The Small Grants Programme (SGP) is a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that finances community-led initiatives to address global environmental and sustainable development issues. Launched in 1992, it is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the GEF Partnership. It is specifically designed to generate local action by empowering civil society organizations (CSOs) and poor and vulnerable communities, including indigenous peoples and women.
The SGP supports community projects that have global environmental benefits while improving livelihoods and reducing poverty, as well as promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. The SGP has a decentralized national-level delivery mechanism, responsible for the implementation of more than 22,000 projects in 125 countries, with a total of US$600 million in grants since its launch. Among the countries participating in the SGP, 69 are Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with several in postconflict or crisis status.
