Workshop on Capacity Building of NGO Partners GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) Maldives

The Small Grants Programme (SGP) is a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1992. SGP grant making in over 125 countries promotes community-based innovation, capacity development, and empowerment through sustainable development projects of local civil society organizations with special consideration for indigenous peoples, women, and youth. SGP has supported over 24,000 community-based projects in biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, prevention of land degradation, protection of international waters and reduction of the impact of chemicals, while generating sustainable livelihoods.

Since implementation of GEF SGP in the Maldives in 2010, a total of US$2,600,000 (MVR39,000,000) has been granted to 98 projects across the country.

The objective of the 7th Operational Phase of the Small Grants Programme is “to promote and support community-based innovative, inclusive and impactful initiatives and foster multi-stakeholder partnerships at the local level to tackle global environmental issues in priority landscapes and seascapes”.

In order to achieve the objectives, SGP is to focus on the following 5 thematic areas:

1.community-based conservation of threatened ecosystems and species 2. sustainable agriculture and fisheries leading to Food Security, 3. low carbon energy access co-benefits, 4. local to global coalitions for chemicals and waste management, 5. catalysing sustainable urban solutions

Maldives began its 7th Operational Phase with opening a call on 22 October 2020 to submit concepts, inviting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) with priority for national and local Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-based Organizations (CBOs) and scientific communities, advocating for the rights of persons with disability, women, and youth to submit concept papers.

By the deadline (22 November 2020) a total of 72 concept were received and 26 concepts were shortlisted for next stage of grant awarding.

Selection of grantees follow a two-stage process: proponents whose concept notes are shortlisted will be first invited to submit full proposals. The full proposals will then be evaluated to select successful grantees.

A successful grantee will obtain a maximum grant amount of $30,000. However, in exceptional cases $50,000 may be considered. The maximum duration of a project is 24 months.

To help in the second stage, a proposal writing, and project management workshop is to be held from 27 December 2020 to 2 January 2021. Fifty-two participants from twenty-six NGOs/CBOs are expected to complete the online workshop. The aim of the workshop is to enhance capacity of the NGOs/CBOs, in wring a full proposal with the required standards and help the proponents with proper project management skills, effective management of grant funds, sustainable management of knowledge gathered from the project and to effectively communicate the results of the project. The workshop will be conducted with the help of experts from various sectors.

A total grant amount of $450,000 (MVR6,750,000) is to be disbursed to local communities through the successful grantees. These funds come from GEF core funds and from the German Federal Ministry of the Environment and Nuclear Safety (BMU) to the Global Indigenous Community Conserved Areas (ICCA) Support Initiative (GSI). ICCA Initiative is implemented by UNDP and delivered through the GEF Small Grants Programme.