Most GEF funding flows through governments and large institutions. The Small Grants Programme (SGP) instead provides grants directly to civil society and community groups, making it distinct within the GEF portfolio.

This evaluation examines how SGP performed during its most recent phase (2020–2024) and the implications as the program moves into a newly redesigned next phase.

SGP has evolved from individual, case-by-case projects into a coordinated system for growing and scaling community-led innovation, from the grassroots to national policy.

Evaluation overview

• Local ownership, national coordinators, and access to funding emerge as the strongest predictors of project success, while their absence is associated with project failure.
• As reporting requirements grow more complex, the evaluation finds signs that smaller organizations and marginalized groups may face greater barriers to participation.
• A major transition already underway raises questions about funding certainty, fairness in partner selection, and whether progress on inclusion will be sustained.

Methodology

The evaluation draws on survey data, document review, and program-level analysis of the SGP's most recent operational phase, spanning both its global and country-level operations.