LocationsEU-PH Green Economy Partnership SO2 Green LGUs 2026 Circular Solutions CSO Grants
June 3, 2026
Funded by the EU and implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership aims to support the Philippines’ transition towards a green economy, including a circular economy, sustainable consumption and production, reducing waste and plastic, as well as increasing energy and material efficiency and renewable energy deployment to support climate change mitigation. The added benefits of a circular economy include reduced energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, improved biodiversity and natural capital, decreased pollution levels, and enhanced climate change adaptation.
The Programme has four Specific Objectives (SOs) with the following lead agencies:
- SO1: Improved systemic circular economy and climate change policies and reduced GHG emissions. This is led by Germany’s development agency, GIZ, with the DENR.
- SO2: Enhanced practices of circular economy by LGUs in collaboration with the private sector and the civil society sector, with a focus on youth and gender equality. This is co-led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and UNDP Philippines.
- SO3: Focuses on enhanced engagement of the private and financial sectors in a circular, waste-reduction economy. This is being implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Expertise France, and the Global Green Growth Institute.
- SO4: Focuses on increased energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment (crosscutting). This initiative is being implemented by the Department of Energy (DoE) in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank.
The CSO Grants has two Focus Areas:
Focus Area 1: Empowerment of the Informal Waste Sector and other GEDSI Groups through Capacity Building and Circular Economy Business Model Development
Proposals should cover the following key components:
- Mapping and identification of GEDSI groups including the informal sector involved in waste management and their challenges and enabling factors for meaningful inclusion.
- If the informal sector is present in the target LGU, the following activities should be included
- Recognition of the informal waste sector for circular economy value chains
- Capacity and Knowledge Building for the Informal Sector
- Circular Economy Business Model Development
Focus Area 2: Advancing Behavioral Change and Education for Circular Economy Adoption
Proposals should cover the following key components:
- Baseline and Ethnographic Assessment
- Strategic Behavioral Change Interventions
- Endline Assessment and Effectiveness Measurement
The current grants are to be implemented in the following Partner LGUs of the Project which include the following localities:
City of Bacoor, Cagayan de Oro City, Cotabato City, City of Ilagan, Isabela City, Koronadal City, Maasin City, City of San Carlos, City of San Jose del Monte, and the City of Sorsogon
In total, 10 proposals will be selected corresponding to 1 proposal per each of the 10 LGUs.
This call is open to Civil Society Organizations (CSO) which include:
- Community-based organizations
- Indigenous Peoples' organizations
- Peoples’ organization
- Social movements
- Volunteer organization
- Mass-based membership organizations
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
- Non-governmental academic or educational institutions
- Youth groups
*Cooperatives are ineligible to apply.
Applicant CSOs can partner with other GEDSI-led CSOs/groups to jointly propose and deliver the project. In this case, the Lead CSO as well as GEDSI-led partner CSO/group(s) must be properly indicated and the share of work be properly identified and delineated. The Lead CSO must also be working or have local operations/offices or based in the LGU they are proposing to work in.
Yes, as long as they have not been awarded through other UNDP projects a cumulative amount of US$ 150,000 in the past fiscal year.
Documents can be downloaded by clicking the button above or via http://bit.ly/2026CSOGrantsDocs and submit via email to eu.gepp@undp.org.
Use the subject: Application for CSO Grants for [LGU Name] by [NGO Name]
Example:
Email Subject: Application for CSO Grants for San Carlos City by Mango Bamboo Foundation
While actual interventions can be conducted in the LGU’s local language, only proposals submitted in English will be accepted at this time.
The total amount of grant funds allocated can range from a minimum of US$ 90,000 to a maximum of US$ 100,000.
- GEDSI Empowerment (50-55 % of the total budget)
- CE Education and Behavioral change (30-35 % of the total budget)
- Project administration (15% of the total budget)
Assessment of the applicant’s technical, operational, and financial capacity to implement the proposed intervention. This includes demonstrated experience in circular economy, GEDSI engagement, and/or behavioral change initiatives; prior experience operating in the specific LGU or similar contexts; sound organizational governance and management structure; financial management capacity (including audited financial reports, where available); and the composition, expertise, and complementarity of the proposed team and consortium partners, if applicable.
GEDSI Integration (25 % – 250 points)
Assessment of the extent to which GEDSI groups are meaningfully integrated as partners, implementers, and beneficiaries in the proposed intervention. This includes clear mechanisms for engaging informal waste workers (if present) and other priority groups; defined leadership and participation roles; safeguards for inclusive and rights-based participation; and the use of disaggregated targets and inclusive monitoring measures.
Impact and Sustainability (25 % – 250 points)
Assessment of the proposal’s potential to deliver measurable, meaningful, and lasting results aligned with the project’s objectives and MERL framework. This includes the clarity of intended outcomes under both focus areas; the use of defined and realistic indicators; the depth of systemic change beyond activity-level outputs; and the likelihood of sustainability, replication, or scaling beyond the grant period.
Methodology and Technical Approach aligned with priority actions included the CE portfolio of the target LGUs (30% – 300 points)
Assessment of the overall soundness, coherence, and feasibility of the proposed design. This includes clarity of objectives and theory of change; the use of evidence-based approaches, including baseline-informed interventions where applicable; a logical and realistic workplan and timeline; clear delineation of roles and responsibilities in consortium arrangements; and alignment with the LGU’s Local Circular Economy Workplan.
If the Informal Waste Sector is present, it is mandatory to include a component for the empowerment of the sector. Additional activities focusing on other GEDSI groups can be included depending on local contexts.
Successful applicants will receive an email notification, and be announced through the UNDP website.
Feel free to email us at eu.gepp@undp.org for questions and inquiries.