Cross-Cutting / Intersectional Impact: June 2026 Funding Opportunities (12 new opportunities!)
81 cross-sectoral signals; $220M+. Funders design calls at sector intersections, not as side effects. AI shows up as cross-sector capacity, not a sector of its own.
Hello everyone.
The June update for Cross-Sectoral brings calls that were structured to fund at the intersections of multiple sectors by design. A few trends we are seeing:
In Sector Intersections as Funder Design Choice, Not Side Effect, four flagship Cross-Sectoral calls in this cycle were structured to fund at intersections that single-sector funders systematically underserve. Velux Stiftung’s Daylight Research program funds an unusual three-way intersection of solar energy transition, global health, and urban planning, with natural daylight named as the connecting thread and projects where daylight is peripheral or substituted by artificial light filtered out at first screen. The European Commission’s Horizon Europe Cluster 2 Rethinking Long-term Care call integrates demographic projection, health workforce policy, AI-based and digital tools, and gender-sensitive policy research into a single EUR €3.75 million per-project funding architecture, with the EUR €15 million envelope structured to fund 4 multi-country comparative consortia covering at least 15 EU Member States. The Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Fellowships fund journalism (Arts and Media field) that is only relevant when it accounts for AI deployment in policing, medicine, social welfare, criminal justice, and hiring (Governance and Justice plus Health), building reporting capacity at the journalism-AI-policy intersection rather than commissioning one-off stories. Morgan Stanley’s EMEA Impact Through Innovation Awards bundle children’s and young people’s health, mental wellbeing, and education into a single GBP £100,000-per-winner award across the EMEA region, with the eligibility floor at small and mid-sized charities deliberately set to fund organizations that work across these three areas without enough scale to attract single-domain funders. Taken together, these calls indicate that cross-sector framing is increasingly the deliberate design choice for problems that span workforce, policy, technology, and demographic shifts.
In AI as Cross-Sector Capacity, Not a Sector, this cycle’s cross-sectoral and adjacent calls show AI showing up not as a sector of its own but as the deployment infrastructure for work across other sectors. The Pulitzer Center funds journalism on AI deployment in policing, medicine, social welfare, criminal justice, and hiring; the AI is not the topic, the deployment in those sectors is. The European Commission’s Long-term Care call explicitly names digital and AI-based tools as one of three intervention categories alongside social innovation and workforce reform, integrating AI into health policy rather than treating it as a research category. XPRIZE’s Build with Gemini hackathon deploys USD $2 million across 25 prizes for non-technical builders such as teachers, nurses, and farmers to build commercial AI businesses, framing AI as a tool any sector practitioner can apply rather than a domain reserved for AI engineers. Taken together, AI in 2026 mission-driven funding is increasingly the layer that connects domains, not the domain itself.
In Public Diplomacy, Bilateral, and Corporate-CSR Capital Channeling Across Sectors, capital channels defined by the funder-applicant relationship rather than sector match are doing meaningful work in this cycle. From the Education and Governance page: U.S. Mission Mexico’s FY26 Public Diplomacy Annual Program Statement, U.S. Embassy Dhaka’s cooperative agreement to manage the Edward M. Kennedy Center for Public Service, and the Embassy of Japan in Uganda’s Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects are bilateral and public-diplomacy capital channels eligible across sectors so long as the project fits the host-mission priorities. Morgan Stanley’s EMEA Impact Through Innovation Awards is corporate-CSR capital with the same logic at the philanthropic side: project type matters less than alignment with the funder’s chosen sector cluster. Smart Family Fund’s Angel Philanthropy grants function similarly, with org-stage (early-stage US 501(c)(3) nonprofits) and the “not yet proven efficacy” filter doing the gatekeeping work rather than sector. People Powered’s Climate Democracy Accelerator pairs government and civil society organizations with implementation grants at the Climate-Governance intersection across Brazil, Indonesia, India, and Mexico. Taken together, these channels indicate that for practitioners whose work spans sectors, the most actionable funding opportunities are often in calls defined by applicant identity, geographic relationship, or institutional partnership rather than by sector match.
