Globe with green continents — international climate funding open to Indian startups

International Climate Grants for Indian Startups

Beyond India’s domestic schemes, a set of global funders accept applications from Indian startups, companies and organisations. These are international grants — EU, UN, global foundations and cross-border programmes — that are open to India-based applicants and non-dilutive.

The catch is discoverability: they live on foreign portals, run on their own calendars, and most founders never see them. Below is the live list we track, filtered to India-eligible, non-dilutive, startup/company-audience opportunities.

Non-Dilutive FundingGovernment GrantsClimate AcceleratorsAll Grants

Open Now

GEF Small Grants Programme — India (UNDP)
GrantOngoing

GEF Small Grants Programme — India (UNDP)

$300,000 (max)GEF / UNDP
Rolling — check funder
Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF)
Grant47 days

Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF)

USD 75,000Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF)
Closes: 2026-12-01
DIV Fund — Global Development Innovation Grants
GrantOngoing

DIV Fund — Global Development Innovation Grants

Up to US $1.5M (Pilot $200K → Test $500K → Scale $1.5M)DIV Fund
Rolling — check funder

Recently Closed & Past Cycles

Past programs that show the shape of this funding space. Most run again — watch the funder page or our digest for the next window.

EU Civil Society Grants — India (Climate Action Track)

European Commission

€9.9M envelope for India-based civil-society organisations on climate action. CSO-only (not startups) — listed as a reference for the international-grants lane.

Funder page →

How to Apply

Frequently asked questions

Can Indian startups apply for international climate grants?

Yes, when the funder lists India as an eligible country. Global Innovation Fund, GSMA Innovation Fund, and several EU/UN programmes accept Indian applicants. Each grant’s page states eligibility — read it before applying.

Are international grants non-dilutive?

The ones listed here are. We exclude equity-first funds and loans. But international grants vary widely — always confirm the instrument on the funder page, not the aggregator.

Why are there so few international grants listed?

Because the genuinely India-eligible, non-dilutive, startup-audience pool is thin. Most big international climate funds require a non-India lead applicant or exclude startups. We list what is real, not what is plentiful.