Application

5th INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The 5th ‘Call for Proposals‘ of the IKI Small Grants component ‘International Calls’ launched 17 January 2024 and finished 13 March 2024. For future calls, link back to this website at regular intervals.

All project proposals must be submitted through the new IKI Small Grants application platform. The link to the platform is on the last slide of the following widget. Please use this tool to check if your organisation and project idea meet the eligibility criteria for funding before entering any data on the platform:

Eligibility criteria 1/9:

You must be a not-for-profit organisation or pursue strictly non-profit objectives within the scope of the project.

Required documents, templates and guidelines

Priorities for proposals

We explicitly encourage projects which:

  • Support the implementation or increase the ambition of nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
  • Support action on the ground to contribute to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.
  • Address the risks, challenges and opportunities of global megatrends (e.g. increasing demand for natural resources, rapid urbanization, digitalisation, pandemic) in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss.
  • Support a just transition of economies towards decarbonization including fair social change especially for vulnerable groups.
  • Strengthen networks, knowledge sharing and cooperation between organisations working on climate change and biodiversity related issues.
  • Develop and promote use of climate smart technologies.
  • Contribute to awareness building and education regarding climate change and biodiversity.
  • Engage in cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder cooperation and / or involve the local population.
  • Support implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework of the CBD.

Please also check chapter 3 of the funding information (available to download in the section above).

Tips & advice

Before you submit your application, please make sure you have doublechecked all the selection criteria for projects. We are expecting a large number of project proposals and only a limited number can be selected in each call for proposals (approximately 20-40 per year).

Your application should:

  • Include an operational plan with indicators and a detailed budget plan demonstrating how the funding will be used.
  • Adhere to the environmental and social safeguards system applied in this programme (for detailed information see chapter 8 in our application guidelines).
  • Include a well-designed capacity development package, which plays an important role in evaluating and selecting project proposals (for detailed information see chapter 10 in our application guidelines).
  • Involve the local population and strengthen gender equality in society. The project should be embedded within an enabling environment and produce tangible and practical results that can be replicated further.
  • Use all templates provided on the application platform with the formatting in tact when filling them in (all macros and formulas should remain).

Quality assurance before handing in your application:

  • Doublecheck the quality of the project concept and its ambition.
    • Guiding questions:
      Is all of the information provided easy to understand (also for people who do not know your local/regional conditions)? Is the effectiveness of the project idea clear? Does the application reflect the choice of appropriate methods, feasibility of project duration and budget suitably?
  • Doublecheck on the qualification of the implementing organisation.
    • Guiding questions:
      Does my proposal present my organisation´s professional expertise and experience adequately? Did I describe networking activities with relevant stakeholders? Is my organisation in accordance with the IKI Small Grants target group (eligibility criteria)? Does the application clearly describe the organisation´s accounting guidelines?
  • Doublecheck on the project risks and safeguards.
    • Guiding questions:
      Does my application assess relevant risks/safeguards and appropriate mitigating measures? Does my application reflect on the likelihood of project implementation being jeopardized and all relevant safeguard dimensions?
  • Doublecheck on the sustainability and replicability chapter.
    • Guiding questions:
      Did I provide information about continuation of activities after the project ends? Does my application clearly outline how to embed my project in existing national or regional strategies? Did I reflect on the project´s replicability in other contexts?
  • Doublecheck if the provided templates by IKI Small Grants are used and no changes on the templates have been done.

FAQs

The FAQs only present a quick overview. For comprehensive details on funding criteria, please carefully read the IKI Small Grants funding information and the application guidelines provided on this website. Also, the recording of the IKI Small Grants Launch Event in 2019 can offer further insights. You can find this and other recordings on the “Resources” page.

A: Which organisations are eligible for funding?

For detailed information regarding the eligibility criteria please see the boxes above and the funding information.

  • In the current call for proposals, IKI Small Grants does not support:
    • Government organisations (e.g., ministries, municipalities, public universities).
    • Branches of organisations based in a non-ODA country.
    • Consortia are not eligible as this would imply forwarding project funds from the lead organisation to partners in the consortia. Forwarding funds is not permitted.
    • Research projects will not be financed unless they have a strong implementation component. This means basic research projects with a primary focus on data collection, evaluation, and publications are not eligible as such. However, a project that has its main focus on addressing the needs of target groups and achieving substantial changes in the IKI Small Grants’ funding areas is welcome to carry out project-related research as a side activity.

B: When can I expect a first contact from IKI Small Grants?

After the call closes 13th March 2024, the submitted proposals will undergo a thorough selection process and will be treated with the utmost care and attention. This process can take several months. As soon as the selection has been finalised, all submitting organisations will be informed.

In the meantime, please refrain from inquiries about the status of your proposal.

C: Can I hand in an application in any language other than English?

Applications have to be submitted in English. Pease bear in mind that all communication after submitting your application will be in English too. IKI Small Grants works with organisations from many countries with a wide range of languages. Perfect English language skills are not required. However, good working English from at least one person in the project team is essential for effective cooperation. You are welcome to seek assistance in proposal writing from third parties including professional translation and/or online translation tools.