Total Estimated Funding Pool: $220 Million+ USD
The grants are organized into three categories:
Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 30 open opportunities- 12 new opportunities added!
Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 43 rolling opportunities!
Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 8 long term opportunities!
A quick tip for returning readers: if you want to jump straight to the newest additions, use CTRL F to search for “New!” and navigate quickly to the latest funding opportunities
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Open Calls:
Call for proposals to support interdisciplinary research on daylight’s impact on future solar societies, global health, and urban planning, Velux Stiftung. *New!* *Closing soon!*
Velux Stiftung’s Daylight Research program is funding interdisciplinary research at an unusual three-way intersection: solar energy transition, global health, and urban planning, with natural daylight positioned as the connecting thread the foundation believes is structurally under-explored. The funder logic is explicit about what this funds and what it does not: research where daylight is at the core of both the question and the plan, rather than research where daylight is peripheral or where artificial light substitutes for the real thing. By excluding projects eligible for national science agency funding (Swiss National Science Foundation, NIH, equivalents) unless applicants make a substantive case for why alternative support is unavailable, the foundation is filtering deliberately toward research that mainstream science funders won’t touch, narrowing the call to genuinely orphaned interdisciplinary work rather than topping up well-funded labs. Two tracks structure the funding: seed projects up to one year for feasibility and proof-of-concept, and full research projects up to four years for interdisciplinary studies. A 2027 expansion will add a “Right to Daylight” topic and a knowledge transfer track.
Geographies: Global; Swiss institutions and international researchers both eligible.
Who can apply: Principal investigators who are permanent employees (professor or group leader level) of academic research institutions. Up to three co-PIs permitted; unlimited collaborators. Interdisciplinary and transboundary partnerships encouraged. Projects eligible for national science agency funding (Swiss National Science Foundation, NIH, equivalents) are excluded unless applicants make a substantive case for why alternative support is unavailable.
Funding amount: Seed projects CHF 50,000 to CHF 100,000 (approximately USD $57K to $114K) for up to one year; full research projects CHF 100,000 to CHF 300,000 (approximately USD $114K to $341K) for up to four years. No overhead or indirect costs funded.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Energy; Climate & Environment; Infrastructure & Urban Development. Focus areas: daylight research, solar transition, circadian health, urban densification, interdisciplinary science.
Deadline: June 4, 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Final decisions expected December 2026.
The “daylight must be at the core” requirement is the genuine filter, and proposals where daylight functions as a metaphor, a framing device, or a feature of an otherwise standard study consistently fail at first screen. The national-agency-eligibility exclusion is similarly enforced: applicants whose work could plausibly land at Swiss National Science Foundation or NIH need a real argument for why they’re approaching Velux instead, and “we want to expand our funding base” is not that argument.
Operation Santa Claus Grant 2026/27, SCMP Charities and RTHK. *Closing soon!*
Operation Santa Claus, the joint SCMP and RTHK fundraising drive established in 1988, is opening applications for its 2026/27 grant cycle supporting Hong Kong’s small-to-medium charities working in three published funding focus areas. The funder logic explicitly excludes organizations receiving Social Welfare Department subvention or with annual expenditure above HK $15 million, deliberately reserving capital for organizations operating without major institutional backing and below the threshold where larger grant funders typically engage. The selection criteria reward measurable impact through evidence-based evaluation, social capital and resilience-building beyond perpetual dependency, innovative pilot work challenging traditional service delivery, and demonstrated long-term sustainability strategies. The bonus criterion for AI and digital enhancement integration signals the Foundation’s expectation that even small Hong Kong charities should be developing operational AI capability, an unusually progressive technology-readiness expectation in mid-size local philanthropy. Project periods run one to three years starting April 2027.
Geographies: Hong Kong SAR.
