The World Bank is a major source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries in all parts of the world. It is made up of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA).
The IBRD focuses on middle-income and credit-worthy countries which are economically poor, while the IDA focuses only on the economically poorest countries. Together the IBRD and IDA provide credits, grants, and low-interest loans to finance all aspects of economic development.
The World Bank’s programs include all areas of environment in relation to sustainable development (i.e. agriculture, land use, energy, climate change, water and sanitation, waste management, forests, fisheries, minerals, biodiversity, hazardous chemicals, and others).
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
Most grant-making programs in the World Bank are broad and cross-cutting. Below we identify programs that make competitive grants in one or more subject areas of importance in this Directory.
1 — Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF). The PPIAF facilitates public-private partnerships in energy supply, water supply and waste treatment, and other types of infrastructure (telecommunications, transport systems). The Facility funds technical assistance, and it makes grants to sub-national entities that want to improve their access to credit.
Most proposals to PPIAF originate through national and local governments, although the application process is open to all.
APPLICATION: PPIAF provides eligibility criteria, application guidelines, an application form, and contact information. Applicants require approval from their governments. Applications can be submitted at any time.
2 — Cities Alliance Catalytic Fund. The Cities Alliance is a global partnership to reduce urban poverty and to promote the role of cities in sustainable development. The Alliance helps cities to formulate sustainable financing strategies, and to attract long-term capital investments for infrastructure and other services (e.g., water and sanitation, energy, etc.).
Through the Catalytic Fund, the Cities Alliance makes grants to city governments, local authorities, associations of local authorities, and/or national governments. Grants range from US$50 thousand to US$200 thousand.
APPLICATION: The Catalytic Fund announces calls for proposals. Each call identifies the grants theme (when relevant), eligibility requirements, submission guidelines, and the application deadline.
The Fund uses a two-stage selection process that begins with concept notes, followed by invitations for full applications from presenters of the top-rated concept notes.
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Member countries in the World Bank Group include the developing countries identified below, applying the regional classification of the Terra Viva Grants Directory.
Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands: Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam
East Asia: China, Mongolia
South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Eastern Europe and Russia: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine
Eurasia and Central Asia: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territory, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Dem Rep of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Latin America and Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
The World Bank’s website is available in various languages.
The World Bank hosts the secretariat of the Program on Forests (PROFOR). PROFOR is a multi-donor partnership to improve the livelihoods of forest-dependent people; promote good forest governance; finance sustainable forest management; and coordinate forest policy with other sectors. Participants in PROFOR include civil society organizations, conservation NGOs, universities and research institutes, private firms and consultants, and international organizations. PROFOR does not accept unsolicited proposals.
The Bank is a founding member of the Global Tiger Initiative, which currently does not have a grant-making activity.
The World Bank Institute offers capacity-building opportunities for junior and mid-career professionals.
Grant seekers should also review World Bank and Civil Society.
The Bank’s web pages for Countries usually include contact information at the country level, as well as other information that may be useful to grant seekers.
February 2021