GEF SGP CSO Challenge Program: Grants of Up to $300,000 for Civil Society Organizations Leading Environmental Solutions

Overview

The GEF SGP CSO Challenge Program is an initiative supporting high-impact environmental action led by civil society organizations. The program focuses on rewarding and assisting established CSOs that have already demonstrated technical and organizational capacity, proven records of achievement, and impactful environmental solutions ready for wider application.

Supported projects can run for up to 24 months and tackle strategic priority areas such as threatened ecosystems, sustainable agriculture, low-carbon energy access, waste management, and sustainable urban solutions. The initiative prioritizes replication, adaptation, and scaling of proven models while engaging women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.

Benefits

• Grants of up to US$300,000 for projects lasting up to 24 months.
• Resources to replicate, adapt, or scale successful environmental initiatives into new locations or contexts.
• Opportunities for organizational strengthening, peer-to-peer learning, and expanded partnerships with governments, donors, and the private sector.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be legally established civil society organizations with legal status and a bank account held in the organization's name.
• Organizations and proposed initiatives must be based in GEF SGP eligible recipient countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, or Asia-Pacific and Oceania.
• Applicants must possess relevant technical expertise, a record of previous results, and a clear scaling strategy.

How to Apply

Interested civil society organizations should verify their organizational and country eligibility, document their previous results, and develop a scaling strategy before submitting their proposal through the official portal.

Deadline

Applications are due by September 15, 2026.