Who can apply: Non-profit charitable organisations registered in Hong Kong and tax-exempt under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Operations and organisational focus must be exclusively within Hong Kong. Annual expenditure for previous financial year must not exceed HK $15 million. Must not receive major Social Welfare Department subvention. Applications requesting HK $600,000 or above recommended to include at least two collaborating organisations.
Funding amount: Up to HK $1,000,000 per project (approximately USD $128,000); distributed in instalments.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Philanthropy & Civil Society; Focus areas: Hong Kong community programmes, small-to-medium charities, social innovation, AI integration.
Deadline: June 10, 2026 at noon (Hong Kong time).
The strict eligibility filters (no Social Welfare Department subvention, expenditure under HK $15 million, no other funding for the proposed project) mean larger Hong Kong charities should not apply, and proposals from organizations close to the HK $15 million threshold should expect close scrutiny of their expenditure structure.
Funding for Strategic Collaboration in the Impact Investing Sector (Collaboration Fund RFP), Sorenson Impact Institute. *Closing soon!*
Sorenson Impact Institute seeks to strengthen the impact investing and inclusive capitalism ecosystem by reducing fragmentation and supporting durable structural collaboration among nonprofit field-building organizations. The fund’s investment logic centers on consolidation as a field-building strategy: proposals should show how a merger, acquisition, shared services integration, or other long-term combination will reduce duplication, improve coordination, and increase the availability and durability of shared infrastructure that benefits the whole field. Priority is given to applicants that demonstrate board and leadership alignment, a credible execution plan, and a clear pathway to sustained field-level value beyond what the organizations could achieve independently. Funding is designed to remove practical barriers that often stall consolidation, enabling organizations to move from exploratory discussions to implementable integration.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Nonprofit field-building organizations in impact investing or inclusive capitalism (or immediately related fields) with 501(c)(3) status or equivalency.
Funding amount: $100,000–$400,000 (anticipated typical grant size; currency not specified).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Economic Inclusion & Livelihoods; Focus areas: impact investing ecosystem, nonprofit consolidation, strategic mergers, shared infrastructure, due diligence.
Deadline: LOI: June 11, 2026; Full Proposal (invited): August 22, 2026 (time zone not specified).
This is a funder signal that “field strength” is increasingly measured by coordination capacity and durable shared infrastructure, not the number of separate organizations in the ecosystem.
EU-LAC Digital Accelerator Open Call #5 (Corporate-Startup Partnerships), EU-LAC Digital Accelerator. *Closing soon!*
This open call seeks to turn cross-regional corporate needs into validated digital solutions by structuring how corporates and startups work together, reducing the failure rate of partnerships through guided roadmapping and a defined service pathway from proof-of-concept to commercialization planning. The program’s investment logic is partnership-first: selected teams receive a dedicated mentor, tailored acceleration services, and a clear collaboration agreement process that aligns technical delivery with business outcomes and scaling readiness. While Open Call #5 spotlights sustainable mobility as a featured opportunity area, the accelerator is explicitly open to partnerships from any industry, prioritizing credible problem-solution fit and joint execution capacity over sector branding. Startups can also unlock targeted support for proof-of-concept execution, reinforcing the program’s emphasis on real-world validation rather than pitch-only participation.
Geographies: EU-27 and eligible Latin America and Caribbean countries (partners must be from at least two regions: EU, Latin America, Caribbean).
Who can apply: Corporate-startup or corporate-innovative SME partnerships, legally established in eligible countries and meeting size and turnover criteria.
Funding amount: Services valued up to EUR €30,000 (EUR €40,000 if Caribbean partner involved); startups only: up to EUR €10,500 PoC-related grants (EUR €7,000 PoC; max EUR €2,000 travel; max EUR €1,500 equipment transport).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Innovation & Technology; Focus areas: corporate-startup partnerships, accelerator program, proof of concept, business case development, investment readiness.
Deadline: June 12, 2026.
