This call has now closed
The German government is providing up to eight million euros for projects to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. A maximum of 12 projects will be funded under the Medium Grants of the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
The IKI uses thematic and country calls primarily for the funding of large-volume projects, with the aim of accelerating the transformation to a sustainable, low-emission economic and supply structure. However, implementing the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) also requires the involvement of smaller-scale civil society actors in developing and emerging countries. Since 2020, the IKI Medium Grants have been supporting these actors in various activities such as capacity building and international networking.
Specifically, the IKI Medium Grants fund project activities that address innovative, bottom-up contributions to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. This is achieved through annual ideas competitions with varying funding priorities, to which interested actors can apply with their innovative project ideas.
The following thematic priorities are available for selection:
- Thematic priority I: Climate action through Circular Economy: local approaches
- Thematic priority II: 'Towards locally-led ecosystem-based adaptation', with the aim of strengthening local capacities for action to adapt to climate change.
Learn more about the IKI Medium Grants here.
Funding is provided to civil society organisations, universities, research institutions, and non-profit enterprises. The prerequisite is an ideal business area and no intention to make a profit as well as the ability to plan, implement, and account for projects. The implementing organisation must have its registered office, head office, or head quarter of business in Germany or another EU Member State at the time the outline is submitted. At the time of the first disbursement of funding, the implementing organisation must have a permanent establishment, branch, or other facility in Germany. This must guarantee a permanent, independent, and commercially active presence with its own management, freedom of disposition, and accounting.
Formal requirements for the implementing organisation
No intention to make a profit
Implementing organisations with a charitable purpose and an additional profit-making purpose can be funded provided that the project is part of the ideal business area of the organisation. No profit-making objectives are allowed to be pursued in the implementation of the project.
Turnover criterion
The requested average annual funding volume may not exceed 50% of the average annual turnover of the last two fiscal years of the applicant. This turnover criterion serves to ensure the appropriate financial sustainability of the implementing organisation.
Legal independence
The prerequisite for submitting a project proposal is the legal independence of the implementing organisation. This organisation submits both the project outline and, if successful, the final project proposal.
Thematic experience
During the outline phase, the implementing organisation must demonstrate three years of experience in international co-operation through the attached reference projects as well as three years of experience in the selected thematic funding area.
Financial responsibility for subgrants
The implementing organisation is the sole recipient of direct payments from the IKI and bears full financial responsibility, including when subgrants are made to implementing partners. The subgrant is to be regulated by project agreements under private law in accordance with VV No. 12.5 to Section 44 BHO. The IKI Office provides templates for a subgrant agreement via the IKI website for use as needed.
Review of interim and final reports for subgrants
The implementing organisation is obliged to review the interim and final reports submitted by the implementing partners. The corresponding audit certificate must be attached to the final report in accordance with ANBest-P. The IKI Office provides templates for the review on the IKI website.
Checking of the non-profit status of implementing partners
When selecting its partner organisations, the implementing organisation must be able to verify and prove their non-profit status and creditworthiness. Detailed specifications can be found in the IMG Administrative Guidelines.
Compliance with applicable sanctions
The implementing organisation undertakes to comply with all applicable sanctions regimes of the EU, the United Nations, and the Federal Republic of Germany. Any violation may result in full or partial reclaim of the grant.
More information on eligibility criteria can be found here.