Frequently Asked Questions

Find all the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the FFEM and how it works.
  • logo linkedin
  • logo email
Manual on reinforcing the skill-sets of pastoral units in Senegal

Frequently Asked Questions

How are projects funded by FFEM selected?

Projects presented to the FFEM must meet the following eight criteria:
contributes to the preservation of the global environment;

  1. contributes to local sustainable development in one or more developing countries;
  2. has innovative features;
  3. has a demonstrative and replicable nature;
  4. provides for post-project economic and financial sustainability; 
  5. is ecologically and environmentally viable; 
  6. has social and cultural acceptability;
  7. has an appropriate institutional framework.

For each project proposed, special attention will also be paid to:
Theory of Change; 

  • its monitoring and evaluation mechanism;
  • its overall environmental outcome; local ownership (which is a guarantee of sustainability);
  • its partnership dimension;
  • how gender and social ties are taken into account;
  • the sharing of knowledge stemming from the project.

Applied research activities that give rise to or that are in relation with development activities can be funded by the FFEM. Basic research activities are, however, not eligible to receive its financial support.
 

Which countries are eligible for FFEM funding?

The FFEM cofinances in any developing country eligible for official development assistance. Priority is given to Africa: the FFEM’s objective is to commit approximately two-thirds of its resources there.

With the exception of Wallis and Futuna, the French overseas collectivities are not eligible for official development assistance.10 The FFEM may nevertheless participate in the funding of regional projects related to the preservation of the global environment that include French overseas col¬lectivities working with eligible countries. In this case, the share of funding intended for the overseas collectivities may not exceed 25% of the FFEM’s contribution to the project.

Is a French NGO eligible for the PPI?

The PPI program, managed by the French Committee of IUCN, directly supports African civil society. 
A French NGO is not eligible for the PPI, it is a local NGO that proposes the initiative by filling out the project submission form in the framework of the PPI calls for projects. However, the French NGO can co-finance the local initiative.

More information is available on the PPI website.

What is the procedure for submitting a funding request?

Each project or program cofinanced by the FFEM is presented to the Steering Committee under the responsibility of one or several of the six member-institutions supporting the project, and with the as-sistance of the Secretariat.Therefore, in order to present a project to the FFEM, the project initiator must obtain the support of one of the six FFEM member institutions.

Any legal entity may submit a project, insofar as the latter comes within the mandate and guidelines of the FFEM and meets the eligibility, funding and geographic criteria described on the Submit a project page.

What are FFEM’s financial resources?

FFEM’s resources stand at €120m for the period 2019-2022. They are replenished by the State budget and are renewed in 4-year cycles. They allow France to continue and scale up the implementation of innovative actions, integrating global environmental issues in the development projects of emerging or developing countries.

In order to present a project to the FFEM, the project initiator must obtain the support of one of the six FFEM member institutions: 

  • French Ministry of Economy and Finance; 
  • French Ministry of Europe and of Foreign Affairs; 
  • French Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition; 
  • French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation; Agriculture and Food; 
  • Agence Française de Développement.

The contact details of the institutions' representatives are available on the Governance page.
 

How to contact the FFEM Secretariat?

To contact our Secretariat, we invite you to fill in the dedicated contact form, specifying the subject of your message.

Regarding recruitment issues, we invite you to consult the "Join us" section on the website www.afd.fr/en where you will find all the internship and job offers currently available within the FFEM.
 

Is there any overlap between the FID and FFEM mandates?

The Fund for Innovation in Development (FID) and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) are two instruments hosted by the AFD to support innovation, to test them and to share learnings.

While these two Funds are closely connected, with frequent experience-sharing between the two teams, they are quite distinct in their mandates, how each identifies innovative projects, and their financing models.

The FID’s mandate is the fight against poverty and inequalities, without sectoral focus. The FFEM’s mandate focuses on preserving the global environment, and development.

These mandates intersect in the areas of climate, agriculture and waste management, but the type of financing offered by each of the Funds greatly mitigates any risk of overlap:

  • The FID is involved in financing early stages of development of an innovation (the preparatory and initial pilot stages), for amount up to €200,000 in which the FFEM plays almost no part (with some exceptions);
  • Anything above €200,000 means the FID specifically requires an impact evaluation, with counterfactual, to be conducted if none has been conducted before; whereas projects financed by the FFEM for a minimum amount of €500,000 have to be supported by result monitoring and evaluation, but no impact evaluation with counterfactual is required.

The FID and FFEM also differ in the way they identify innovative projects: the FID has an ongoing call for proposals online, while the FFEM works mainly by identifying projects as they arise, sponsored by the member institutions of its Steering Committee.

These two Funds are therefore entirely complementary, and strong synergies exist between them.