Applications Invited for the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF) Grant Program FY 2026

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About the Organization

Keidanren Nature Conservation Council (KNCC) was established by Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) in 1992, in the same year as United Nations Conference on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro was held. Since its establishment, KNCC has supported wide range of projects mainly on biodiversity conservation in Asia Pacific regions through Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF), raised awareness of biodiversity conservation among Japanese business, and made policy recommendations.

3 pillars of KNCC Activities:

• Support NGOs through Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF)
• Awareness Raising of biodiversity conservation among Japanese business
• Policy Recommendations

About the Grant

The Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF) was authorized as a public trust by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2000. The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. (current Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited) was selected as the Trustee of the Fund. After its establishment in April 2000, a lot of corporations (mainly Keidanren member corporations) and the general people have been contributing donation to the Fund on the approval of substance of KNCF. The KNCF has continuously supported the following projects every year with about the total amount of ¥160 million (JPY). The KNCF raises applicants for the Fund on this Web Page every fiscal year, and Grant Review Committee has assumed the rigid responsibility of appraising and selecting supported projects among submitted applications.

Nature and type of supported projects:

• provides assistance for nature conservation efforts implemented by NGO in developing countries, particularly in the Asia-Oceania region.
• provides assistance for nature conservation efforts and sustainable use of nature resources in Japan

Grant Categories:

• Basic A Grant for small-scale projects of 1 million Yen or less for the first-time applicant to the KNCF Grant Program. While basically a single-year grant, applicants may be consecutively accepted for three years. Note that in order to reduce the burden of the applying organizations, application and reporting documents have been simplified.
• Basic B Grant for small-scale projects of 1 million Yen or less for local grass roots organizations conducting activities in countries designated by the UN as Least Developed Countries. While basically a single-year grant, applicants may be consecutively accepted for three years. Note that in order to reduce the burden of the applying organizations, application and reporting documents have been simplified.
• Standard Grant: Mid-sized grant that follows the conventional KNCF Grant Program. The upper limit is 10 million Yen. KNCF expects these projects to either be in their initial stages or to offer new approaches to solving problems. Applications may be made each year for a consecutive 3- year period.
• Collaboration Grant: Large-size grant with an upper annual limit of 20 million Yen with the requirement that applying projects are collaborative projects involving multiple organizations. KNCF especially wishes to support projects that involve cooperation with governments, local society and businesses and that serve as models for NGOs. The grant is designed for a continuous period of three years.

Eligibility

Organizations applying must be legally incorporated or recognized voluntary bodies with at least three years of experience in nature conservation. They must also be able to provide reliable financial statements or audits for the past three years and demonstrate credibility in managing grants responsibly.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: December 1, 2025

For more information please check the Link

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Tags Environment and Sustainability Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Others