Kiwa Initiative

The Kiwa Initiative, launched in March 2020, is the product of an unique commitment driven by France and the European Union gathering Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Kiwa Initiative's budget has reached more than EUR 75 million. The initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems, economies and communities in Oceania by supporting projects that promote nature-based solutions via grants and technical assistance.

The Pacific Ocean is a world heritage that benefits from an outstanding biodiversity and cultural richness, which are inherently linked. This biodiversity provides priceless ecological services to local communities and contributes to climate change adaptation.

The Kiwa Initiative helps build both local and national capacities, promotes approaches that are sensitive to social vulnerability and gender inequality and foster dialogue amongst donors, regional organizations and countries and territories to improve development aid coordination on nature-based solutions for adapting to climate change.

Lastly, the Kiwa Initiative is one of the few regional initiative fostering the design and implementation of common solutions for island countries and the French territories in the Pacific. 

The Initiative has a threefold assistance strategy:

The Kiwa Initiative serves communities in Pacific island countries and territories, including the three French overseas territories, and supports projects focusing on nature-based solutions (NBS) via three windows:

• Calls for local projects managed by the IUCN based in Fiji for very small grants (€25,000 to €50,000), small grants (€50,000 to €100,000) and medium-sized grants (€100,000 to €400,000). To be launch soon, please check back here often.
• Call for ideas for regional projects between 1.5 million and 5 million euros in grants. A regional project involves at least two countries or territories from the list of eligible countries. These projects are monitored by AFD with the support of the Kiwa Initiative Secretariat. Contact the Kiwa Initiative Secretariat
• A technical assistance program delivered by the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

* This total amount is subject to the approval of the addendum to the Contribution agreement between AFD and the European Union for the EU top-up of €4M.

The one-stop shop for regional projects is managed by AFD via the Kiwa Initiative Secretariat. It is for projects with a total amount of over €1.5 million.

Potential beneficiaries of regional projects: National authorities, local authorities, regional organizations, local or international non-governmental organizations seeking to develop a project in at least two countries or territories from the list of eligible countries. 

The projects submitted must promote Nature-based Solutions according to the definition of IUCN, contribute to climate change adaptation, and have at least one regional dimension (cooperation with a neighboring territory, mutualization, capitalization, exchanges).

Special attention will be paid to proposals that seek to:

• Fit in with regional, national or local public policies
• Develop a gender-responsive approach and help preserve traditional ways of life
• Promote cooperation with Pacific Island Countries and the French overseas territories.

The project may be submitted in French or English.

Financing: The unit amount of financing allocated by the Steering Committee of the Kiwa Initiative ranges between €1.5 million and €5 million. 
Cofinancing is expected but not compulsory.

Duration: Kiwa initiative financing is multi-year but may not exceed 3 years.

Find out about the upcoming calls for project proposals on the Kiwa Initiative website.

Our team is available to answer any questions.