Call for Proposals

GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP)

Implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

July 2024

Guidelines for GEF SGP applicants

NOTE: This Call for Proposals forms the basis for applying for GEF SGP grants. It must
neither be construed as a grant agreement nor be regarded as a confirmation of a grant
awarded by the GEF Small Grants Programme to any entity. This Call for Proposals is not
for sale and neither does the GEF Small Grants Programme charge a fee for any stage of the
proposal development and submission process.

Proposals are to be sent by e-mail to [email protected] by CoB July 26 2024

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Introduction
The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) implemented by UNDP,
awards grants on a competitive basis for initiatives implemented by civil society organizations, to enable
them to implement environmental projects while at the same time supporting poverty reduction and local
empowerment objectives.
Global environmental degradation proceeds unimpeded in the World Heritage Site of the Kenya Lakes
System in the Great Rift Valley, the marine ecosystem of Southern Kenya in Kwale County, and the arid
rangelands of northern Kenya, due to human activity, climate change, and land degradation. Weaknesses
in the organizational capacities of communities and community organizations, which seek to address
these challenges, prevent them from collectively taking action to strengthen and maintain the resilience of
these socio-ecological landscapes. Local resource-dependent rural and coastal poor communities are at
the receiving end of the negative and devastating effects of habitat destruction, climate change, and
biodiversity loss.

To address this challenge, the Seventh Operational Phase of the GEF Small Grants Program in Kenya
aims to empower communities and organizations to take collective action through a participatory
landscape planning and management approach aimed at enhancing socio-ecological resilience by
producing global environmental and local sustainable development benefits. The project will do so by
strengthening adaptive management capabilities, increasing technical know-how, developing planning
and organizational skills, and strengthening innovation and experimentation capacities to enhance civil
society’s capacity to build landscape resilience. The project will also invest in strategic projects to build
knowledge and capacity and generate synergies among other smaller local actions, to build long-term
ecological social and economic resilience in landscapes. This project aims to promote synergies,
coordination, and collaboration among local actions to accrue results and acquire a critical mass of
practitioners to achieve landscape-level resilience. The project has a strong commitment to attending the
specific needs of vulnerable sub-groups within the communities that often tend to be placed on the margin
of social processes - women, youth, and indigenous communities - by supporting their productive and
sustainable initiatives and enhancing their participation in multi-stakeholder structures.

Project Objective
The objective of the project is to enhance and maintain the socio-ecological resilience of selected
landscapes and seascapes through community-based initiatives in selected ecologically sensitive areas of
Kenya for global environmental benefits and sustainable development.
The GEF-funded alternative will be delivered through two Components:

▪ Component 1- Resilient rural landscapes for sustainable development and contribution to global
environmental protection
▪ Component 2- Landscape governance and adaptive management for upscaling and replication

SGP seeks proposals aligned to the 3 outcomes of Component 1, and one outcome of Component 2. A
description of the outcomes appears below. Examples of typology of projects that will be considered for
funding under each output is highlighted in Annex 1.

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Under Component 1, the following outcomes are anticipated:
▪ 1.1 Ecosystem services and biodiversity within targeted landscapes and seascapes are enhanced
through multi-functional land-use systems.
o the project recognizes that one of the effective means of engaging various levels of
community and government is through improved and integrated land use, while ensuring
connectivity. This involves strategies of rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, fostering a
shared understanding on the importance of ecosystem services and how best to manage
them, and contributing to improved and sustainable land use.

▪ 1.2: The sustainability of production systems in the target landscapes is strengthened through
integrated agro-ecological practices.
o the project acknowledges that agriculture offers an entry by which sustainability
measures can be promoted while supporting livelihoods. It is also a sector where there is
room for innovation and sharing of best practices. Given that the project is primarily
targeting rural communities, agriculture is the most relevant sector to address, as it is
directly connected to livelihoods, sustenance, connection to the land and to traditions,
supports the sense of community, and is most closely associated to the use of natural
resources.

▪ 1.3 Livelihoods of communities in the target landscapes and seascapes are improved by
developing eco-friendly, climate-adaptive, small-scale community enterprises with clear market
linkages
o The project seeks to strengthen communities’ livelihoods by promoting and upscaling
sustainable enterprises. With its rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes, the
communities under this project have a plethora of activities at the local scale that could
yield greater socioeconomic and environmental benefits. These enterprises need
accompaniment, organizational development, and support in business planning to make
initiatives profitable. They also require the opportunity to pilot various activities to see
which can be managed by the communities, and which can be viable.

