Knowledge
Welcome to the Knowledge Hub! Here, you’ll find comprehensive information and resources to support your IKI Small Grants projects for and climate and biodiversity action. We have organised our collections in documents for the International Calls line, for national and regional funding institutions and materials in a Capacity development section. Explore our Knowledge Hub to access detailed information, guidelines, and resources that assist you in implementing your project and capacity development efforts. Together, we can achieve our common goal of effective local climate and biodiversity action.
Documents and guidelines for implementing organisations

Phases of International Calls
Project review phase
The projects that have been selected for funding undergo a comprehensive technical and legal/commercial review. During this review process, the IKI Small Grants team is in regular contact with the applicant in order to prepare the final project outline for the grant agreement. The following sections present important information and documents on the different aspects of this review process.
All applicants have been given a project number when submitting their application. This number must be included in every communication to IKI Small Grants to ensure that all enquiries reach the responsible advisors and can be processed quickly and effectively.
In the boxes below you can find important guidelines and documents for previous calls.
The IKI has developed so-called standard indicators. They are an important tool to monitor all IKI projects, including IKI Small Grants projects. The standard indicators enable both the quantification of project results and the aggregation of outputs on a higher level.
The IKI standard indicators are not part of the application. During the in depth- review of the project proposal the IKI Small Grants Team marks those IKI standard indicators that are relevant for each specific project. Only those ones have to be filled in by the implementing organisation. The IKI Small Grants team also offers support in calculating the target values for the selected indicators. The document linked below presents further details on the IKI standard indicators.
2020 & 2021
IKI standard indicators application guideline paragraph
(English, PDF, 125 KB)
Organisations willing to implement projects within the framework of the IKI Small Grants ‘International Calls’ have to analyse safeguards risks based on the IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability and submit the results in their project application. The risk assessment will be checked by the IKI Small Grants team and regularly updated during project implementation. If a relevant safeguard risk is identified, effective measures to avoid, minimize or reduce the risk must be included in the project concept. Identifying safeguards risks in the project context and proposing appropriate activities to mitigate them does not negatively impact the project selection process!
Organisations selected must adhere to the environmental and social safeguards system applied in IKI Small Grants. The following activities are not permitted and will not be eligible for IKI Small Grants funding:
- Project activities requiring offsets or any form of compensations due to their severe negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Any forms of resettlements (forced or voluntary)
- The introduction of invasive species
If the identified risks do change during project implementation, this must be communicated to the IKI Small Grants team immediately.
Selected implementing organisations that do not have their own safeguards system or any related expertise will receive assistance from the IKI Small Grants team. Jointly with the team, the implementing organisations will be supported to self-critically assess the project’s potentially unintended negative impacts and in formulating suitable measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate potential harm.
For further information, please look in our Values & Responsibilities section.
Gender equality plays an important role in IKI projects. The IKI Gender Strategy provides a high-level framework for supporting and fostering gender justice. This strategy aims to promote gender-transformative approaches within international climate and biodiversity co-operation. Projects are therefore requested to reflect on their actions in terms of their impact on gender equality and to address existing imbalances.
Project implementation phase
The IKI Small Grants funding provides projects and organisations with the opportunity to be promoted on an international level. This includes the presentation of the selected projects, organisations and highlights from project implementation on the IKI Small Grants website as well as on the website of the Internationale Climate Initiative and via its social media channels.
Photo Guidelines
(English, barrier-free PDF, 122 KB)
PR Guidelines – Annex 5
(English, barrier-free PDF, 409 KB)
Additional information (only relevant for contracts signed after March 2022): In case a project includes specific construction works, the PR Annex is named Annex 6 and there is different Annex 5 regarding the constructions.
English
Copyright Declaration
(English, barrier-free PDF, 193 KB)
Consent Declaration
(English, barrier-free PDF, 171 KB)
French
Déclaration droit d’auteur
(French, barrier-free PDF, 192 KB)
Déclaration de consentement
(French, barrier-free PDF, 124 KB)
Spanish
Declaración derechos de autor
(Spanish, barrier-free PDF, 187 KB)
Declaración de consentimiento
(Spanish, barrier-free PDF, 126 KB)
All projects are required to submit reports on their progress and the use of funds at regular intervals.
Narrative Progress Report Template – Annex 7
(English, barrier-free DOCX,379 KB)
These templates might be helpful for your project acitvities.
English
Participants List
(English, barrier-free PDF, 195 KB)
Participants List
(English, barrier-free DOCX, 36 KB)
French
Liste Participants
(French, barrier-free PDF, 214 KB)
Liste Participants
(French, barrier-free DOCX, 36 KB)
Spanish
Project closing phase
All projects are required to submit a report on their final project results after their project has ended.
Narrative Final Report Template
(English, barrier-free DOCX, 691 KB)
Archive
In the boxes below you can find important guidelines and documents for previous calls.
