Up to €800,000 IKI Climate Grant

The International Climate Initiative (IKI), run by Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, funds non-profit organisations based in Germany to deliver climate and biodiversity projects with local partner organisations in the Global South. The 2026 call is the seventh round of IKI Medium Grants, with a total budget of up to eight million euros. This is an ideas competition: you submit a short project outline first, and only selected outlines are invited to send a full proposal.

What you get:

• A grant of EUR 300,000 to EUR 800,000 per project
• Funding for a project lasting two to three years (36 months at most)
• Eligible costs include staff, materials, travel, events, fees and capital expenditure
• A free online seminar in English on 19 November 2026, 10:00 to 11:30 CET, on what makes a good outline

What you'll do:

• Design a climate or biodiversity project under one of two themes: green skills for local climate action, or digital and practical solutions for marine and coastal ecosystems
• Deliver it with one or two partner organisations based in one or two ODA-eligible countries of the same region
• Submit a project outline (outline form plus a concept note of up to 5 pages) in English through the IKI online platform
• If selected, submit a full project proposal through Easy-Online in the second stage; projects start no earlier than the first quarter of 2028

Key dates:

• Call opened 13 October 2026
• Online seminar 19 November 2026, 10:00 to 11:30 CET
• Project outlines close 12 January 2027 at 11:59 CET
• Selection usually takes up to six months
• Projects start no earlier than the first quarter of 2028

More information:

• Funding announcement, selection criteria, templates and administrative guidelines are linked on the call page
• FAQ for IKI Medium Grants 2026 on the IKI website
• Questions go to the IKI Office at ZUG gGmbH, Berlin, via its contact form

• Applicant must be a civil society organisation, university, research institution or non-profit enterprise with no intention to make a profit
• Applicant must be based in Germany or another EU member state when submitting the outline, and must have a permanent, independently operating branch in Germany before the first payment
• Organisations based only outside the EU are not eligible; organisations from implementing countries can take part only as partners
• At least three years of proven experience in international cooperation
• Government bodies, commercial companies, one-person companies, multilateral and UN organisations are not eligible
• One or two partner organisations required: registered in the implementing country, legally and financially independent, not-for-profit, with at least two years of relevant expertise
• Implementing countries must be ODA-eligible; two countries must be in the same geographical region
• Average annual funding requested may not exceed 50 percent of the applicant's average annual turnover over the last two years
• The applicant must contribute its own funds in proportion to its financial strength (universities are exempt)
• Projects must be at least gender-responsive and must not have started before applying
• Outlines in English only, submitted only through the IKI online platform