Established in 1992 following the Rio Earth Summit, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) was founded on the principle of "Think Globally, Act Locally." Since then, SGP has empowered civil society organisations and local communities to address global environmental challenges through community-led action. Operating in 135 countries, the programme has supported over 27,000 projects that conserve biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience, combat land degradation, promote sustainable forest management, improve international waters, address chemicals and waste, and build local capacities. With a strong focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and other vulnerable regions, SGP has demonstrated that grassroots innovation can deliver lasting local and global environmental benefits.
The Small Grants Programme in India began in 1996, supporting community-led initiatives across diverse ecosystems and socio-economic contexts. Over successive operational phases, the programme evolved from supporting individual projects across multiple sectors to fostering integrated approaches that connect biodiversity conservation, climate action, sustainable livelihoods, and community empowerment. This progression strengthened local institutions, encouraged participatory governance, and established SGP as a trusted platform for demonstrating innovative, locally driven environmental solutions.
Building on the experience of earlier phases, SGP-India Operational Phase 7 (OP7) adopted a clustered, landscape-based approach, focusing interventions within selected geographies to maximise collective impact. The programme strengthened 17 Multi-Stakeholder Platforms, promoted participatory landscape planning, enhanced institutional partnerships, and improved coordination among communities, government agencies, research institutions, and development partners. OP7 also introduced a comprehensive Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy and established structured learning platforms to document, exchange, and scale grassroots innovations, creating a strong foundation for the next phase of the programme.
Building on more than 30 years of global experience and the strong foundation established in India, SGP-India Operational Phase 8 (OP8) marks the next stage in the programme's evolution. OP8 strengthens integrated landscape and seascape approaches to address the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, land degradation, and growing socio-economic inequalities. The programme empowers civil society organisations (CSOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities through technical assistance, learning-by-doing, knowledge sharing, and catalytic grant support. By fostering innovation, strategic partnerships, and opportunities for replication and scaling, OP8 connects community-led action with India's environmental priorities and global commitments, demonstrating how local solutions can drive transformational change at landscape, national, and global scales.