Empowering Grassroots Groups: Zambia’s Next Level Grant for Climate Action

In Zambia, current financing systems are not designed to efficiently support small, informal and grassroots groups and organisations. These groups often cannot meet the bureaucratic requirements of donors, international funds and local financial institutions. The launch of the Next Level Grant Facility (NLGF) within the framework of the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) programme in Zambia marks a significant step towards empowering these underrepresented groups, ensuring that they play a central role in shaping Zambia’s climate response.

 

 

The NLGF fund is designed to efficiently support these grassroots groups in amplifying their work and quickly responding to emergencies, unforeseen activities, or emerging opportunities that contribute to the overall Theory of Change of the VCA. Such emergencies and activities can take many forms and depend on the local context. This facility is implemented by local partners in the seven implementing countries of the VCA. These organisations work to expand civic space and work on the inclusion of voices that are traditionally excluded.

“The NLGF aims to foster a bottom-up approach to decision-making, where communities and local allies play a key role in identifying priorities and defining solutions”– Ian Matimba.

 

The Need for an Inclusive Funding Approach

Small-scale and grassroots communities in Zambia, particularly rural areas, have long been at the forefront of environmental stewardship. Whether through sustainable agricultural practices, water conservation, or forest management, they have crucial local knowledge and an intrinsic connection to the natural world. However, accessing financial support has historically been a major barrier. Traditional funding mechanisms, often designed with bureaucratic criteria, such as complex reporting requirements and rigorous due diligence, exclude these communities, leaving them underfunded and unsupported.

 

 

The establishment of the Next Level Grant Facility addresses this disparity by creating a more inclusive, flexible, and accessible funding model tailored specifically for small, informal, and grassroots organisations that cannot meet conventional donor and financial institution requirements. This shift aligns with VCA’s larger mission to promote climate justice, where marginalised communities are given a voice and the financial resources to act on climate solutions.

 

Goals and Objectives of the Next Level Grant Facility

The overarching goal of the grant facility is to bridge the gap between climate funding and grassroots action. By supporting informal community groups, cooperatives, and small-scale initiatives, the facility aims to ensure that marginalised communities, especially women, youth, and indigenous groups, are key actors in decision-making and benefit directly from climate initiatives. The framework seeks to simplify the funding process by minimising bureaucratic obstacles and enabling smaller marginalised groups to access financial support.

 

Target Beneficiaries

The facility is designed specifically to cater to applicants’ needs, such as small, self-organised groups that lack formal registration but have demonstrated commitment to climate action. The framework will also respond to grassroots organisations, such as community-based organisations working on localised climate solutions, particularly those operating in rural and underserved regions.

 

 

Equally, the NLGF will target Indigenous groups, women-led initiatives, youth organisations, and cooperatives that are often excluded from mainstream funding opportunities and enterprises engaged in sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, renewable energy, and other green ventures that face challenges in accessing traditional financing due to their size and lack of collateral.

 

Mechanisms for Support

The Next Level Grant Facility operates with flexibility at its core. Key features of the funding mechanism include the facility’s intentionally straightforward application process, with less emphasis on formal documentation and more focus on the community’s climate action proposal. Alongside financial support, the facility will provide training on project management, financial literacy, and climate resilience to ensure the long-term sustainability of funded initiatives.

 

 

“Monitoring will be conducted in a participatory manner, emphasising the success stories and lessons learned rather than penalising failures, fostering a learning-centered approach to climate action… The facility will prioritise equitable distribution of funds to ensure that even the most remote and underserved communities receive support” – Diilwe Siamuntu.

 

Impact on Zambia’s Climate Action Agenda

Zambia is highly vulnerable to climate change, with increased droughts, unpredictable rainfall, and natural disasters threatening food security and livelihoods, particularly in rural areas. By investing in grassroots and small-scale actors, the Next Level Grant Facility amplifies the country’s capacity to build climate resilience from the bottom up.

 

 

By enabling local implementation, this new facility complements the Zambian government’s national climate policies, such as the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS). Through collaboration with governmental bodies, local authorities, and civil society organisations, the Voices for Just Climate Action framework aims to ensure that climate funding is decentralised and reaches those most in need.

 

A Path Forward for Climate Justice

The launch of the Next Level Grant Facility in Zambia represents a profound shift in the landscape of climate funding, one that recognises the importance of empowering the most affected communities. By addressing the structural inequalities in access to funding, the facility is fostering climate resilience and advancing climate justice.

 

 

As the climate crisis continues to evolve, it is crucial that Zambia and the global community recognise the value of small-scale and grassroots actors. The Next Level Grant Facility is a testament to the belief that those closest to the land and most affected by climate change are key to driving meaningful, sustainable solutions. Through this initiative, Zambia is poised to become a model for inclusive climate action in Africa and beyond.