Locations
Environment and Biodiversity Protection
Small Grants Program
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
DONOR
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Small Grants Program (SGP) is a program established by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and directly implemented by UNDP to support rural communities to improve their environmental issues while improving community livelihoods. The GEF SGP has been operating in Timor-Leste since 2012 and now it is its operational phase 8 (OP8).
The project aims to promote conservation land degradation practices, mitigation climate change impact, conservation of biodiversity and conservation marine areas (mangrove conservation and/or rehabilitation); promote good agriculture practices to improve local product and rural community income; and strengthen the capacity of national and local governments and communities in Timor Leste to build resilience to and climate risks, reduce risk exposure and vulnerability, as well as save lives and livelihoods from disaster impacts towards sustainable development.
Key Activities and Outputs:
The main activities and outputs of the project are as follows:
- Enabling environment strengthened for effective community-driven integrated approaches.
- Landscape seascape strategic objectives advanced through community-led grants.
- Sustainability and impact of community-led collective action enhanced through knowledge management and learning approaches across landscapes, seascapes and regions.
- Scale, durability and impact of locally led community action strengthen through monitoring, evaluation and evidence-based learning.
IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
During 2025–2026, under the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) Operational Phase 8 (OP8), the first Call for Proposals was launched in December 2025. A total of 12 local organizations, comprising 11 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and 1 Community-Based Organization (CBO), were selected to implement GEF SGP projects.
The projects focus on addressing key environmental and community resilience priorities, including land degradation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, mangrove conservation, access to clean water for rural communities, and women’s economic empowerment and household income generation. These interventions aim to strengthen community resilience to climate and environmental challenges.
Following this, the second Call for Proposals was launched in August 2026. A total of 61 proposals were received, comprising 44 from local NGOs and 17 from CBOs.
The implementation of SGP projects also involves collaboration with relevant government officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTE). Government officials have contributed as resource persons in capacity-building activities and technical training delivered by the SGP at the municipality level. They are also involved in monitoring the implementation of SGP-supported projects, helping to strengthen coordination, technical support, and sustainability of community-based environmental initiatives.
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
In the OP7 implementation, local CSOs and CBOs have involved and benefited from GEF SGP projects. A total of 43 local non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), 16 Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and key government officers have improved knowledge and capacity on environment conservation, 3,750 people in 12 municipalities and RAEOA including Atauro Island have benefited from the SGP projects implementation.
In the OP8 implementation, 12 ongoing projects from 11 local non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and 1 Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are under execution in Municipalities of Ainaro, Bobonaro, Covalima, Dili, Lautem, Liquica, Manatuto, and Manufahi. These projects are expected to directly benefit approximately 750 households through community-based environmental and climate resilience initiatives.
