UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme - Waste Picker Livelihood and Plastics Projects

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

Global GEF Small Grants Programme provides grants typically up to USD 50,000 to NGOs and community organizations working on environmental issues including livelihood improvement for waste pickers through plastic waste management and recycling systems. Issues country-level calls for community-level circular plastics initiatives.

Source: https://sgp.undp.org

Funding Details

Funder

UNDP / Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Funding Goal

Financial and technical support to local civil society organizations (CSOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) to develop and implement community-led initiatives addressing global environmental issues including plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and sustainable livelihoods. Supports waste picker livelihood improvements, plastic waste management systems, and community-level circular economy initiatives through country-level calls.

Funding Amount

Standard grants up to USD 75,000 per project; strategic projects up to USD 150,000; SGP CSO Challenge Programme (IUCN-led) up to USD 300,000 for select initiatives (up to 75.000 €)

Deadline

Rolling basis at country level; individual country programmes issue calls independently (Rolling)

How to Apply

Apply through national SGP country programme offices. Each country has a National Steering Committee and country programme coordinator. Contact the UNDP country office or SGP country coordinator for current calls and application procedures. Main portal: sgp.undp.org

Target Region

135 eligible developing and transition countries globally; covers Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and SIDS

Contact

GEF SGP global coordination via UNDP. Country-level contacts via national UNDP offices. Website: sgp.undp.org (currently unavailable; main info at thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/gef-small-grants-programme)

Official Page

https://www.thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/gef-small-grants-programme

Last Checked

2026-05-07 01:46

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Must be a local CSO or CBO registered in one of 135 eligible developing/transition countries
• Special focus on Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth-led organizations

Project Scope

• Project must address a GEF thematic area (plastics/waste, biodiversity, land degradation, climate, etc.)
• Must demonstrate global environmental benefits alongside local livelihood improvements

Required Documents

• Applications submitted through national SGP country programme — contact local UNDP or country coordinator

Constraints

• Standard grants up to USD 75,000; strategic projects up to USD 150,000

Summary

The GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) has operated since 1992 as a unique community-level delivery mechanism for global environmental finance. Under GEF-8 (current replenishment), the programme operates with USD 246 million in resources and covers 135 countries, delivering grants directly to local CSOs and CBOs to address global environmental problems at community scale. The programme's thematic priorities align with GEF mandated areas: biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation, international waters (including plastic pollution in oceans and freshwaters), chemicals and waste, and sustainable forests. Plastic waste and waste picker livelihoods are explicitly within scope, as is community-level circular economy work and waste collection infrastructure improvements. Eligible activities are locally-driven and community-scale: establishing waste collection systems, training waste pickers and collectors, building composting or recycling facilities, protecting coastal and marine ecosystems, and developing community-based natural resource management approaches. Projects must demonstrate clear global environmental benefits alongside local livelihood improvements. Geographically, SGP operates in 135 developing and transition countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Small Island Developing States. It does not fund projects in high-income OECD countries (excluding Denmark, which would not be eligible). Target countries relevant to OPF's international work include Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania (Africa), Indonesia, Vietnam, India (Southeast Asia and South Asia). Grants are small — standard grants up to USD 75,000 with strategic grants up to USD 150,000. Applications go through country-level national steering committees. The SGP CSO Challenge Programme (IUCN-led) offers larger grants up to USD 300,000 for 30+ initiatives across 25 countries. Implementation is decentralized, with country programme coordinators managing calls and selection independently.

Historical Context

GEF SGP has operated since 1992, supporting close to 30,000 grants totalling USD 1.54 billion to date across 136 countries. Currently in GEF-8 replenishment cycle with USD 246 million allocated ($135M core + $111M STAR). SGP 2.0 introduced two new agencies (FAO and Conservation International) alongside UNDP, and expanded from 124 to 135 countries.

Sources

• https://sgp.undp.org
• https://www.thegef.org/partners/small-grants-programme
• https://www.thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/gef-small-grants-programme

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