Deadline: 18-Aug-23
Recognizing the essential role of households and communities in dealing with global environmental issues, UNDP launched the GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) for community-based groups (CBOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address local problems related to the GEF areas of concern in a way that is suitable with each local’s circumstance.
The programme operates on the premise that people will be empowered to protect their environment when they are properly organized to take action, have a measure of control over access to the natural resource base, equipped with the necessary information and knowledge, and aware that their social and economic well-being is dependent on sound long-term resource management. However, the GEF SGP is more than simply a fund that provides small grants to improve the local environment. By raising public awareness, building partnerships and promoting policy dialogue, the GEF SGP seeks to help create a more supportive and favorable environment within countries for achieving sustainable development and addressing global environmental issues.
Focal areas of SGP include biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as land degradation and desertification. Most projects aim at building models for testing community strategies and technologies to sustainably use the natural resources with community-based approaches. They also focus on local people’s and community’s capacity development.
Principal Objectives of GEF SGP
- Demonstrate community-level strategies and technologies that could reduce threats to the global environment if they are replicated over time;
- Draw lessons from community-level experience, and support the spread of successful community-level strategies and innovations among CBOs and NGOs, host governments, development aid agencies, the GEF, and other related associations/offices;
- Build partnerships and networks of local stakeholders to support and strengthen community, CBOs, and NGOs capacity to address environmental problems and promote sustainable development.
Priority Themes and Activities
- Strengthening the capacity of CSOs and cooperatives, especially those led by women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities; promoting the exchange, sharing and cooperation between CSOs and cooperatives, etc.; and building and strengthening the network of cooperatives and CSOs in the areas where SGP projects have been deployed in order to maintain and upscale the positive social, economic and enivironmental impacts of these projects.
Funding Information
- The project proponent may request for a grant up to 50,000 USD in 12-18 months.
Grantee: Vietnamese NGOs and CSOs
Project Selection
- The proponent develops project concept paper (in Vietnamese) in accordance with GEF SGP format and submits this to the National Coordinator (NC).
- The NC screens and considers the concept paper according to GEF criteria and then submits it to the National Steering Committee (NSC) for further approval.
- The proposing organization whose concept paper cleared by GEF SGP submit a grant application in case of need. GEF SGP provides a small grant for project design, stakeholder consultation and surveys.
- The proposing organization whose proposal cleared by GEF SGP submit a Project proposal.
- The proposing organization submit the project proposal to the NC
- Proposals cleared by the NC are submitted to the NSC
- Proposals cleared by the NSC are submitted to UNDP Vietnam for final clearance.
For more information, visit UNDP.