This call rewards execution-ready partnerships, so the strongest applications will show a clear corporate challenge, a deployable digital solution, and a realistic PoC plan that can convert collaboration into commercial traction.
Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGP), Embassy of Japan in Uganda. *New!* *Closing soon!*
The Embassy of Japan in Uganda’s Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGP) is funding non-profit, development-oriented organizations for community development projects at the grassroots level, with grants of up to approximately USD $100,000 per project. The funder logic is hard-infrastructure-only: grants fund construction of structures and facilities and provision of equipment and materials in priority areas (primary and secondary education, vocational training, primary health care and reproductive health, water and sanitation, agricultural development, and reconstruction in disaster-affected areas), and projects consisting solely of soft-component activities are categorically ineligible. The GGP scheme has run since 1989 across 141 countries, with 296 projects funded in Uganda alone as of April 2026, meaning Japan is operating one of the most established and predictable bilateral capital channels for Ugandan grassroots organizations. Selection rounds close twice annually on 15 February and 15 June; the review takes at least six months per round.
Geographies: Uganda.
Who can apply: Non-profit organizations meeting three criteria: minimum two years of grassroots project experience; at least one full-time paid staff member; valid legal status registered with a relevant authority. Eligible types include international, national, or local NGOs; CBOs; health centers; government-aided schools; cooperatives; and local authorities. International organizations eligible only as sole implementer in a given area.
Funding amount: Up to approximately USD $100,000 per project.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Social Inclusion & Community Wellbeing; Education; Health; WASH; Agriculture & Food Systems. Focus areas: grassroots infrastructure, primary education, vocational training, primary health care, water and sanitation, agricultural development.
Deadline: June 15, 2026.
The hard-infrastructure rule is the call’s defining filter: training, capacity building, and policy advocacy without a building, equipment, or materials component will not be funded. Organizations whose programming centers on services should partner with infrastructure-anchored implementers (schools, health centers, CBOs) to access this capital.
Cascador ScaleUp Program 2026, Cascador (Empowering Economic Growth Foundation). *Closing soon!*
Cascador supports growth-stage founders across Sub-Saharan Africa through a 12-week hybrid accelerator combining bespoke business analysis, leadership coaching, and strategic advisory. The program selects 12 founders per cohort - one of the most selective accelerators on the continent - and combines a personal stipend, full travel and accommodation for in-person Lagos sessions, and Pitch Day prizes. The substantive draw, however, is downstream capital access: graduates become eligible to apply for the Cascador Catalytic Fund, which deploys USD $2-5 million annually in blended debt, equity, guarantees, and collateral financing through Sterling Bank. Since 2019, Cascador’s 70-plus alumni have collectively raised over USD $125 million and created more than 67,000 jobs in 2025 alone. Eligibility requires at least two years of operation and USD $70,000 or more in annual revenue. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with early submission recommended to maximize chances of a Pitch Day invitation. Cohort selection notifications arrive by August 1, 2026.
Geographies: Sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria as the primary focus market. In-person sessions in Lagos.
Who can apply: Business founders or co-founders of companies with at least 2 years of operation, USD $70,000+ in annual revenue, based or operating in Nigeria or another Sub-Saharan African country. Preference given to ventures with meaningful social impact.
Funding amount: USD $5,000 founder stipend (guaranteed for completers); USD $50,000 in Pitch Day prizes; full travel, lodging, and meals for in-person sessions. Alumni eligible for Cascador Catalytic Fund deploying USD $2-5 million annually.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Economic Development & Livelihoods; Social Inclusion & Community Wellbeing; Agriculture & Food Systems; Health; SDGs 8, 9, 10, 1.
Deadline: June 15, 2026. (17:00 WAT). Cohort begins August 17, 2026.
This is a high-selectivity program where the downstream Catalytic Fund pathway - USD $2-5M in blended finance - is the primary capital draw, not the program stipend or prizes. Applicants should lead with quantified social impact metrics, demonstrated capital deployment capacity, and revenue traction, while framing coachability and leadership development appetite as core to their narrative.
