-grants.de)

Woman in the public with child speaking into a microfone

High-level visit in Bangladesh’s haor region

Secretary of the Economic Relations Division Ms. Sharifa Khan sitting on panel, backdrop

Community spaces, known locally as hatis, are elevated grounds scattered within Bangladesh’s haor wetland regions. With the support of the IKI Small Grants project ‘Climate-resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable Community Life in The Haor Region of Bangladesh’, several hatis will be equipped with protection walls and wave-breaker plantations. These climate-resilient infrastructures serve as protection for vulnerable communities.

This August, Ms. Sharifa Khan, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), visited the Sunamganj Haor region to see adaptation measures to protect community spaces from flash flooding.

The ERD secretary requested Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) implement the project immediately. She expressed her willingness to approach other development partners to upscale similar adaptation measures.

The ‘Improved Coordination of International Climate Finance’ project supported PKSF in developing the project proposal. PKSF received a grant of about one million euros from the IKI Small Grants Programme, envisioned to be upscaled to a project proposal for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) amounting to an estimated 50 million US-dollars.

The Khan’s visit underlines the potential of this project to advance much needed climate change adaptation measures locally. The experience won in this IKI Small Grants project can subsequently be applied on a broader scale.

Launch

IKI Small Grants project facilitates High-Level event in Sri Lanka


Launch with ambassador

On 15 August 2023, the IKI Small Grants project New solutions for low-emission food production in Sri Lanka welcomed high-level political stakeholders to join their project presentation in Colobo. Many followed their invitation, resulting in a vibrant launching event. In her speech, the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Mrs. J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara underlined the central role of the implementing organisation, the National Cleaner Production Centre Sri Lanka. he further highlighted that this type of project is most needed and that NCPC is the right organisation to do so. Together with the Minister of Industry, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, the National Director of UNIDO, Assistant Director of IDB, GIZ’s energy advisors from Sri Lanka, selected companies, NCPC board members and employees met for a fruitful launching and subsequent networking event.

Recent events show that the project of IKI Small Grants and NCPC meets current needs: Last year, Sri Lanka was hit hard by a shortage of imported oil, resulting from the global energy crisis. Petrol prices have risen by 300 per cent and electricity tariffs for some sectors by up to 800 per cent, resulting in kilometres long lines of citizens waiting in front of petrol stations.

With its project, NCPC targets small and medium-sized companies that consume a particularly large amount of energy. These companies receive professional advice on energy efficiency over a period of two years. The declared goal is to achieve as many ISO certifications as possible, to reduce emissions and help Sri Lankan companies to move towards a green transition. Within the frame of the launching event, selected companies received official certifications.

These 25 companies were selected out of 115 applicants from a public call for applications and now enjoy the benefits of intensive energy consulting by NCPC throughout the next two years.On top of that, carrying out energy audits in production facilities and use them to identify potential energy savings fits perfectly into the mitigation approach of the International Climate Initiative. The project’s innovative approach has high potential for upscaling in other contexts.

Why youth matter – Interview with IKI Small Grants implementing organisation YARDO

The IKI Small Grants project ‘Strengthening youth and women’s actions for the sustainable protection of the Guma Water Catchment’ in Sierra Leone shows why young people are essential in tackling the climate crisis. The project focuses on environmental education and creation of alternative livelihoods. By involving young people, women and forest guards, it ensures the protection of the forest reserve, tackles root causes of forest degradation, and provides the target group with alternative livelihoods.

Ahmid C. Jalloh, founder of YARDO, talks about why youth are pivotal in preserving the environment and their way to become part of IKI Small Grants.

