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NB: As of July 1, 2018, all project proposals and submissions to GEF Secretariat need to be made directly into the GEF Portal.

In most cases, the GEF provides funding to support government projects and programs. Governments decide on the executing agency (governmental institutions, civil society organizations, private sector companies, research institutions).There are many issues to consider when seeking GEF funding. Whom should I contact? Is my country/organization eligible for funding? Who will implement the project? What type of project should I consider? To help with these and other questions, please review each of the sections below.

The GEF provides funding to assist developing countries in meeting the objectives of international environmental conventions. The GEF serves as a "financial mechanism" to six conventions: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. 

The GEF has 186 member countries. In the Instrument, GEF member countries are referred to as participants. In general terms there are developed and developing participants in the GEF. They are represented on the GEF Council by 32 constituencies (14 for developed countries, 16 for developing countries, and 2 for economies in transition) each one having a Council member and an alternate Council member. Representatives of all member countries meet every four years during the GEF Assembly.

Both developed and developing countries are or have been donors to the GEF Trust Fund. Since its inception the GEF has received contributions from 40 donor countries.