The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) has launched the International Climate Initiative (IKI) Medium Grants 2021 that focuses on resilience of local populations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change adaptation, as well as on strengthening participatory processes for ambitious climate action.

IKI Medium Grants are aimed at civil society actors based in Germany that work in concert with local partners in selected ODA-eligible implementing countries to put measures in place to intensify North South cooperation on climate action, adaptation to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

IKI Medium Grants explicitly aim at strengthening these civil society actors and their international networks. Specifically, IKI Medium Grants support project activities that address innovative, bottom-up contributions for implementing the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Funding Approaches

• Local implementation of pilot projects: Specific pilot projects that may be considered replicable are eligible for funding under this funding approach to facilitate more ambitious efforts to mitigate and protect against the impacts of climate change and to preserve and conserve biodiversity.
• Building and expanding capacities: Funding is aimed at appropriate, innovative methods and measures to consolidate expertise, expand methodological and management skills among key civil society actors, strengthen measures to establish and develop organisations and to further develop strategies.

Thematic Funding Priorities

• COVID-19 and adaptation to the impacts of climate change – Promoting resilience in local populations and communities
• Developing, supporting and strengthening participatory processes and methods of ambitious, inclusive climate action

Funding Information

• A grant of between EUR 300,000 and a maximum of EUR 800,000 may be granted per project.
• Projects funded through the programme should be completed within a period of 24 months to a maximum of 36 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility of the German implementing organisation:
  • IKI Medium Grants projects are to be implemented in the form of a partnership between one German implementing organisation and one to two local implementing organisations based in the country or region of implementation.
  • The German implementing organisation must submit the project outline. Upon successful assessment of the project, the German implementing organisation will receive notification of funding from the BMU and will forward the planned project funds to the local implementing organisation/s. It is the sole recipient of direct payments from the BMU and is responsible for the budgetary implementation of the project and its reporting.
• Formal eligibility of the German implementing organisation:
  • Funding is available for not-for-profit civil society organisations (non-governmental organisations, associations, foundations, think tanks) and academic institutions (universities and research institutions), as well as non-profit companies headquartered and operating in Germany.
  • Companies in the commercial sector are excluded from funding, as are state actors, such as federally owned companies or municipalities.
  • The organisation must have a non-profit business unit. The project must fall under the responsibility of the organisation’s non-profit business unit. The organisation must not pursue any profit-making intentions in implementing the project. In addition, the organisation must be qualified to appropriately plan, efficiently implement, monitor and account on an expenditure basis.
  • The estimated average annual BMU funding amount budgeted may not exceed 50% of the average annual turnover of the last two (2) fiscal years of the German implementing organisation (turnover criteria).
• Technical eligibility of the German implementing organisation:
  • The German implementing organisation must demonstrate at least three (3) years of project experience in international cooperation based on the attached reference projects, as well as three (3) years of technical expertise in the selected thematic funding area.
• Eligibility of the local implementing organisation/s:
  • The IKI Medium Grants funding programme aims to strongly anchor project implementation locally. This should be motivated by intensive cooperation with local implementing organisations from the country/region of implementation.
• Formal eligibility of the local implementing organisation/s:
  • One to a maximum of two local implementing organisations may be designated to work with the German implementing organisation to implement the project concept. The local implementing organisation/s specified must hold non-profit status.
  • Partnership with one local implementing organisation – The local organisation is located in the selected implementing country or one of the selected implementing countries.
  • Partnership with two local implementing organisations – If the project is to be implemented in one implementing country, at least one local implementing organisation is located in the selected implementing country.
• Technical eligibility of the local implementing organisation/s:
  • The local implementing organisation/s must demonstrate at least three (3) years of technical expertise relevant to the selected thematic funding area based on the attached reference projects.

For more information, visit IKI Medium Grants.