GEF Small Grants Programme - Africa Country Programs

Enriched UN / Multilateral · Found: 2026-03-11 10:50

Grants up to $75,000 (strategic projects up to $150,000) for NGOs and CBOs. Focus on community-led initiatives in biodiversity, waste management including plastics and e-waste, ecosystem restoration. Active calls in Libya, Ghana, Zambia and other African countries.

Source: https://thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/gef-small-grants-program

Funding Details

Funder

Global Environment Facility (GEF) – Small Grants Programme

Funding Goal

Finance community-led initiatives by local civil society organizations (CSOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) to address global environmental issues including biodiversity, plastic/waste management, and ecosystem restoration, while improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.

Funding Amount

Up to $75,000 for standard grants; up to $150,000 for strategic projects (up to 150.000 €)

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through country-level SGP programs managed by national coordinators under UNDP, FAO, or Conservation International. Applicants must identify the relevant country program (via sgp.undp.org) and submit to the national management team. Each country program has its own call cycle and requirements.

Target Region

Global (136 GEF-eligible countries); active country calls in Africa including Ghana, Libya, Zambia

Contact

GEF Secretariat contact: https://thegef.org/contact-us | UNDP-GEF SGP site: https://sgp.undp.org/

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:30

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a local civil society organization (CSO) or community-based organization (CBO)
• Project must be implemented in a GEF-eligible country with an active SGP country program

Project Scope

• Project must address at least one GEF thematic area: biodiversity, waste/plastics, land degradation, pollution, or ecosystem restoration
• Strategic projects must demonstrate scalability and replication potential across communities within a critical landscape or seascape
• Projects should demonstrate livelihood benefits and poverty reduction co-benefits alongside environmental outcomes

Required Documents

• Application submitted through the national SGP country program coordinator (UNDP, FAO, or Conservation International)

Constraints

• Standard grants capped at $75,000; strategic projects (scaling/replication across landscapes or seascapes) capped at $150,000
• Check country-specific call status and deadlines via sgp.undp.org national program pages

Summary

The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), operational since 1992, is a flagship program of the Global Environment Facility implemented by UNDP, FAO, and Conservation International. It provides direct grants to local civil society and community-based organizations in 136 GEF-eligible countries, channeling bottom-up environmental action that contributes to Multilateral Environmental Agreements and the Sustainable Development Goals. Standard grants are capped at $75,000, with strategic projects — which allow for scaling up and replication across critical landscapes or seascapes — eligible for up to $150,000. The program places special emphasis on Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth, and operates through decentralized country-level management teams with multistakeholder governance structures. Active country programs include calls in several African nations (including Libya, Ghana, and Zambia). Under GEF-8 (the eighth replenishment), $155 million has been allocated to the SGP corporate program, with $135 million distributed equally among 144 eligible countries in two tranches, accessible through UNDP, FAO, and Conservation International. Two additional CSO initiatives — a CSO Challenge Program and a Microfinance Initiative — are being launched with $10 million each. Since inception, the program has supported over 28,000 grants totaling more than $795 million in direct financing, with an additional $955 million mobilized in co-financing. The program's thematic scope explicitly covers biodiversity, waste management (including plastics and e-waste), land and ecosystem restoration, pollution, and sustainable development. Applications are made through national country programs rather than a single global call, meaning eligibility and timelines vary by country.

Historical Context

The SGP has operated since 1992, supporting over 28,000 grants and administering over $795 million across 136 countries. GEF-8 (current replenishment cycle) allocated $155 million to SGP. The GEF Council approved SGP 2.0 Implementation Arrangements at its 63rd Meeting in December 2022. Results Report 2023-2024 was published November 2024. Statistics updated May 2024.

Why it was added

Africa waste/plastic development funding

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