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IKI Small Grants supports local actors worldwide, such as non-governmental organizations, in implementing effective climate and biodiversity action projects.
The program issues worldwide open calls for project proposals. These are aimed at organisations from developing and emerging countries that are regionally, nationally, or locally anchored. Organisations who apply must have at least three years of relevant experience and an average annual revenue between 60,000 and 500,000 euros. IKI Small Grants provides them with funding between 60,000 and 200,000 euros for the implementation of climate and biodiversity projects. Projects must address at least one of the four IKI support areas: mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to climate change impacts, conservation of natural carbon sinks, or biodiversity conservation.
Learn more about the IKI Small Grants 2025 here.
Eligible criteria for implementing organisations: Which organisations can submit project proposals?
- In general, applicants should be not-for-profit organisations. Private companies are eligible if they pursue strictly non-profit objectives as part of their proposed project. Individuals or natural persons, one-person organisations and governmental organisations are not eligible for funding.
- Applicants must be based and registered in countries that fulfil the criteria for Official Development Assistance (ODA) defined by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)1 Organisations that are not financially and legally independent and branches of organisations based in a non- eligible country cannot be funded.
- The applicant organisation must have been operative for at least three years (36 months by the time of the submission deadline).
- Over the last three years the applicant organisation 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. The applicant organisation must also employ a software-based accounting system which meets its respective national standards.
- The applicant organisations must implement the projects themselves. Consortia are not eligible and forwarding funds to other implementing organisations is not permitted.
Which projects are funded?
Project proposals must clearly focus on at least one of the following four IKI funding areas:
- Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions
- Adapting to the impacts of climate change
- Preserving and restoring carbon sinks
- Conserving biological diversity
Countries of implementation
Projects must be implemented in countries that fulfil the criteria for Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the same exemptions mentioned for applying organisations mentioned under 2.1.
Geographic scope of the projects
Projects must be implemented on a local, sub-national or national level. No multi-country projects can be funded.
Requested funding volume
IKI Small Grants selects project proposals with a total funding volume between EUR 60,000 and EUR 200,000. No proposals with financial requests over or under the above amounts will be considered. Furthermore, the requested funding volume must not exceed the average annual revenue of the implementing organisation over the past three years.
Project duration
The duration of the projects covers a minimum of twelve months and a maximum of two years. There are no exceptions regarding the duration. The project start should be planned for the first quarter of 2027 or later.
Capacity development approach
One of the main objectives of IKI Small Grants is to strengthen capacities of implementing organisations. All applicants must therefore outline initial ideas for CD priorities for funding through IKI Small Grants. Upon selection, IKI Small Grants offers a capacity self-assessment tool that the applicant can use to specify the CD measures to be supported.
More information on the eligibility and selection criteria can be found here.