Eligibility criteria for FFEM grants

• contributions to the preservation of the global environment,
• contributions to local development,
• innovative nature or contributes to disseminating or changing the scale of innovations,
• demonstrative nature and reproducibility,
• economic and financial sustainability after the project,
• ecological and environmental viability,
• social and cultural acceptability,
• appropriate institutional framework.

The first two criteria (contributions to preservation of the global environment and local development) relate to FFEM objectives; the other criteria relate to project quality. The innovation criterion (innovative nature or contributes to disseminating or changing of the scale of innovations) is the link between these two groups since innovation is at once a strategic objective (promoting innovation) and a quality criterion.

• projects limited to capacity building and research with no links to a development project,
• recurrent activities and running costs of institutions or organisations.
   
  The FFEM does not finance research as such. However, certain research activities may be financed by the Facility within the following limits:

• they form a minority part or component of a development project;
•  they are exclusively targeted research activities.

All developing countries eligible for official development assistance as defined by the OECD, with priority given to Africa and the Mediterranean.

French overseas areas may draw on FFEM financing through regional projects, but the FFEM contribution is then limited to 25% of the total cost of the project.