The BIMP-EAGA–Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (BKCF) launched its 5th grant cycle this month, with the deadline for proposals on 14 March 2025.
Fund manager Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) updated the guidelines with additional requirements for 2025 on its website. The guidelines are also available on the BIMP-EAGA website. GGGI is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization in Seoul. It serves as a depositary of the fund.
The BKCF has funded 30 projects since it was established by the Republic of Korea in 2021 to help promote inclusive and balanced growth in Southeast Asia and contribute to ASEAN Connectivity. The fund supports Vision 2025 of BIMP-EAGA, a cooperation initiative established in 1994 by Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It is recommended that proposed programs or projects should be for implementation in the BIMP-EAGA subregion, but proposals for other regions of the four member countries are also accepted.
Priority is given to projects in four sectors of Vision 2025: environment (e.g., climate mitigation and adaptation, green finance, nature-based solutions), tourism (e.g., ecotourism, tourism planning and infrastructure), connectivity (e.g., green transport, digital transformation, climate change knowledge economy), and agriculture and fisheries (e.g., food security, sustainable livelihood). In 2024, majority of the projects that were approved are in the agriculture and fisheries sector. Some projects are classified in more than one sector—for example, agriculture and fisheries sector as well as environment sector.
This year, GGGI is requiring grant applicants to submit an institutional portfolio that demonstrates experience in implementing the proposed project as well as detailed information on the human resources needed.
BKCF accepts proposals for a 1-year grant of between $100,000 and $500,000 and for a 2-year grant of between $200,000 and $500,000. For projects with multiple countries or BIMP-EAGA regional projects, the maximum grant per country is $250,000.
Project proposals may be submitted by government agencies, public sector institutes, academic and research institutes, NGOs, private sector entities, or any other autonomous institutes from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea. Individuals and debarred or sanctioned entities are not eligible to apply for the fund. GGGI can participate as a delivery partner to support project implementation upon endorsement of the BIMP-EAGA country or countries involved.
Shortlisted proposals are approved by senior officials of BIMP-EAGA and the Republic of Korea during the Senior Officials’ Meeting.