Germany: International Climate Initiative (IKI) Medium Grants 2020

Deadline: 12 May 2020

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) launched the International Climate Initiative (IKI) in 2008 following a resolution passed by the German Bundestag in 2008 and, since then, has funded a large number of projects in the field of climate change and biodiversity as well as cross-cutting at the intersection of both areas.

The IKI primarily funds large-scale programmes via thematic and country-specific selection procedures in order to accelerate the transformation towards a sustainable and low-carbon economy and its connected supply structures. However, the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity also requires the effective involvement of all social groups and thus strengthening the capacities of small stakeholders in developing and emerging countries.

The IKI Medium Grants programme supports the following funding approaches that can be funded individually or in combination:

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Implementing model projects on site:
In order to raise the level of ambition in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting against impacts of climate change and in preserving and protecting biodiversity, concrete model projects with a demonstrative characteristic can be funded under this funding approach. These innovative model projects shall be suitable for demonstrating the effectiveness of transformative technologies and concepts and also for exchanging the resulting knowledge between the global North and South as well as on the South-South level.
Transformative innovations can, for instance, be instruments and measures that initiate change on the basis of analyses and technology cooperation and thus enable long-term and sustainable carbon-neutral and biodiversity-friendly development paths.
Pooling and disseminating knowledge and raising awareness:
Under this funding approach, exchange of expertise on policy analysis, dialogue processes and formal and informal education aimed at pooling and disseminating knowledge and raising awareness can be supported. In this way, civil society actors shall become active multipliers for ambitious climate and biodiversity protection measures at local, sub-national, national or regional level. In addition to this, the aim is to empower them to become advocates for sustainable social norms and narratives and thus initiate transformative changes in climatedamaging and biodiversity-threatening patterns of behaviour and lifestyles.
Building and developing capacities:
Funding will also be provided for measures designed to build up the expertise of key civil society actors in terms of expert knowledge, methodologies and management skills. Measures of organizational and strategic development will also be supported. The aim is for civil society actors in the target countries to be empowered to initiate dialogue, participation, consultation and stakeholder processes and to boost dynamism across all governance levels by establishing and expanding their networks.
Funding Priorities

In this first call for proposals, the focus is on climate change mitigation and biodiversity. Projects are sought which pursue the described funding approaches in one or several of the following thematic priority areas and initiate societal transformation for climate protection and the protection of biodiversity:

Funding focus on mitigation:
Focus on energy: Projects that help energy production, supply and consumption (the latter also in production facilities) to move towards significant reductions or avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions and create awareness in society about the advantages of having sustainable energy systems established;
Focus on mobility: Projects that implement concepts on climate-friendly mobility and encourage climate-friendly mobility behaviour;
Focus on cities: Projects to mitigate climate change in city conurbations, which are ideally working at the intersection to adaptation and/or biodiversity measures.
Funding focus on biodiversity:
Projects that contribute to the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of protected areas and ecosystems;
Projects that strengthen civil society to make an effective contribution to achieving the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
Projects that help to create consciousness about the unique values of nature and endangering of nature arising from climate change.
Funding Information

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A grant of between EUR 300,000 and a maximum of EUR 800,000 can be awarded per project. Projects should be completed within a period of 24 up to a maximum of 36 months. As a principle, no followup financing from IKI resources, including IKI Medium Grants, can be provided.
Particular attention is paid during selection procedure to the cost-efficient and thrifty use of funds (in the case of implementing organisations with IKI experience, also in completed projects) and the provision of an appropriate own contribution.
Eligibility Criteria

Funding is provided to civil society organisations (foundations, associations, societies, trade unions), institutes of state and non-state technical universities, non-university research institutions and think tanks, as well as non-profit enterprises with headquarters and business operations in Germany.
As a rule, implementing organisations, which submit applications, must have been continuously involved in international cooperation in climate and biodiversity protection for at least three years. They must also have a proven capacity to jointly develop and implement projects with the full involvement of implementing partners in the target countries.
How to Apply

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For the first stage of the procedure, project outlines in German are submitted on the basis of the IKI outline form exclusively via the online platform.

For more information, visit https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/project-funding/information-for-applicants/iki-small-and-medium-grants/iki-medium-grants