SBI Foundation Climate Smart Livelihoods Programme (India)

Deadline: 07-Jul-2026

SBI Foundation invites proposals from eligible NGOs and non-profit organizations in India under its Livelihood & Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (SBIF LEAP) to implement Climate Smart Livelihoods projects aligned with the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY). The programme supports agriculture and allied livelihood interventions in selected aspirational agricultural districts.

The first phase will focus on the North-Eastern region, covering selected PM-DDKY districts in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Assam. Eligible organizations should have at least three years of experience in agriculture, rural development, livelihoods, natural resource management or farmer-focused development projects.

Programme Overview

The SBI Foundation Livelihood & Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (SBIF LEAP) supports sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurship among underserved communities in India.

The current Request for Proposal focuses on engaging non-profit organizations to implement projects under the Climate Smart Livelihoods theme.

The programme aims to strengthen agriculture-based livelihoods, improve farmer incomes and support climate-resilient development in identified aspirational agricultural districts.

About SBI Foundation

SBI Foundation brings the CSR initiatives of the State Bank of India under one umbrella.

It works to support underserved communities through development programmes across multiple sectors.

Through SBIF LEAP, the Foundation promotes sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurship, poverty reduction and partnership-based development.

Main Objective

The main objective of this RFP is to support NGOs and non-profit organizations in implementing Climate Smart Livelihoods projects aligned with PM-DDKY.

The programme aims to:

• Improve rural livelihoods
• Strengthen climate-resilient agriculture
• Increase agricultural productivity
• Support farmer institutions
• Improve irrigation and water-use efficiency
• Promote crop diversification
• Strengthen value chains
• Improve market access
• Support technology integration
• Facilitate credit and financial inclusion
• Build farmer capacity
• Encourage convergence with government schemes

Key Focus Areas

The programme supports a wide range of development and livelihood priorities.

Key focus areas include:

• Livelihoods and entrepreneurship
• Climate Smart Livelihoods
• Sustainable agriculture
• Rural development
• Micro-entrepreneurship
• Women empowerment
• Farmer capacity building
• Agricultural productivity improvement
• Crop diversification
• Irrigation development
• Post-harvest storage
• Value chain development
• Technology integration
• Financial inclusion
• Market linkages
• Credit facilitation
• Integrated livestock development
• Community institution building
• FPO and SHG strengthening
• Monitoring and knowledge management

Geographic Focus

The first phase of the programme will focus on the North-Eastern region of India.

Selected PM-DDKY districts will be covered in states including:

• Arunachal Pradesh
• Manipur
• Meghalaya
• Mizoram
• Nagaland
• Sikkim
• Assam

Projects should be designed for identified aspirational agricultural districts under PM-DDKY.

What the Programme Supports

The programme supports agriculture and allied livelihood projects that improve farming outcomes and strengthen rural resilience.

Supported interventions may include:

• District-level assessments
• Farmer training
• Climate-resilient farming practices
• Sustainable agriculture models
• Horticulture promotion
• Irrigation solutions
• Farm mechanization
• Post-harvest management
• Processing and value addition
• Digital agriculture solutions
• Market intelligence systems
• Financial literacy
• FPO strengthening
• SHG strengthening
• Collaboration with government schemes

Climate Smart Livelihoods

Climate Smart Livelihoods focus on improving income opportunities while helping communities adapt to climate-related challenges.

In this programme, climate-smart interventions may include sustainable farming practices, better irrigation, crop diversification, improved storage, value addition and technology-enabled agricultural solutions.

These interventions should help farmers improve productivity, reduce vulnerability and access better livelihood opportunities.

Link with PM-DDKY

The programme is aligned with the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY).

Selected organizations will support agricultural and allied livelihood initiatives in identified aspirational agricultural districts under the scheme.

The goal is to improve farming outcomes through locally relevant, climate-resilient and market-linked interventions.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include NGOs and non-profit organizations registered in India.

Organizations should have experience in relevant sectors and the capacity to implement agriculture and livelihood projects in rural communities.

Eligible organizations should have at least three years of experience in areas such as:

• Agriculture
• Rural development
• Livelihoods
• Natural resource management
• Farmer-focused development projects
• Community mobilization
• Institution building
• Technology adoption
• Agricultural development

Organizational Capacity Requirements

Applicants should demonstrate strong implementation capacity.

This may include experience in:

• Working with farmers
• Mobilizing rural communities
• Building community institutions
• Strengthening FPOs or SHGs
• Promoting agricultural technologies
• Delivering training programmes
• Managing grants
• Monitoring field-level outcomes
• Coordinating with government schemes
• Supporting market and value chain linkages

Suitable Project Activities

Proposed projects may include a combination of field-level, institutional and market-linked activities.

Suitable activities may include:

• Baseline and district-level needs assessments
• Climate-resilient crop planning
• Farmer field schools
• Training on sustainable agriculture
• Horticulture-based livelihood promotion
• Livestock-based livelihood models
• Irrigation and water management solutions
• Farm mechanization support
• Post-harvest storage systems
• Processing and value addition
• Digital advisory services
• Market intelligence support
• Financial literacy sessions
• Credit facilitation
• FPO and SHG development
• Government scheme convergence
• Documentation and knowledge management

Expected Results

Projects should contribute to stronger rural livelihoods and improved agricultural outcomes.

Expected results may include:

• Improved farmer knowledge
• Increased adoption of climate-smart practices
• Better irrigation and water management
• Higher agricultural productivity
• Increased crop diversification
• Reduced post-harvest losses
• Stronger farmer institutions
• Improved market linkages
• Greater access to credit and financial services
• Enhanced income opportunities
• Stronger convergence with government schemes

Grant and Funding Approach

Selected organizations will receive grants linked to project performance, reporting and financial utilization requirements.

