Environmental Fund – Call for proposals 2023

General: Small-scale river restoration projects in Germany and Sweden

For each megawatt-hour that is sold and consumed as EKOenergy hydropower, 0.10 € is allocated to EKOenergy’s Environmental Fund. The fund is used to finance river restoration projects.

In this call for proposals, the EKOenergy aims to fund 2-3 small-scale river restoration projects in Germany or Sweden, countries where EKOenergy-labelled hydropower has been sold in previous years.

Proposals must be submitted no later than 15 September 2023.

The amount to be requested can be up to 40,000 € per project. The total amount we are distributing to organisations under this call is EUR 80,000.

Conditions and application guidelines

Eligibility

The main applicant must be a registered non-profit NGO and therefore it cannot be a company or an individual. The EKOenergy grant can also be used in projects that receive funding from multiple sources.

The proposed project must start in 2024 at the latest.

Criteria used for assessing proposals:

The projects to be funded will be selected by an international panel of experts who will pay particular attention to:

  • ecological significance
  • proven experience with similar projects, and
  • communication potential.

How to apply?

We do not have a pre-made application form. Therefore, applicants are welcome to submit their proposals in the format of their choice, as long as they meet the following requirements:

  • The application should not exceed three pages, including any annexes.
  • The application must be in PDF format.
  • The application should be written in English.

To ensure that proposals are complete and comprehensive, we request that you include the following information in your submission:

  • A clear and concise description of the project, including details on what, where, when, by who, to whom, and why the project is being undertaken. This should include the nature conservation outcomes that the project aims to achieve, including the species and habitats that will benefit from the project.
  • Information about the main applicant, their experience with similar projects, as well as any other relevant actors in the project. Please provide a clear division of roles.
  • Contact details of the designated contact person for the project.

Please send your application by Friday 15 September at the latest via email to ekoenergyfunds sll.fi. If you do not receive a response within 3 working days after submitting, please contact us for confirmation.

Other information

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at

Laura Blomberg
Fund Coordinator
laura.blomberg sll.fi