One of the outcomes expected in component 2 is as follows:

● Output- 2.2.1 Landscape/seascape learning supports community-level project management,

capacity building, project monitoring, and learning,
o the project seeks to support local organizations in strengthening their organizational
capacities, administrative practices, gender-responsive approaches and sensitivity to
socioeconomic, ethnic, inequalities, ability to leverage funds, and upscale their
sustainable practices. This is a core issue to ensure sustainability and to provide an
incentive for participation on the parts of smaller organizations, which may have to
sacrifice time/resources to participate in SGP multi-stakeholder meetings.

Gender mainstreaming

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 ▪ The Constitution of Kenya 2010 recognizes women as a special group deserving protection. The
Constitution espouses the rights of women as being equal in law to those of men and affirms that
women are entitled to enjoy equal opportunities in the political, social, and economic spheres.
Despite the rights-based progressive Constitution that provides a framework for advancing the
cause of equality, according to UN Women, African women still face challenges including the
ability to participate effectively in decision-making and leadership.
▪ SGP requires that throughout the various stages of the project including conceptualization,
planning, implementation, monitoring, and lesson-sharing, gender matters are fully incorporated,
to ensure equal opportunities to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from project resources,
activities, and results.
▪ Some of the indicators that SGP will address during the life of the project related to gender
mainstreaming include:
o Percentage of women with improved participation and decision-making in natural
resource governance
o Number of participants and beneficiaries disaggregated by gender
o Number of women groups supported to implement activities aligned to the expected
outcomes

Development of project proposals

Proposals will be developed and submitted to the SGP office by local civil society organizations based in
the landscape/seascape of the following ecosystems:
1) Lake Bogoria National Reserve, and Lake Baringo National Reserve production landscapes
2) The Samburu-Isiolo Conservation Area (SICA) production landscape
3) The Shimoni-Vanga and Bodo-Mwandamu production seascapes
Each of the proposals developed should be well-aligned with the outputs and outcomes of the project, and
should make clear linkages with one of the focal areas listed below:
1) Biodiversity Conservation
2) Sustainable land management
3) Capacity development
A proposal will likely include activities that address all 3 focal areas. However, the proposal must be
written in such a way that a dominant focal area is clear.
Examples of projects that can be developed are in Annex 1. However, this is not an exhaustive list, and
other innovative project proposals can be developed, as long as they are aligned with the expected
outcomes and outputs.
Factors to be included in the proposals:
1) Proposals intending to engage in restoration activities or improved practices at landscape or
seascape level, must include hectarage of the intended target
2) Projects should make an effort to support improved participation and decision-making of women
in natural resource governance, and identify indicators on tracking this element

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 3) Projects by women groups, youth groups and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to
apply.
4) Proposals of community eco-enterprises should strive for improved market access, or partnership
with the private sector, and/or adopt the value chain approach.
5) Organizations that developed proposals in the previous phase of GEF 6 and were funded, and
completed are welcome to apply. However, new proposals must show sustainability, innovation,
and scale-up.
6) Organizations that submitted applications in GEF phase 6 but were not successful are welcome to
try again, but with an enriched proposal.

Strategic Partners
The GEF SGP identified 4 strategic partners on a competitive basis; one for each county, to spearhead
and coordinate SGP-related activities at the selected production landscapes and seascapes. Some of the
key tasks of the strategic partners include:
(i) Conduct a baseline assessment and develop a site strategy for their respective
landscape/seascape.
(ii) Disseminate the Call for Proposals and assist CBOs develop quality proposals
(iii) Provide mentorship and technical support (as needed) to CBOs that are awarded grants
(iv) Establish/strengthen multi-stakeholder platforms and support their operationalization
(v) Support community-based monitoring and develop knowledge management materials based
on the ongoing learning by doing.
(vi) Ensure that the portfolio of SGP-funded projects at each landscape/seascape is vibrant; builds
partnerships with key stakeholders, and contributes to the objectives of the respective CIDPs.
Organizations interested in GEF SGP funds are encouraged to liaise with the strategic partners before
proposal submission and during implementation. The strategic partners are as follows:
1) Shimoni-Vanga seascape:
CANCO
Email: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]
Tel: 0791328750 / 0728607519
2) Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo National Reserves
Farming Systems Kenya (FSK)
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Tel: 0724522936 / 0724226424
3) Samburu Isiolo Conservation Area (SICA)
Isiolo County
Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID – P)
Email: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]
Phone: 0712417098 / 0705310316
Samburu County -integrated
PACIDA
Email: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]
Phone: 0724553015 / 0729465090