Launch Event Tanzania celebration

Launching of three IKI Small Grants projects in Tanzania

Launch Event Tanzania Celebration

On 4/5 April 2023, IKI Small Grants officially launched three projects in Dar-es-Salaam. Their activities will contribute to the efforts of addressing biodiversity loss and climate change in Tanzania. The funding of the three projects amounts to 457,664 euros equivalent to 1.1 billion Tanzanian shillings. The launching event was officiated by the Head of Cooperation of the Germany Embassy and a representative of the Permanent Secretary of the Vice President’s office. Together with GIZ’s country director, representatives of the funded partnering organisations met for a fruitful launching and subsequent networking event. For further exchange, also organisations of the IKI Medium Grants programme were invited.

Tanzania is one of the countries with fast growing economies in Africa. Its economy relies on the climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, trade, tourism, and manufacturing. In addition, Tanzania is a very biodiversity-rich country hosting six out of twenty-five globally known biodiversity hotspots. This biodiversity richness is threatened by several drivers and pressures from anthropogenic activities such as habitat conversion, loss, degradation and fragmentation, and over-exploitation of species. The three IKI Small Grants projects, selected out of 450 applications, will contribute to tackle these challenges.

About the launched projects

The project ‘Empowering female fish workers for participatory coastal management’, implemented by Sea Sense, focuses on addressing marine biodiversity loss in selected coastlines of Tanzania. The project works towards mainstreaming marine biodiversity conservation and protection in local governance systems. Through capacity building at a local level, coastal communities are empowered to become agents of change for marine biodiversity.

The project ‘Developing risk awareness through joint action for the middle Msimbazi river’ aims to increase the adaptive capacity of local communities who live in poor quality housing in low-income informal settlements, prone to floods. The project works to increase the residents’ capacity to take action to mitigate the impact of severe weather on lives and property. In particular, the project aims at improving accessibility, understanding and mobilisation on the importance and use of weather and climate information. The Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) developed and implements this project.

The third project works on strengthening multi-stakeholder cooperation in addressing climate change on the southern part of Tanzania where climate change seriously affects agriculture production. The project ‘Multi-stakeholder climate action plan in Njombe’ is implemented by Southern Highlands Participatory Organisation. SHIPO aims to increase awareness and participation of local stakeholders in implementing jointly agreed climate change and environmental conservation activities.

Closure of the 4th International Call for Proposals: What was in the inbox?

Six hundred and eleven – that is the enormous number of applications submitted for the fourth International IKI Small Grants Call for Proposals! The call closed in March 2023, and the IKI Small Grants team will now look at each of the 611 applications. All complete project applications will undergo a technical and legal/ commercial evaluation. 

Compared to the third Call for Proposals with its 477 applications, the current  Call witnessed an increase of more than a quarter. Even if the reasons can only be guessed, one thing is clear: interest in funding for small projects is high!

And that applies to all continents: The three countries with the most submissions are Kenya, Indonesia, and Colombia. Various regions are represented in the top 13 with Nepal, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, India, Ghana, Mexico, Malawi, and Peru.

Funding areas: major differences

There are major differences in the funding areas to which the applications are assigned: Around half of the projects submitted want to be active in the area of adapting to the impacts of climate change, followed by mitigation of GHG emissions, conserving biological diversity, and conserving natural carbon sinks/REDD+.

Towards the selection of projects

What are the next steps after the evaluation of the projects? In close consultation with the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the Federal Foreign Office, the IKI Small Grants team will select the best project ideas. Only after completing the selection process, all applicants are informed whether their application has been selected for funding.

screenshot lightful website

IKI Small Grants featured by Lightful – have a look at the interview now.

screenshot lightful website

In 2022, IKI Small Grants partnered with UK-based Lightful  to support our grant recipients with a series of webinars on digital communications. From the very first introduction, Lightful valued our innovative approach to grant making and cooperation. We are happy to announce that Lightful published a blogpost featuring IKI Small Grants.

To learn about this external perspective on IKI Small Grants, please read the interview.

Laura Wikker, junior project manager at IKI Small Grants, explains the approach to grant-making beyond the financials. She talks about the large capacity development component and its advantages for the implementing organisations.

The interview also picks up on learnings after three years of programme implementation and the power of digital communications.

Feel free to share the interview with others!