The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Armenia has been instrumental in supporting community-based initiatives that address land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change through inclusive, locally driven solutions.
As the global community convenes for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19-30 Oct 2026, there is a strategic opportunity to elevate Armenia’s grassroots experiences and demonstrate how small grants generate transformative environmental and social impact, particularly through the engagement of NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, and youth.
- Objective of the Call
The objective of the call is to enhance the visibility and impact of SGP Armenia by mobilizing NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, youth, and women-led organizations to actively showcase community-driven solutions and lessons learned at CBD COP17. The selected organization is expected to be proficient in professional storytelling, policy dialogue, and global engagement with relevant international networks including, but not limited to, the Global ICCA Consortium; the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB); the CBD Women’s Caucus; and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN).
The successful proponent will transform local success stories into high-impact global narratives, fostering policy dialogue and building strategic partnerships between Armenian CSOs and the international civil society networks and coalitions.
- Strategic Pillars
Proposals should offer creative methodologies to address the following pillars:
- Pre-COP-17 workshop: Organize and host an international knowledge sharing workshop with relevant CSO networks in the week immediately preceding the COP17 in Armenia (14-18 Oct 2026).
- Immersive Storytelling: Translating complex local, national, regional and global conservation examples into compelling multimedia content and narratives for a global audience.
- Policy Advocacy: Creating platforms for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and youth leaders to influence CBD negotiations and international environmental discourse, in particular for the COP17 ‘Nature Culture Summit’
- Strategic Matchmaking: Designing opportunities for local Armenian NGOs to connect with international donors, UN agencies, and global partners for future scaling.
- CBD COP17 field trips: Organize and implement at least three field trips to SGP partner organizations (dates, tbc) in consultation with SGP Armenia, the UNDP Country Office, the Government of Armenia (host to COP17).
- Knowledge Exchange: Curating interactive spaces (physical or digital) that showcase tangible, community-level impacts, including inputs and support to the Green Zone knowledge and products fair during the CBD COP17.
- Strategic Grant Information
- Strategic Grant Amount: Up to 150,000 USD.
- Project Duration: The project activities, including preparations for the CBD COP17, events in Yerevan (Green Zone, field trips) during the COP17, as well as the post-COP17 legacy phase, must be completed by 31 December 2026.
- Who Can Apply
- Registered local NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) in Armenia.
- Special consideration is given to Indigenous, youth and women’s organizations.
- Special Emphasis
Preference will be given to projects that:
- Actively engage Indigenous Peoples and local communities, youth and women as both leaders and primary beneficiaries.
- Showcase tangible, data-backed community-level impact.
- Demonstrate innovation and high potential for replicability in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF).
- Application Requirements
Interested organizations must submit:
- Completed Proposal Form and Detailed Project Budget.
- Organizational Profile and legal registration documents.
- Communication Concept Note: A brief strategy on how local results will be transformed into compelling content for the CBD COP17 audience.
- Logistical Concept Note: Short summary of the proposed approach to support the pre-COP17 international workshop (including travel budget), Green Zone knowledge fair, and COP17 field trips.
- Timeline
- Application Deadline: 29 May 2026
- Duration: Project completion by 31 December 2026.
For additional information please contact:
Svetlana Harutyunyan
National Coordinator
GEF Small Grants Programme
P. Adamyan 14, Yerevan 0010
Tel.: (+374 60) 530000 (ex. 117), (+374 91) 540765
e-mail: [email protected]
URLs: http://www.sgp.am
May 21, 2026 at 11:19