About

The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) invites proposals from civil society organizations to strengthen community participation in the conservation, management, and restoration of threatened ecosystems and species in central and southwestern Sri Lanka. Implemented in partnership with the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and IUCN, the programme seeks to empower local actors to address urgent biodiversity conservation challenges while generating tangible livelihood benefits for vulnerable populations. Priority will be given to initiatives focused on the restoration of degraded forests, improved biodiversity management in landscapes outside protected areas, support for Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and the conservation of globally threatened species endemic to Sri Lanka. Projects are expected to benefit local communities, particularly women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups, within central and southwestern Sri Lanka. Applicants may request grants of up to US$60,000 per project, with final award amounts determined according to project scope, technical quality, and available funding.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include local civil society organizations operating in Sri Lanka, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, women’s groups, and youth-led groups. Proposed projects must demonstrate strong community engagement in the management, restoration, or conservation of threatened ecosystems and species, particularly in areas adjacent to protected landscapes or within ecological corridors. Applications will be assessed based on their technical merit, relevance to programme priorities, expected biodiversity conservation outcomes, community participation, potential livelihood benefits for vulnerable groups, feasibility of implementation, and overall contribution to the protection of threatened ecosystems and species in central and southwestern Sri Lanka.

Post Date: September 10, 2026