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Call for grant proposals for the Business Incubator and Accelerator for Mountains and Islands, deadline extended to 7 June 2023

31.05.2023

The deadline to submit project proposals for grants through the Business Incubator and Accelerator (BIA) for Mountains and Islands has been extended to 7 June 2023.

The Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched a new grant programme to increase mountain and island communities' resilience by supporting innovative entrepreneurship in agricultural and textile value chains through the provision of grants, technical assistance and capacity development.

The BIA for Mountains and Islands grant programme will be implemented in the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines and Uganda.

Grants will range from USD 15 000 to 50 000 per project, for a total budget of USD 150 000 to be granted in each participating country. Additional funding will be allocated for technical assistance and capacity development.

Project proposals must satisfy all of the following criteria to be eligible to receive a grant through the BIA for Mountains and Islands:

  • The lead applicant is either a non-governmental organization that is at least one year old or a producer organization (i.e. cooperative, community-based organization, association) that is at least one year old and has at least five members;
  • The lead applicant is formally registered in the country where the project is based;
  • The lead applicant submits only one application;
  • The lead and partner applicants are not bankrupt, liquidated or administered by the courts;
  • The lead applicant and/or partner applicant operate in a mountainous area or on an island in one of the following countries: the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines or Uganda;
  • The lead applicant provides all the necessary documentation proving that the above criteria are met;
  • The proposed project includes an applicant's matching contribution of no less than 50 percent of the requested grant;
  • The lead applicant provides evidence of ability (i.e. physical and legal) to use capital and/or other assets that are involved in their investment plan (i.e. agricultural land, building, machinery, labour, skills, etc.);
  • The lead applicant is a member of the Mountain Partnership (MP). If not, the lead applicant shall join the MP before the establishment of the grant agreement; and
  • The proposed project targets one of the following areas of work: Biodiversity; Sustainable forest management; Climate change mitigation and community-based adaptation; Natural resources management; and/or Strengthening of local economies.


To submit a project proposal, complete and submit the application form in the BIA Portal. Applicants who do not have access to an internet connection may submit a hard copy of the application at their GEF SGP national country office. The deadline to submit project proposals is 7 June 2023.

Before submitting a project proposal, applicants should carefully review the Applicant Information Booklet, available in English and Spanish.

For more information, please contact the BIA Team at [email protected]. Any request for clarifications or questions submitted after the application deadline will not be considered.

Apply here by 7 June 2023
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