FFEM grants

About this grant

The French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) finances projects that protect the global environment in developing countries. Its financing focuses on six areas linked to international conventions and agreements: biodiversity, climate, international waters, land degradation including deforestation, chemical pollutants, and the stratospheric ozone layer. Its priority themes on the site include biodiversity, cities and territories, aquatic ecosystems, forests and farmland, and pollution and hazardous waste. The FFEM operates only as a co-financier. Its grant is minority funding that complements other co-financing from project leaders, direct beneficiaries and other financial partners, and the co-financing must directly support the project's specific objectives and be essential to its implementation. Projects must meet nine eligibility criteria, including contribution to global environmental preservation, local sustainable development, innovation, demonstrative and reproducible character, economic and financial sustainability, ecological sustainability, social and cultural acceptability, adequate institutional framework, and a monitoring-evaluation device. Particular attention is paid to theory of change, partnerships, inclusion of inequalities, women, young people and vulnerable populations, knowledge sharing, and financing sustainability. Applied research linked to development activities may be funded, while fundamental research is excluded. Projects that include a carbon finance component are assessed against a specific framework emphasising multi-benefit territorial or value-chain approaches, robust certification, transparent governance, fair benefit distribution, and compensation as a last resort. Submission begins with a Project Opportunity Note (NOP) that must be backed by one of the six institutions on the FFEM steering committee. Approved projects then proceed through identification, ex-ante evaluation, commitment of funds via a funding agreement with AFD (the FFEM manager), implementation, completion reporting, post-evaluation, capitalisation and communication.

Eligibility

Any legal entity may submit a project provided it fits the FFEM mandate and guidelines and meets the eligibility, funding and geographic criteria. Projects must be submitted with the formal support of one of the six institutions that are members of the FFEM steering committee. The FFEM operates in any developing country eligible for official development assistance, with priority given to the African continent, which should receive about two thirds of resources. Co-financing rate caps depend on the applicant type: a maximum of 50% for NGOs, local public actors, research institutions and social and solidarity economy enterprises (excluding mission-driven companies), and a maximum of 30% for for-profit companies and international organisations. Activities co-financed by the FFEM may not exceed five years unless duly justified and formalised. Fundamental research is not eligible.

How it's scored

Projects are judged against nine eligibility criteria: contribution to global environment preservation, contribution to local sustainable development in one or more developing countries, innovative character, demonstrative and reproducible character, economic and financial sustainability after the project, overall ecological and environmental sustainability, social and cultural acceptability through local appropriation, adequate institutional framework, and a monitoring-evaluation device. Particular attention is paid to theory of change, partnership dimension, inclusion of inequalities and vulnerable groups, knowledge sharing, and sustainability of financing and co-financing. Review involves the Secretariat and the Scientific and Technical Committee, which both issue opinions, and the Steering Committee, which approves identification and decides on funding. The evaluation includes analysis of actual mobilisation of expected co-financing.

Key requirements

• ✓Submit a Project Opportunity Note (NOP) backed by one of the six FFEM steering committee institutions
• ✓FFEM funding must be minority co-financing that is essential to the project's specific objectives
• ✓Projects must meet nine eligibility criteria including global environmental benefit, local sustainable development, innovation, economic and social sustainability, and a monitoring-evaluation device

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) offer?

FFEM grants offers $550K – $2.2M.

Who can apply for FFEM grants?

Eligibility covers organisations in GLOBAL-SOUTH; nonprofit, university, research-institution, local-authority, social-enterprise, consortium. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Biodiversity funding backs habitat restoration, species protection, protected areas and nature-positive business. It comes from environment agencies, multilateral nature funds and conservation philanthropy, often through competitive calls with defined regions. Applicants are usually asked for baseline surveys, local partners and indicators that show ecological change.