PPI is currently the only French cooperation tool that directly finances CSOs in countries in the South for specific conservation actions.
In this way, the program contributes to improving the governance of conservation processes and thereby enjoys major recognition in the African conservation community.
Over the past 10 years, PPI has financed 181 projects in Central and Western Africa, as well as in Madagascar and Mozambique, for a total amount of EUR 6.3m, i.e. an average of EUR 600 K a year. The average amount allocated is EUR 35 K per grant.
Local initiatives to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change.
Financing below EUR 50,000 for NGOs, based on 8 priority thematic areas.
- Safeguard of endangered species
- Fight against poaching
- Resolution of conflicts between Humans and Wildlife
- Conservation of ecosystems
- Creation-Management of Protected Areas
- Sustainable exploitation of natural resources and socioeconomic development
- Fight against climate change
- Environmental education
Useful resources

- 508,103 hectares of community-protected areas created.
- 100 protected area management or land-use plans developed.
- 185 governance and management structures established or strengthened.
- 25 threatened species, including 12 mammal species (pangolin, humpback whale, manatee, chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, giraffe, elephant, hippopotamus, sitatunga, Roloway monkey, and lemurs) with improved conservation efforts.
- 146 projects for the development of 25 pro-biodiversity value chains.
- At least 80% of PPI-funded CSOs are still active.
- 128 CSOs have received targeted capacity-building support.
Support tailored to NGOs
Despite difficult institutional and financial contexts, over 50 CSOs have been supported and strengthened. Some have gradually become major actors in their respective countries: they today participate in national commissions, conduct advocacy actions towards political leaders, share their experience, etc.
PPI has also led to the creation of networks and alliances between actors in the same sector or region. These partnerships have sometimes been created at international level, leading to the creation of fruitful synergies between civil society actors from the North and South.
Projects eligible for PPI financing have income-generating activities which directly benefit local communities and their socioeconomic development.
Ecotourism, the development of commercial channels related to the sustainable exploitation of natural products and craft trades contribute to creating paid employment for local communities, which gives them greater empowerment: eco-guide, warden, beekeeper, breeder, cooperative manager, etc.
These activities sometimes replace harmful practices which threaten ecosystems and natural resources, such as poaching, deforestation and overexploitation. The economic impacts achieved are essential to maintaining the actions to get local communities to take responsibility for their environment and for sustainable development conducted during the PPI projects.
This new phase, called PPI6, is continuing the PPI actions to strengthen the influence of civil society and decentralized authorities in West and Central Africa, in terms of biodiversity conservation and the fight against climate change via nature-based solutions.
In partnership with the French Committee of the IUCN and IUCN-PACO, it will involve implementing and managing projects for conservation and the fight against climate change by developing nature-based solutions initiated by CSOs and strengthening the technical, organizational and institutional capacities of CSOs.
The program is financed for 4 years, with a EUR 3m contribution from FFEM.