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Grant awards
GEF SGP awards grants only to civil society organizations on a competitive basis. These include national
NGOs, Community-Based Organizations, (CBOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), a development arm of (i)
financial institutions, and (ii) faith-based organizations. Partnerships with the private sector, national and
county governments, and institutions of higher learning are highly encouraged. The maximum grant
award for CBOs and SHGs is USD 30,000. The maximum grant for other CSOs is USD 50,000. The
period of implementation will be approx. 18 months
Co-financing
It is a requirement by GEF that applicants demonstrate co-financing. For SGP-funded projects, the
requirement is 1:1. i.e. for every dollar requested from GEF SGP, the applicant should be able to raise an
additional dollar. The applicant should show in the proposal the amount of co-financing it will raise (both
in cash and in-kind) during the implementation of the project and indicate the source of the co-financing.
Proposal development
The template for proposal development is found at the following link SGP OP7 project proposal
template FINAL

Additional information about SGP is found at the following website: www.sgp.undp.org

Eligibility Criteria

● A non-profit, civil society organization, locally registered in Kenya with at least 18 months of
experience in environmental conservation, natural resource management and/or sustainable
development. A civil society organization that is not registered, may apply through their trusted
partner.
● Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project, i.e., not acting as an
intermediary.
● Have a bank account.

● Women and youth-led organizations, especially Indigenous, are strongly encouraged to apply.

● Indicate linkages with county integrated development plans.

Duration

The projects will be implemented over a period of 18 months.

Submission of proposals
All proposals must be developed using the GEF SGP proposal guidelines template and should reach the
following email address [email protected] no later than CoB July 26 2024. Only 1 application
per organization will be accepted. Files larger than 5MB will not go through. For enquiries and
clarifications, send an email to [email protected].

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APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applicants are to submit a full project proposal, using the GEF SGP proposal template. The
template is available below.

Documents to be submitted for application.

The following documents must be submitted as part of the application:

● Project proposal application form (template provided);

● Project budget (template provided);

● Registration certificate as evidence for legal credentials of the organization.

● Letter of support from a Government office or a development partner.

Further documentation may be required. These may be communicated to provisionally selected

applicants.

Documents may be checked for truthfulness and accuracy of representation through various
means, including but not limited to internet searches, formally official confirmation from
responsible offices, letters of recommendation, etc.

Where and how to send the application

The completed application form and the budget document must be submitted in Word, Excel or
PDF.

Applications must be submitted by email to [email protected]. The subject heading should

make reference to one of the focal areas. The focal areas are:

● Biodiversity Conservation

● Sustainable land management

● Capacity Development

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The subject should read: SGP CfP application; [ focal area]. If you have any questions regarding this
application process, kindly send your query to [email protected].

Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax) or delivered to other addresses will not be considered
under this Call for Proposals.

Incomplete applications will be rejected.

Deadline for submission of applications

The deadline for the submission of full project proposals is CoB 26 July 2024 as evidenced by the
date of receipt of submission email. Any application submitted after the deadline will be
automatically rejected.

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Applications will be evaluated by the technical evaluation team according to the following steps
and criteria:

Step one: Eligibility evaluation

The following will be evaluated:

● The submission deadline has been respected:

● The application form including the budget table is duly filled;

● Requested documents are attached to the application;

● The proposal meets the rest of the eligibility criteria as mentioned in section 2 above.

Step two: Technical assessment of full project proposals

The technical assessment will be done by the National Steering Committee (NSC).

The NSC reviews the proposal and either accepts it conditionally or rejects it. Proposals that are
conditionally accepted are requested to enrich them as per the recommendations of the NSC. In addition,
proposals are subjected to a due diligence process, which may include a field visit.
Some of the criteria for evaluation of the proposals are:

❖ Relevance of Core activities

❖ Demonstrated capacity to implement activities/track record

❖ Comprehensive and realistic work plan

❖ Detailed and realistic budget

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❖ Co-financing provided and a breakdown presented.

❖ The project centers community engagement and participation and demonstrated tangible
benefits for the community
Upon conclusion of the due diligence and receipt of the revised proposal, the NSC makes a final decision
on the organizations to be awarded a grant. Approved proposals enter the national SGP work programme.
APPROVAL AND AWARD

Only successful applicants will be informed in writing of the grant award.

The successful applicant signs a Grant Agreement based on the standard SGP MOA.

Annex 1

Component 1: Resilient rural landscapes for sustainable development and contribution to global
environmental protection

Outcome Output Examples of Activities

1.1 Ecosystem 1.1.1: Community level small

services and grant projects in the selected ❖ Conservation and restoration of
biodiversity within landscapes that restore mangrove ecosystems
targeted landscapes degraded land, improve
and seascapes are connectivity, support ❖ Restoration and rehabilitation of native
enhanced through innovation in biodiversity vegetation, including riparian forests in
multi-functional land- conservation and optimization middle and upper catchments
use systems. of ecosystem services /woodlands, coastal areas
(including reforestation of
riparian gallery forests, ❖ Expanding coral reef restoration
enhanced connectivity for
programme
wetlands, rangelands and
priority conservation areas; ❖ Replicating successful Sea Grass
water catchment protection;
participatory monitoring of Ecosystem Restoration programs in
species;). areas where it has not been piloted

❖ Capacity building/training initiatives for

engaging local communities, especially
women and youth in landscape
resilience activities.

