A landmark new resourcing program to drive local action against the growing crisis of plastic pollution in the Eastern Caribbean has officially launched, developed as a core component of the broader “Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap” initiative.
The Sustainable Small Grants Programme (SSGP), administered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (ORMACC), delivers both targeted funding and technical assistance to entities working to cut single-use plastic waste and scale circular economy models across five Eastern Caribbean island nations: Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Unlike large-scale international conservation projects that often prioritize top-down interventions, the SSGP is designed to center local leadership. Eligible applicants include micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), community-based organizations (CBOs), non-governmental organizations, cooperatives, community associations, local schools and informal community groups that can prove a track record of meaningful on-the-ground community engagement. Successful grantees will implement practical, replicable interventions aimed at cutting the amount of plastic waste that leaks into Caribbean oceans and terrestrial ecosystems.
The program draws on 400,000 euros in total funding, secured through partnership with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). Each of the five participating countries has been allocated a maximum of 80,000 euros, with individual awards ranging from 30,000 euros to 80,000 euros per project.
Funding will prioritize projects that adopt upstream prevention strategies to cut plastic use at its source, paired with midstream circular economy approaches that extend the lifecycle of plastic materials already in circulation. This focus aligns with a growing regional push to address plastic pollution at its origin, rather than only managing waste after it enters the environment, through expanded reuse, recycling, and adoption of sustainable alternative materials.
All supported projects are required to set clear, measurable targets for both environmental and socio-economic impact. Beyond cutting plastic leakage, grantees will advance national environmental priorities and contribute to global commitments including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Applications for the first round of funding are open now, and interested eligible organizations have until 11:59 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time on May 31, 2026 to submit full proposals. Full program guidelines and additional application details are available through the official IUCN program portal.
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