German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development
Grants to development NGOs in Germany and developing countries in energy, climate change, agriculture, environment, and natural resources
Principal Office: Germany
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ) is responsible for formulating and steering Germany’s development assistance.
Germany’s development cooperation is heavily guided by international commitments to alleviate world poverty.
The program areas in Germany’s aid strategy include support for renewable energy and energy efficiency; climate and development; agriculture and food security; and environment and natural resources (e.g., water resources, biodiversity conservation, bio-safety, disaster risks, and others).
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
1 — Grants for German Civil Society. BMZ funds a large number and variety of civil society organizations in Germany for programs and activities in support of international development. BMZ works with BENGO, a clearing house and help desk, to administer grants to Germany’s development NGOs.
- Program Grants. A few large German charities receive programmatic assistance through BMZ for their international activities.
- Project Grants. Project grants are made to German NGOs in cooperation with partners in developing countries.
APPLICATION: For project grants, grant seekers submit project ideas and concepts to BENGO for initial consultation. BENGO’s team reviews pre-applications, provides counseling to applicants, and assists with continued project development until final submission of proposals to BMZ.
Link to BENGO
2 — Grants for Civil Society in Developing Countries. The German federal government provides embassies and consulates with small budgets to support micro-projects in technical cooperation. This scheme is for local and self-help initiatives at the grassroots level. Germany’s embassies and consulates provide support either directly or indirectly.
APPLICATION: Applicants request the relevant German embassy for information about small-scale projects in technical cooperation.
Link to Germany’s diplomatic missions
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Below are the countries that Germany currently defines as bilateral development partners, applying the regional structure of the Terra Viva Grants Directory.
Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
East Asia: Mongolia
South Asia: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Eurasia and Central Asia: Afghanistan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan
Eastern Europe and Russia: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine
Middle East and North Africa: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen
Sub-Saharan Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Dem Rep Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia
Latin America and Caribbean: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru
BMZ’s website is available in German and English.
Countries gives profiles of BMZ’s programs and activities at regional and national levels.
VENRO is Germany’s national association of development NGOs. The association has about 120 members. VENRO offers networking opportunities, documents, training, and insights into German and European perspectives on development assistance.
Germany’s programs of technical assistance are led by the GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), which consolidates a few formerly separate German development organizations. Individuals and organizations in developing countries should inquire with GIZ at the country level to learn about projects and strategies.
March 2021