Funding support will be connected to approved project activities and expected results.

Applicants should prepare realistic budgets with clear cost justification and measurable outputs.

Proposal Evaluation

SBI Foundation will evaluate proposals based on several factors.

Evaluation criteria may include:

• Organizational experience
• Project approach
• Implementation capacity
• Alignment with programme objectives
• Community impact potential
• Experience in agriculture and livelihoods
• Ability to work with farmers and institutions
• Monitoring and reporting capacity
• Financial management systems
• Sustainability of proposed interventions

Why This Programme Matters

Smallholder farmers and rural communities often face challenges related to climate risk, low productivity, weak market access, limited irrigation, post-harvest losses and restricted access to credit.

The SBIF LEAP Climate Smart Livelihoods initiative helps address these challenges by supporting NGOs that can deliver practical, community-based and climate-resilient solutions.

By focusing on aspirational agricultural districts in the North-East, the programme can help strengthen local livelihoods, improve farmer resilience and support sustainable rural development.

How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Proposal

Applicants should prepare a clear, evidence-based and implementation-ready proposal aligned with the Climate Smart Livelihoods theme.

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

Organizations should confirm that they are registered non-profit organizations in India.

They should also ensure they have at least three years of relevant experience in agriculture, rural development, livelihoods, natural resource management or farmer-focused development.

Step 2: Select the Target District

Applicants should identify the selected PM-DDKY district where the project will be implemented.

The proposal should explain the local agricultural context, livelihood challenges and climate-related risks.

Step 3: Conduct a Needs-Based Project Design

The project should be based on local needs and opportunities.

Applicants should explain the challenges faced by farmers and how the proposed intervention will improve productivity, income and resilience.

Step 4: Define the Intervention Model

The proposal should clearly describe the planned activities.

This may include farmer training, irrigation support, horticulture promotion, digital agriculture tools, value addition, market linkages, FPO strengthening or SHG-based livelihood models.

Step 5: Show Community Mobilization Strategy

Applicants should explain how farmers, women, youth, SHGs, FPOs or other community groups will be identified and mobilized.

The proposal should show how beneficiaries will participate in project planning and implementation.

Step 6: Include Technology and Innovation

Where relevant, applicants should explain how technology will be used to improve farming outcomes.

This may include digital advisory tools, market intelligence systems, climate information, mechanization, irrigation technologies or data-based monitoring.

Step 7: Plan for Market and Credit Linkages

A strong proposal should explain how farmers will access markets and financial services.

This may include buyer linkages, aggregation models, value chain partnerships, credit facilitation, financial literacy and convergence with government schemes.

Step 8: Prepare a Monitoring and Reporting Framework

Applicants should include measurable indicators and a clear reporting plan.

Indicators may relate to farmers trained, practices adopted, productivity improvements, income changes, institutions strengthened, market linkages created and government scheme convergence achieved.

Step 9: Prepare a Realistic Budget

The budget should be practical, cost-effective and linked to project outputs.

Applicants should justify all major costs and show how funds will contribute to measurable impact.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:

• Submitting a proposal without relevant agriculture or livelihood experience
• Providing a generic project design not linked to PM-DDKY districts
• Failing to explain climate-smart agriculture components
• Ignoring market linkages and income outcomes
• Not demonstrating community mobilization capacity
• Presenting weak monitoring and reporting systems
• Proposing activities without cost justification
• Not showing convergence with government schemes
• Failing to include farmer institutions such as FPOs or SHGs where relevant
• Overlooking sustainability after project completion

Tips for a Strong Proposal

A strong proposal should:

• Clearly align with SBIF LEAP and PM-DDKY objectives
• Focus on climate-smart and sustainable livelihood outcomes
• Demonstrate strong field experience
• Include a clear implementation plan
• Show practical farmer benefits
• Strengthen community institutions
• Include market and credit linkages
• Use technology where relevant
• Present measurable indicators
• Include a realistic and justified budget
• Show sustainability beyond the grant period

FAQ

1. What is the SBIF LEAP Climate Smart Livelihoods RFP?

It is a Request for Proposal by SBI Foundation inviting eligible NGOs and non-profit organizations in India to implement Climate Smart Livelihoods projects aligned with PM-DDKY.

2. Who can apply?

Eligible applicants are registered NGOs and non-profit organizations in India with at least three years of experience in agriculture, rural development, livelihoods, natural resource management or farmer-focused development projects.

3. Which region is covered in the first phase?

The first phase focuses on the North-Eastern region, covering selected PM-DDKY districts in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Assam.

4. What types of projects are supported?

Supported projects may include climate-resilient agriculture, farmer training, irrigation solutions, horticulture, post-harvest management, processing, value addition, digital agriculture, market linkages, financial literacy and FPO or SHG strengthening.

5. What experience should applicants have?

Applicants should demonstrate experience in agriculture, livelihoods, rural development, community mobilization, institution building, technology adoption and implementation of similar projects.

6. How will proposals be evaluated?

Proposals will be evaluated based on organizational experience, project approach, implementation capacity, community impact potential and alignment with programme objectives.

7. How will grants be managed?

Selected organizations will receive grants linked to project performance, reporting and financial utilization requirements.

Conclusion

SBI Foundation’s SBIF LEAP Climate Smart Livelihoods RFP offers an opportunity for NGOs and non-profit organizations in India to support climate-resilient agriculture and rural livelihood enhancement in selected PM-DDKY districts.

The programme focuses on sustainable agriculture, farmer capacity building, market access, value chain development, financial inclusion, technology integration and institutional strengthening.

Eligible organizations should submit strong proposals that demonstrate field experience, practical implementation capacity, measurable community impact and clear alignment with Climate Smart Livelihoods and PM-DDKY objectives.

For more information, visit SBI Foundation.