Focal Regions
Based on IUCN NL’s previous experience with small grants programmes, focal regions have been established for the EGP. Regional focusing should increase synergy between organizations, which:

• facilitates the transfer of knowledge and skills from experienced to less experienced organizations;
• strengthens the capacity of NGOs to influence policies;
• increases the impacts of individual projects.

Establishing regional support structures is part of the EGP focal region approach, and will be developed by IUCN NL and selected regional partners including IUCN Regional Offices.

For every focal region, specific priority themes for funding have been formulated (see below). Focal regions of the EGP are:

West Africa(Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone)

Central Africa (DRC, Congo/B, C.A.R., Rwanda, Burundi, Eq.Guinea, Cameroon).

Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea)

Mekong Region (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar (Burma) and Yunnan Province in China, priority will be given to projects that are located within the Mekong River Basin)

Parana-Paraguay River Basin (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina as far as located in the basin)

Guiana Shield Region (Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil as far as located in the Guiana Shield)

Rest of the world
The EGP will remain open to low-risk, high-potential proposals from outside the focal regions. 

• Central Africa
• Guiana Shield Region
• Mekong Region
• Parana-Paraguay Basin
• Southeast Asia
• West Africa