Call for good ideas for climate change and biodiversity projects in the Global South

Together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) has launched the fifth call for funding for the IKI Medium Grants.

A maximum of 12 projects worth up to 8 million euros in public funding will be selected. A grant of between 300,000 and a maximum of 800,000 euros may be granted per project. The IKI supports projects that contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity in developing and emerging countries. For the IKI Medium Grants, civil society actors as well as academic institutions are invited to apply. The selection procedure started on 15 October 2024 and the deadline for submission of outlines is 14 January 2025. The IKI Office of ZUG implements the IKI Medium Grants as an entrusted project management agency.

IKI Medium Grants 2024: two thematic priorities

The climate and biodiversity crisis has a significant impact on people's lives, working, and educational realities, affecting them in different ways. The opportunities to participate in decision-making processes therefore vary. This year´s funding call takes up these issues in order to realise untapped potential for climate and biodiversity conservation in a socially just way.

With the thematic priority “Promotion of ambitious participatory measures for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions“ the IKI supports ambitious participatory climate action measures that contribute to the achievement of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets through needs-based capacity development and/or the piloting of innovative concepts in the mobility, urban development, and energy sectors or across sectors. Project should ensure a greater impact on all population groups through the targeted participation of previously underrepresented groups.  

The second thematic priority provides support for “Integrative measures for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in cities”. The funded projects serve the inclusive and integrative design and implementation of conservation measures that benefit all people and the natural environment through the development and use of biodiversity-friendly solutions. They contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity, while also enhancing the integrity and functionality of the ecosystems affected.

The prioritisation of the IKI Medium Grants is aligned with the goals set out in the "Strategy of the International Climate Initiative up to 2030" which was published by the German government in early November 2023.

The IKI strategy also identifies key factors for the successful implementation of IKI projects. One of these success factors is the involvement of civil society, which has been a central part in the design of the IKI Medium Grants since inception.