2019/20
Funding information 2019/20
(English, PDF, 502 KB)
Application guidelines 2019/20
(English, PDF, 609 KB)
2021
Funding information 2020/21
(English, PDF, 870 KB)
Application guidelines 2020/21
(English, PDF 654 KB)
2021/22
Documents and guidelines for funding institutions
The IKI Small Grants component ‘Funding Institutions’ strengthens the capacities of national and regional institutions to implement their own funding programme in the respective countries or regions. Selected institutions receive technical support from GIZ as well as funding of up to 950,000 euros to implement their own call for proposals or funding line for small-scale projects and measures at local level. In total, five million euros are available. The selection process for the component ‘Funding Institutions’ has been completed.
Information on the calls for proposals and funding lines that the respective institutions will offer will be published here shortly.
For more information on the component ‘Funding Institutions’, please take a look at our About section or download the fact sheet.
Information for selected funding institutions
Organisations implementing their own call for proposals or funding line with assistance from IKI Small Grants ‘Funding institutions’ need to have in place their own safeguards system. Jointly with the selected organisations, the IKI Small Grants team will evaluate whether the processes and competencies are sufficient and support amendments as well as capacity building measures for staff where necessary. The spectrum of support can range from small amendments to a complete review of an existing safeguard system.
For more information, please take a look at our About section.
The IKI Small Grants funding provides projects and organisations with the opportunity to be promoted on an international level. This includes the presentation of the selected initiatives, organisations as well as their call for proposals and funding lines on the IKI Small Grants website as well as on the website of the Internationale Climate Initiative and via its social media channels.
In order to present IKI Small Grants initiatives and organisations as part of one common worldwide initiative, creating a unified public image of IKI Small Grants is vital. This is why, all funding institutions supported by the IKI Small Grants programme are requested to contribute to this objective by following the IKI Small Grants public relations guidelines. The document below presents information and regulations regarding media and public relation related to IKI Small Grants initiatives. The IKI Small Grants public relations (PR) team in Berlin provides guidance and support for PR-related activities, if needed.
Photo Guidelines
(English, barrier-free PDF, 122 KB)
PR Guidelines Component 2
(English, barrier-free PDF, 472 KB)
English
Copyright Declaration
(English, barrier-free PDF, 193 KB)
Consent Declaration
(English, barrier-free PDF, 171 KB)
French
Déclaration droit d’auteur
(French, barrier-free PDF, 192 KB)
Déclaration de consentement
(French, barrier-free PDF, 124 KB)
Spanish
Declaración derechos de autor
(Spanish, barrier-free PDF, 187 KB)
Declaración de consentimiento
(Spanish, barrier-free PDF, 126 KB)
All projects are required to submit reports on their progress and the use of funds at regular intervals.
Progress Report Template
(English, barrier-free DOCX, 369 KB)
Annex 1 Project profiles of final grant recipients
(English, barrier-free DOCX, 385 KB)
Annex 2 IKI standard indicators
(English, barrier-free DOCX, 602 KB)
These templates might be helpful for your project acitvities.
English
Participants List
(English, barrier-free PDF, 195 KB)
Participants List
(English, barrier-free DOCX, 36 KB)
French
Liste Participants
(French, barrier-free PDF, 214 KB)
Liste Participants
(French, barrier-free DOCX, 36 KB)
Spanish
Project closing phase
All projects are required to submit a report on their final project results after their project has ended.
IKI Small Grants tutorials, webinars, and features
This section provides knowledge and resources helpful to you while working on IKI Small Grants projects.
IKI Small Grants offers a series of webinars and tutorials explaining tips and tricks for project work. Many of the tips are tailored specifically for organizations funded by IKI Small Grants.
Recommended resources for project/data management and evaluation
Overview of courses on Results-Based Project management (RBPM), covering different levels, focus areas, and scales:
Results-Based Project Management (RBPM)
(PDF, English, 265 KB)
Overview of courses on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), highlighting various levels and formats:
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
(PDF, English, 278 KB)
Overview of various data management systems, each with a different area of focus:
Data management software
(PDF, English, 322 KB)
Recommended resources for fundraising
Download our linklist pdf with information and recommendations useful for fundraising.
From free online training to search engines for grants, international public funding opportunities, private & philanthropic funding, to platforms for digital campaigning, the file lists valuable resources.
Introduction to fundraising – The fundamentals #1
Identify funding, develop strategies, build partnerships.
Download presentation
Length: 43 minutes
For automated subtitles, click settings > subtitles > options.
Introduction to fundraising – The fundamentals #2
Gain skills to achieve fundraising goals.
Download presentation
Length: 51 minutes
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Fundraising #3 – Inside public donor operations
In-depth webinar on accessing public sector funding and funding the future.
Download presentation
Length: 50 minutes
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Fundraising #4 – Navigating the private sector
Master private sector engagement – from mission models to pitch decks.
Download presentation
Length: 44 minutes
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Fundraising #5 – Digital Campaigning
Find out how to execute effective digital campaigns.
Download presentation
Length: 48 minutes
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Public relations training by Lightful
We worked together with the social media specialists from Lightful to offer a series of webinars to our grant recipients. Lightful has also created templates that help to structure the PR work of organizations. They can also be used independently of the Lightful’s webinars.