German Federal Grant Programme Against Marine Litter (BMUV)

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Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

German Federal Ministry grant programme supporting projects in developing countries reducing waste inputs into the ocean. Budget of 20 million euros per year for 2026-2028. Eligible activities include harbor/port waste handling, collection, sorting, recycling infrastructure and training.

Source: https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/grant-programme-against-marine-litter

Funding Details

Funder: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV)
Funding Goal: Reduce inputs of waste into the ocean in developing countries, targeting both land-based and sea-based sources of marine pollution. Projects should prevent plastic and other waste from reaching the ocean at key points of waste generation.
Funding Amount: EUR 20 million per year planned for 2026-2028 (total USD 68.4 million resource mobilized). Individual grant amounts not specified.
Deadline: 2028-12-31 (Fixed)
How to Apply: Programme is registered as a German government voluntary commitment on the UN SDGs platform. Individual grant calls are managed by BMUV (German Federal Ministry). Further details on applying would be on BMUV's official website.
Target Region: Global (developing countries) - listed beneficiary countries include Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and others
Contact: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV), Germany. Programme registered at sdgs.un.org/partnerships/grant-programme-against-marine-litter
Last Checked: 2026-03-15 09:49

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Applicant must work in or with developing countries targeted for marine litter reduction

Project Scope

Projects must reduce inputs of waste (land-based or sea-based) into the ocean
Must address one or more key points of waste generation contributing to marine pollution
Project must align with SDG 14.1 (marine debris and pollution reduction)

Required Documents

Project budget and implementation plan required for grant application
Monitoring and impact measurement framework required

Constraints

Programme runs 2026-2028 with EUR 20M annual budget; individual call timelines set by BMUV

Summary

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV) administers a dedicated grant programme against marine litter targeting developing countries. With EUR 20 million planned annually for 2026-2028 (total USD 68.4 million committed), the programme supports projects that reduce waste inputs into the ocean at key generation points — both land-based (waste management, prevention, collection) and sea-based (fishing gear, vessel waste). The programme is Germany's voluntary commitment under the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water), registered in the UN Ocean Action network. It directly targets SDG Target 14.1: preventing and reducing marine pollution from land-based activities, including marine debris. All developing states are eligible, and the programme has existing beneficiary countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and others. The programme continues Germany's long-standing leadership in international marine litter funding. BMUV manages the programme and issues individual grant calls to NGOs, research institutions, and implementing organizations in or working with developing countries. This programme is highly relevant for organizations with plastic waste collection, recycling, and waste management activities in Africa, Southeast Asia, India, or other developing regions. The annual EUR 20M budget and multi-year commitment (2026-2028) provides a stable funding source for marine litter reduction work.

Historical Context

The grant programme against marine litter continues Germany's commitment to reducing marine pollution in developing countries. EUR 20 million annually is planned for 2026-2028. The programme is part of Germany's UN SDG Ocean Action commitments under SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Sources

https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/grant-programme-against-marine-litter

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