IIED 2023 People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative

The People and Conservation Learning Group is excited to announce the launch of a small grants initiative for 2023, funded by the Arcus Foundation and delivered by International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). Applicants will be able to apply for grants up to US$7,500 to support people and great ape conservation in three great ape range states: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

At the heart of this small grants initiative run by the People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) is supporting the self-determined priorities of local communities and Indigenous groups. Therefore we do not prescribe the type of activities that will be considered for funding, provided that the funded activities support issues and challenges related to both people and great apes (see criteria below).

This page provides information on the initiative and how to apply.

Applicants are encouraged to find out more about the history of PCLG, how it has evolved into a small grants initiative that supports locally-led action and who we are by visiting the project page.

• Table of Content
• About International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
• IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative
• Aim and Benefits of IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative
• Requirements for IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

IIED is one of the world’s leading independent policy and action research organisations Our mission is to build a fairer, more sustainable world, using evidence, action and influence in partnership with others   Our history In 2022 we marked our 50th birthday by looking back at some of our biggest achievements and reflected with our current and former staff and partners. We also looked forward to how we will continue to make a difference on the global stage. Ahead of the Stockholm+50 conference we published research... continue reading

IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative

Aim and Benefits of IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative

The overall grant budget is $60,000 to fund small grants in all three target countries. Applicants are encouraged to apply for small grants of between $2,000 and $7,500, however this could be up to a maximum of $10,000 if the case is well justified. We prioritise support to smaller organisations that may find it more difficult to access funds from other sources.

Requirements for IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative Qualification

To be considered for funding, the application needs to meet the following criteria.

1. Clear benefit from the project for people and great apes
2. Activities must take place in Cameroon, DRC or Uganda
3. Activities must be led by  local or Indigenous organisations, associations or groups, and
4. Reasonable and cost-effective budget

The small grants initiative does not prescribe the type of activities the funding will support, since the funding is designed to support locally led action. Local communities are best placed to define their own priorities.

The small grants initiative is keen to fund projects which foster collaboration between or within different networks of organisations, groups and individuals. Examples of projects that have been funded previously can be found on the project page.

Some examples of activities the smalls grants initiative will not support include: sensitisation/education projects; tree planting projects; law enforcement; project evaluations; water and sanitation projects or equipment needs.

Interview date, Process and Venue for IIED People and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) - Small Grants Initiative

Timing of activities: Activities proposed in the application must be completed by the end of December 2023. Light reporting on the delivery of the activities is to be completed by January 2024.

Submitting an application: The call for proposals will open on 15 May 2023. Applications are encouraged to be submitted by 15 June 2023. Applications received after this date may still be considered if the total budget for small grants has not yet been fully spent. See more detail in the ‘How do I apply’ section below.

Application review process: Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis until the total budget ($60,000) for the small grants has been spent. Applications will be screened by the PCLG team at IIED, then reviewed by the in-country PCLG coordinators and the IIED team against the criteria.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

There are two stages involved in applying for the small grants initiative.

Stage 1: Please review the detail and criteria above carefully and send in responses to the following questions (up to 750 words if submitting a written application or up to five minutes if submitting a video or recorded application).

Stage 1 application questions:

The PCLG team is able to review applications in French and English, as well as Rukiga and Rufumbira in Uganda and Baka and Bagyéli in Cameroon.

1. Your details (name, email address, telephone number, etc.)
2. Name of your organisation
3. Is your organisation legally registered in your country? If so, please let us what type of organisation you are registered as (e.g. association, enterprise, cooperative, NGO). Note that you can still apply for a small grant if your organisation is not legally registered.
4. Do you have an organisational bank account? (Please do not provide bank details at this stage)
5. Country in which the funded activities will take place 
6. Problem related to people and great ape conservation which you would like to address, and the reasons why this is a priority
7. Proposed activities – tell us why this is the best way to tackle this problem
8. Amount requested and preferred currency

You can submit your answers to these questions in several ways – please pick the method that works best for you:

• Via email at [email protected]
• By completing an online form
• Via an interview with the in-country PCLG national champion or with IIED (project team contact details are available on the project page).

If you are unable to apply via these methods, please contact us and we will support you to submit your application or arrange a call to speak to you. We also hope to add applications via WhatsApp and will update this page when that's available.

STAGE 2: If your idea is preselected for stage 2, we will be in touch to ask for more details. If your idea is unsuccessful in reaching stage 2, we will be in touch to let you know.

For more details visit: IIED website.