Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) - Small Grants Program
Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 16:39
International alliance offering competitive small grants to member organizations for ghost gear collection, recycling, and capacity building projects. 2025 recipients selected from global applicants. Projects support end-of-life gear recovery, training in upcycling, and community engagement in coastal areas. Flexible funding for developing regions.
Source: https://www.ghostgear.org
Funding Details
- Funder
- Ocean Conservancy / Global Ghost Gear Initiative (supported by Norwegian government)
- Funding Goal
- Prevent, mitigate, and remediate abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear
- Funding Amount
- Up to USD 30,000 per project
- Deadline
- 2025 round recently closed; 2026 round not yet announced. Watch ghostgear.org/news (periodic)
- How to Apply
- Become GGGI member first: identify ghost gear component of your operations (e.g. Baltic, Indonesia, Tanzania coast), sign statement of support at ghostgear.org/become-a-member, begin participating in GGGI activities (demonstrates active membership). When call opens: design project specifically focused on ghost gear prevention or removal, demonstrate geographic location and scale of ghost gear problem, show connection to fishing industry or community stakeholders, document monitoring methodology for ghost gear collected.
- Target Region
- Global — Nordic waters, Baltic, East Africa coast, Indonesia
- Contact
- ghostgear.org/contact
- Official Page
- https://www.ghostgear.org/
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-14 20:29
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Constraints
Summary
The Global Ghost Gear Initiative is the world's premier organisation dedicated to preventing abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), which accounts for an estimated 640,000 tonnes of marine plastic waste annually. Hosted by Ocean Conservancy and supported by the Norwegian government, the GGGI operates a small grants programme for member organisations working on ghost gear projects. The 2025 cycle received nearly USD 1.2 million in requests from 21 countries, indicating strong demand for a programme with limited but accessible funding. For your organisation, the opportunity is real but conditional on having genuine ghost gear removal activity in your operating areas. The Baltic coast, Danish maritime zones, Greenland coastal areas, Tanzania fishing communities, and Indonesian fisheries are all contexts where ghost gear is a recognised problem. If you can identify a specific ghost gear intervention you already do (or plan to do), the GGGI pathway is straightforward: free membership followed by application in the annual grants cycle. The grant size (USD 30,000) is modest but the additional benefits of GGGI membership — expert project review, peer network, and credibility — can meaningfully strengthen your applications to larger funders (Norad, UNEP, EU LIFE) that fund broader marine plastic work.
Historical Context
GGGI was established in 2015 and has implemented numerous projects globally. Ocean Conservancy became the host organisation in 2019. The small grants programme launched in 2021 with Norwegian government support. 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 rounds have all been completed. The programme appears to run annually, typically opening in the first quarter of the year. Members should monitor ghostgear.org for the 2026 opening.
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