The IKI Large Grants (ILG) Call 2025, part of the Internationale Klimaschutzinitiative (IKI), invites implementing organisations to submit project outlines addressing climate change mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation. Initiated by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) in collaboration with the Federal Foreign Office (AA), this funding opportunity supports bold, scalable initiatives across specified priorities. The call operates as an ideas competition designed to identify high-impact projects that align with national and thematic priorities for climate protection and resilience.

Eligibility and Participation

Eligibility focuses on the participation framework and the types of eligible organisations. The ILG Call is open to both German and international grant recipients, as well as contractors in the form of German federal implementing organisations. This approach broadens collaboration possibilities and allows diverse actors to contribute to transformational climate solutions. Interested implementing organisations are asked to submit a project outline that responds to one of the 11 thematic and country priorities identified for 2025.

Participation hinges on aligning a project proposal with the defined priorities, ensuring that submitted outlines address concrete climate protection or biodiversity objectives. A clear articulation of expected outcomes, scalability, and potential for replication is essential. The priorities, along with detailed guidance, can be found in the official priority documentation linked in the program materials.

Funding Scope and Selection

The ILG Call offers substantial funding opportunities to support high-impact initiatives. Each eligible project can receive a substantial funding volume, ranging from €12 million to €20 million, with the exact amount determined by the thematic and country priority context. This funding breadth allows for large-scale interventions that require significant resources to achieve meaningful, lasting climate benefits. Selection operates on a competitive basis, with the expectation that one to two projects will be chosen per priority area, ensuring a diverse portfolio across priorities.

As an ideas competition, the process emphasizes rigorous evaluation of project outlines against predefined criteria, feasibility, and potential for scaling and long-term impact. Applicants should prepare to demonstrate how their approach integrates climate mitigation, adaptation, or biodiversity objectives and how results can be replicated or expanded beyond the initial implementation. Detailed information on the funding framework, criteria, and evaluation process is available in the linked selection and funding documents.

Thematic and Country Priorities

The 2025 ILG Call organizes priorities into three country-focused priorities and eleven thematic priorities. These priorities identify the critical geographies and sectoral or cross-cutting themes where ILG support can catalyze significant climate action and biodiversity resilience. Proposals should directly address one of these priorities to align with program goals and increase the likelihood of funding success.

Country Priorities

• 1. Strengthening electricity storage for renewable energy integration and electrification of end uses in Mexico — Projects should advance storage solutions and grid integration necessary for a reliable, renewable-powered energy system in Mexico.
• 2. Building resilience of India’s forests, ecosystems and biodiversity against climate risks — Focus on adaptation strategies aligned with the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and related biodiversity resilience efforts.
• 3. Climate-Smart conservation and restoration in South Africa — Target grassland landscapes and associated wetlands to support biodiversity protection and green economic development.

Thematic Priorities

• 4. Electricity grids and electricity storage as game changers for the energy transition — Innovations in grid management, storage technologies, and policy mechanisms to accelerate decarbonization.
• 5. Urban value chains through bioenergy use — Scalable solutions for sustainable methane reduction and bioenergy-based value chains in urban contexts.
• 6. Decarbonisation of emission-intensive sectors — Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa or South and Southeast Asia to reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.
• 7. Strengthening climate resilience of coastal cities — Adaptation and resilience-building in urban coastal settings across South and Southeast Asia.
• 8. Integrated bioeconomy for resilience and biodiversity — Approaches that combine climate protection with biodiversity conservation through bioeconomy pathways.
• 9. Mobilisation of financial resources for NBSAPs — Financing strategies and mechanisms to implement integrated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans.
• 10. Prevention and rapid response to invasive species — Early detection, rapid response, and management frameworks to mitigate invasive species impacts.
• 11a. Scaling of mitigation-relevant ILG approaches — Focus on energy, efficiency, industry, NDC/LTS, mobility, urban development, and climate finance with a mitigation emphasis.
• 11b. Scaling adaptation approaches in NAPs and EbA — Expanding successful adaptation strategies within National Adaptation Plans and Ecosystem-based Adaptation.

Documentation, Guidelines, and Resources

Applicants can access a range of official documents designed to inform, guide, and support the proposal development and submission process. These materials include funding information, selection criteria, and the detailed thematic and country priorities for ILG 2025. Each document provides English-language guidance to ensure clarity on expectations, processes, and evaluation standards, enabling well-structured project outlines aligned with program objectives.

Key resources include the Funding Information, Selection Criteria, and Thematic & Country Priorities documents, all available as PDFs. These sources outline the scope of funding, eligibility requirements, evaluation metrics, and the priorities that shape project selection. Access to these resources is essential for preparing a competitive outline and understanding how ILG support can be scaled to maximize impact.

• Funding Information IKI Large Grants Call 2025 (English, PDF, 687 KB)
• Selection Criteria IKI Large Grants Call 2025 (English, PDF, 245 KB)
• Thematic and Country Priorities IKI Large Grants Call 2025 (English, PDF, 623 KB)

Additional guidelines strengthen project planning and monitoring practices. The Administrative Guidelines (08/2025) and the Guidelines on Project Planning and Monitoring (10/2025) provide barrier-free English-language guidance to help applicants structure, manage, and report on ILG-funded activities. These documents support consistency in project design, baseline setting, and performance tracking throughout the lifecycle of a funded initiative.

Two online seminars are offered to support interested implementing organisations. These sessions discuss participation in the ideas competition, drafting, submitting, and selecting a successful project outline. The seminars are scheduled as two identical sessions at different times to accommodate participants across time zones, ensuring broad access to guidance and Q&A opportunities as proposals are developed.

For direct assistance during submission, the IKI Office operates through Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH, located in Berlin. Contact details provide a pathway for submitting project outlines and for general inquiries. The office hours are structured to accommodate interested organisations and provide timely responses to questions regarding eligibility, priorities, and the application process.

• IKI Office Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH, Stresemannstraße 69-71, 10963 Berlin
• Email iki-office@z-u-g.org
• Phone hours Tuesdays 1 pm–3 pm (CEST/CET); Thursdays 9 am–11 am (CEST/CET)
• Phone +49 30 72618 0222

Documentation and guidance emphasize alignment with priorities and robust project design. Prospective applicants should familiarize themselves with both the scope of ILG funding and the specific priorities to frame a compelling outline. The combination of high-level thematic focus and clear implementation pathways enhances the potential for successful funding and meaningful, long-term climate impact.

Timeline and Procedure Status

The ILG 2025 ideas competition operates on a defined annual cycle. The call officially starts on 17 November 2025 and closes on 17 February 2026 at 2:00 pm CET. This timeline frames the period for developing, submitting, and undergoing initial evaluation of project outlines. Respondents should plan to align their proposals with the stated deadlines and priority areas to maximize the chance of selection.

Funding decisions target a concentrated number of projects per priority, with a goal of 1–2 selections per priority area. The funding envelope, defined by priority context, allows for significant resource allocation to projects with scalable and replicable impact. Applicants should expect a rigorous review process, followed by potential negotiations on project design, budgets, and milestones as part of the selection outcome.

In summary, the IKI Large Grants Call 2025 represents a major funding opportunity for ambitious climate action and biodiversity initiatives. By articulating a clear pathway to resilience, decarbonisation, and ecosystem protection within one of the defined priorities, organisations can pursue substantial financial support for transformative projects. The program encourages collaboration, cross-border participation, and ambitious, scalable interventions that can serve as models for broader implementation across regions.