United Nations
Development Programme

Plot 15B Clement Hill Road

P.O Box 7184

Kampala, Uganda

Tel: (256) 414-233440/1/2/5

Fax: (256) 414-344801

Email: registry.ug@undp.org

Background

The SGP is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as a corporate programme. It is implemented by UNDP on behalf of the three GEF implementing agencies (World Bank, UNEP, and UNDP) and executed by the UNOPS.
Launched in 1992, SGP supports activities of non-governmental and community-based organizations in developing countries towards climate change abatement, conservation of biodiversity, protection of international waters, reduction of the impact of persistent organic pollutants and prevention of land degradation while generating sustainable livelihoods.

In partnership with these local organisations, SGP has demonstrated that even with small amounts of funding (SGP funds are less than 50,000 USD),local communities can undertake activities that will make a significant difference in their lives, local empowerment and contribute to global environment benefits.
SGP grant-making is directed principally towards poor and marginalized communities, through their own community-based organisations (CBOs) or assisted by local or national non-governmental organisations (NGOs). SGP has operated in a decentralized, democratic, transparent and country-driven manner, through National Coordinators and National Steering Committees. A Central Programme Management Team is based at UNDP GEF in New York.

SGP grant-making, guided by country programme strategy developed on the basis of a global strategic framework in tandem with Uganda’s priorities, has funded over 80 initiatives by March 2006 in Uganda since 1997.
SGP Uganda supports interventions that contribute to global environment benefits, sustainable livelihoods, poverty reduction and local empowerment within a geographic and thematic focus.

Objectives

• Develop community-level strategies and implement technologies that could reduce threats to the global environment if they are replicated over time;
• Gather lessons from community-level experience and initiate the sharing of successful community-level strategies and innovations among CBOs and NGOs, host governments, development aid agencies, GEF, and others working on a regional and global scale;
• Build partnerships and networks of stakeholders to support and strengthen community, NGO and national capacities to address global environmental problems and promote sustainable development;
• Ensure that conservation and sustainable development strategies and projects that protect the global environment are understood and practised by communities and other key stakeholders.

SGP principles

Participation, democracy, flexibility and transparency are cornerstones of the SGP approach. The programme encourages and supports the participation of communities, indigenous people, donors, private sector and civil organisations in all aspects of programme planning, design, implementation and evaluation.

GEF Focal Areas

• Biodiversity
• Climate Change
• International Waters
• Land Degradation
• Persistent Organic Pollutants

Eligibility for grants

• Registered and recognised Ugandan Community Based Organisation (CBO)
• Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) involved in community-level initiatives, aimed at promoting conservation of natural resources while improving local people’s livelihoods.

Amounts granted
The maximum grant amount per project is 50,000 USD, but averages around 20,000USD. Grants are channelled directly to CBOs and NGOs.
The SGP approach is rooted in the belief that global environmental problems can only be addressed adequately if local people are involved and that with small amounts of funding, local communities can undertake innovative approaches which will make a significant difference in their lives, the global environment and ensures local empowerment.

For more information of the programme, please contact:

The National Coordinator, Small Grants Programme (SGP) Uganda
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
P.O Box 7184, Kampala – Uganda
Tel:  +256 414 346454 ; +256 414 250851
Fax: +256 4114 344801
sgp.uganda@undp.org
www.sgp.undp.org