❖ Disseminating best practices on

sustainable use of biodiversity, such as

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 habitat restoration, use of non-timber
forest products [ NTFP].

❖ Restoration of traditional/cultural
natural resources management systems
and practices

❖ Establishing community conservancy

land use management plans

❖ Support county government to develop /

implement county spatial plans,
participatory forest management plans
(PFMPs) and other development plans
related to sustainable management of
natural resources.

❖ management of fish spawning areas

❖ resource based conflict/ Human wildlife

conflict
1.2: The sustainability 1.2.1- Targeted community
of production systems projects enhance the ❖ Identification and dissemination of
in the target sustainability and resilience of sustainable rangeland management
landscapes is production systems, including practices such as: sustainable land
strengthened through soil and water conservation use/ranch management plans, and
integrated agro- practices, silvopastoral and holistic range management;
ecological practices. agroforestry systems; agro- strengthening traditional mechanisms
ecological practices and for grazing control;
holistic grazing
❖ Improve water management including
water catchment support, small scale
irrigation schemes, improved water
treatment technology.

❖ Promote use and document indigenous

knowledge and traditional crops,
especially neglected native crops

❖ Promote rural farmers to adopt to

climate-smart agricultural /agro-
ecological practices

❖ Promote an integrated approach

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 between farming and potential impacts
on marine environment

❖ Support county government to develop /

implement county spatial plans and
other development plans related to
sustainable management of natural
resources.

❖ Management of water sources – cross

border sharing of resources

Outcome 1.3- Output 1.3.1- Targeted

▪ Mari-culture
Livelihoods of community projects promoting
communities in the sustainable livelihoods, green
target landscapes and businesses and market access, ▪ Tree nurseries and demo gardens of
seascapes are including ecotourism; fruit trees, indigenous trees and
improved by ecological conversion of medicinal trees.
developing eco- waste; beekeeping; green
friendly, climate- value-added agro-businesses ▪ Forging/strengthening associations
adaptive, small-scale integrated into value chains,
and cooperatives
community enterprises micro-processing
with clear market
▪ Supporting groups/cooperatives in
linkages
accessing revolving credit

▪ Providing capacity-building for

entrepreneurs, supporting
sustainable packaging/marketing,
quality control

▪ Investing along the value chain to

increase value addition of products
e.g. gum arabica and Resin fish,
honey, fruits, leather, pasture,
seaweed,

▪ Supporting smaller enterprises to

obtain eco-tourism status e.g. eco
lodges, safari walks and adventures,
bird watching, camping tents, curio
shops, guidebooks

▪ Support not-for-profit training

centers for guides and scouts

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 ▪ Promote sustainable livestock
husbandry techniques (predator
proof Bomas, improved breed,
marketing strategies)

▪ Recycling and waste management

Component 2- Landscape governance and adaptive management for upscaling and replication

Outcome 2.2- Output- 2.2.1

Knowledge from Landscape/seascape learning ▪ Showcase best practices,
community level supports community level systematizing lessons learned, so
engagement and project management, capacity that they can be shared in a usable
innovative building, project monitoring manner
conservation practices and learning,
is systematically ▪ Strengthen the capacity of civil
assessed and shared society organizations to effectively
for replication and respond to NR issues at landscape
upscaling across the level
landscapes, across the
county, and to the ▪ Conduct capacity building sessions
global SGP network,
that will include the following
topics: organizational development,
governance and inclusive,
democratic decision-making;
financial management and
accountability, participatory
monitoring, gender mainstreaming;
administrative procedures, proposal
development, resource
mobilization, and use of social
media for development.

One capacity building grant per site

will be selected1; 3 in total. One for
Lk. Bogoria/Lk. Baringo landscape;
1 for the Samburu-Isiolo

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The number of SGP-funded organizations per landscape/seascape will vary, but estimated to be about 10-15. The
capacity B grant will be expected to build the capacity of not only CSO executives, but also wider membership. In
addition, the project will be expected to work closely with the strategic partner to host at least 1 learning platform
that brings together the CSO grantees, members of the National Steering Committee (NSC) of SGP and members of
the multi-stakeholder platform.

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 Conservation Area (SICA)
landscape and 1 for Shimoni-
vanga/Bodo-Mwadamu seascapes.

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