This document Partners in Sustainable Development: Empowering Civil Societies Through SGP presents a cursory review of Malaysia’s experience in implementing the Small Grants Programme (SGP) over ten years. The programme started in 1999 and thus far has funded more than 90 projects
including both full and planning grants. More than 60 NGOs and CBOs representing various segments – ranging from well-established organisations, such as WWF, to local community organisations located in rural and remote parts of the country – have joined SGP as project partners.

In line with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) thematic focal areas, SGP Malaysia projects were focused on biodiversity and climate change. The analyses of the twenty projects selected for this review is categorised under five aspects: capacity building; pilot or demonstration project; promoting application of renewable energy; awareness raising; and alternative livelihood.

These analyses show pre-existing circumstances, capture benefits of the projects; and highlight the post-completion situation. Some projects strived to demonstrate new ideas, approaches and methods. For instance, the project by the Foundation for Agriculture, Environment and Education (ECOFARE) tried to demonstrate an integrated scheme for the conservation and sustainable use of rice biodiversity involving the indigenous rice-growing communities of Tanjung Purun, Skuduk and Chupak in
Sarawak. Innovations that were introduced enabled farmers to increase their revenue through increased planting density, use of biofertilisers, a retractable roof for sun-drying rice, and utilisation of a micro-mill to maintain the quality of inputs.