New impetus for sustainable development:

The 2030 Agenda Transformation Fund

Submit your transformative idea and play an active part
in promoting sustainable development in your country.

What is the 2030 Agenda Transformation Fund about?

The 2030 Agenda Transformation Fund is a new fund, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

It supports the efforts of partner countries to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with innovative activities creating new impetus for the required transformation.

The projects or activities funded should contribute to one of the following three areas:

  • Policy
    aligning policies and processes with the 2030 Agenda;
  • Financing
    mobilising domestic resources and private investments for sustainable development;
  • Monitoring & Review
    capacity building for monitoring and reviewing the 2030 Agenda.

The Fund is part of the 2030 Implementation Initiative. Under this Initiative, German development cooperation partner countries are directly supported in implementing the 2030 Agenda via bilateral or regional projects. The Initiative has a budget of over 40 million euros and supports more than 20 measures in 18 countries and three regional organisations worldwide (in the three areas mentioned above).

What is funded and who can apply?

The fund supports short-term, small-scale projects and activities to foster the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

National ownership is key. The 2030 Agenda Transformation Fund´s activities must be in line with the national priorities of the partner countries. They should contribute to achieving national goals for implementing the 2030 Agenda and be embedded in a broader political or social process in the country.

Funding can, for example, be granted for studies, capacity development or events.

Applications can be submitted in two forms:

  • Political partners or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can submit an individual application for a financing agreement (political partners) or grant agreement (NGOs).
  • State and non-state institutions and organisations in partner countries can also
    apply in conjunction with technical cooperation projects (GIZ projects).

The funding structure is flexible. Funding of between EUR 50,000 and about EUR 125,000 can be granted for projects and activities covering a period of 4 – 12 months.

Please note that the application deadline has expired since 31 July

Examples of possible projects/activities include the following:

Capacity building for monitoring and reviewing the 2030 Agenda:
development of an online monitoring tool that enables (disaggregated) data collection for national and/or global SDG indicators.

Mobilising domestic resources and private investments for sustainable development:
development of an evaluation system for SDG-sensitive budgeting: prioritisation of sustainable development projects in the investment/financing plan.

Aligning policies and processes with the 2030 Agenda:
elaboration of a toolbox or guidelines for the adaptation of local development plans to the 2030 Agenda (Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementation principles).

Why focus on the 2030 Agenda?

The problems the world faces are increasingly complex and global. These global issues require global solutions. The 2030 Agenda is aimed at ‚Transforming our World‘ by ending extreme poverty and hunger, protecting natural resources and creating equal development opportunities for all by the year 2030. By adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, world leaders clearly affirmed their shared responsibility to improve prospects for present and future generations around the globe. For the Federal Republic of Germany, the 2030 Agenda serves as a compass to guide all policy fields. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development focuses on three pillars: 1) implementation in Germany, 2) implementation with and in partner countries and 3) implementation within the framework of international organisations.

Every country is called upon to adjust its national and local development/sustainability strategies to the requirements of the 2030 Agenda and to implement them. However, delivering on the 2030 Agenda poses a great challenge to most countries.

If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, local and national ambition and action will be paramount. We need to explore new and innovative ways of stimulating the transformation required for sustainable development.

The Transformation Fund is a flexible instrument that aims to support projects/activities that provide impetus for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in German development cooperation partner countries.

The 2030 Agenda implementation principles

Overarching principles guide implementation of the 2030 Agenda. They form the basis for the individual contributions towards implementation:

Universality: the 2030 Agenda applies universally to all countries alike – to developing, emerging and industrialised countries. Each country defines its own contributions within the limits of its national capacities, policies and level of development.
Integrated approach: the 2030 Agenda emphasises that the 17 SDGs are integrated and indivisible. The social, economic and ecological dimensions of sustainability are mutually dependent factors and should be considered in a balanced way.
Leave no one behind (LNOB): the 2030 Agenda focuses especially on marginalised groups as well as the poorest of the poor. In order to achieve sustainable development, attention must focus primarily on those lacking economic, political or social rights and participation opportunities.
Shared responsibility: implementation of the 2030 Agenda can only be successful if all relevant stakeholders make their contribution. Businesses, civil society and academia (among others) need to be involved as well as governments. New forms of collaboration, such as multi-stakeholder partnerships, are gaining significance.
Accountability: regular and inclusive reviews take place on a national, regional and global level. To measure progress, high quality, accessible, current and disaggregated data is required at the national level.

How is the Fund managed?

The Steering Committee, represented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is the central decision-making body of the 2030 Agenda Transformation Fund. The operational management of the fund is handled by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The Steering Committee and the Fund Management will consider applications against the established criteria, examine the quality of their content and decide which activities will receive funding. The Fund Management will offer guidance for the implementation of the projects/activities.