Funding for Strengthening Civil Society for the Conservation of Environment

The Small Scale Initiatives Program (SSIP) – 2009-2011 of the French Global Environment Facility (FGEF) has announced the availability of funding support for projects in Central and Western African Countries for strengthening the capacities of NGOs for the conservation of environment. There are two eligible themes identified by the program: “biodiversity protection and the fight against climate change along with the improvement of local populations living standards.”

Each project under the grant can be proposed for up to 50,000 Euros and can be implemented for a period of two years. If projects have international organizations or other NGOs or private companies as co-funders, the grant will cover only 50% of the total cost. If co-funders are only local NGOs, the grant can extend up to 75% to cover the costs of the project. NGOs from the following eligible countries can apply:

17 countries for Western Africa : Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Chad, Togo.
9 countries for Central Africa : Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of The Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome-and-Principe, Rwanda, Burundi.
Other countries: Mozambique and Madagascar.

Some of the types of interventions suggested can be: “Actions implemented in the field, in a real participative process, with a high implication of local people; practical and appropriate trainings, information and awareness raising actions, only if they come with actions in the field and if they have a structuring capacity on a network of NGO, at town, regional or country level; the income generating activities linked to biodiversity or climate change possibly linked to private sector.”

Projects requesting funding for more than 50,000 Euros and seeking co-funding of more than 50% or 75% will not be considered. Applications can be submitted only email. The application form can be downloaded from this link. The deadline for next (second) call for proposals is 15 February 2010. For more information, visit this link.