Global Development Awards Competition 2026 (GDAC 2026), Global Development Network (GDN). *Closing soon!*
The Global Development Network seeks to surface and scale science, technology, and innovation work that advances peace and human security in low- and middle-income countries. Now in its 25th year and backed by Japan’s Ministry of Finance through the World Bank-managed PHRD Trust Fund, GDAC 2026 invites two distinct applicant communities through parallel tracks: LMIC-based researchers via the Outstanding Research on Development track, and non-profit NGOs and CSOs from LMICs via the Most Innovative Development Project track. The competition deliberately embeds gender equity in its selection process, with explicit encouragement of female researcher applications. Beyond cash awards, all winners receive mentoring from Scientific and Technical Advisors, and MIDP first prize winners can compete for a substantial follow-on grant under the World Bank-administered Japan Social Development Fund after twelve months of implementation. The 2026 theme anchors all proposals: Science, Technology, and Innovation for Peace and Human Security.
Geographies: Global South - all World Bank-recognized low- and middle-income countries.
Who can apply: ORD track - individual researchers or research teams based in LMICs, with policy-relevant proposals; MIDP track - non-profit NGOs and CSOs registered in LMICs with projects at the implementation stage targeting marginalized communities.
Funding amount: Grants range $10,000 - USD $50,000. MIDP first prize winners eligible for follow-on JSDF grant of up to USD $200,000 after 12 months of implementation.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Innovation & Technology; Governance & Justice; Health; SDGs 3, 9, 16, 17.
Deadline: June 17, 2026. (18:00 IST).
Applicants must explicitly frame proposals around the Japanese “Human Security” principle - freedom from fear, freedom from want, and freedom to live in dignity - as this is the conceptual anchor of the 2026 edition and directly tied to the funder’s priorities. MIDP applicants with implementation-stage projects already showing scale-up potential are best positioned for both the immediate grant and the high-value JSDF follow-on of up to USD $200,000.
Impact Innovation: Implementation project for a reformed public sector in 2026, Vinnova. *Closing soon!*
SustainGov’s implementation call is designed to move public-sector reform from analysis to practice by funding teams that can jointly test and refine new operating models across organizational boundaries. Vinnova and partners are looking for projects that treat fragmentation as the core barrier, then prototype new ways of organizing, governing, and financing that measurably improve health and well-being for a clearly defined end group. The program is explicitly systems-oriented: it prioritizes solutions anchored in one SustainGov focus area (complex care needs, inclusive society, food security, or a renewed resident-public sector relationship) and expects participating actors to share responsibility, risks, and results rather than running parallel activities. The consortium rules reinforce this intent, requiring multi-level public sector ownership and encouraging collaboration with civil society, business, and academia when it strengthens implementation and learning.
Geographies: Sweden.
Who can apply: Consortia of 3+ organizations with 2+ public sector partners; lead must be a municipality, region, or state agency.
Funding amount: SEK 4,000,000 (maximum; up to 80% aid intensity).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Governance, Democracy & Justice; Focus areas: public sector reform, systems approach, cross-sector collaboration, complex care needs, inclusive society, food security, renewed resident-public sector relationship.
Deadline: June 17, 2026 (14:00 Stockholm time).
This call rewards “implementation credibility”: proposals win when they show exactly how multiple public actors will change real operating practices together, and how that change will be measured in outcomes for the target group.
Zayed Sustainability Prize – 2027 Cycle, Zayed Sustainability Prize. *Closing soon!*
The Zayed Sustainability Prize is one of the world’s most significant global sustainability awards, designed to accelerate transformative solutions that deliver tangible social, environmental, and economic impact. Rooted in the humanitarian and sustainability legacy of the UAE’s founding father, the Prize seeks innovations that are not only technically sound but also scalable, inclusive, and capable of improving lives at scale. The 2026 cycle will award organizations across five institutional categories—Health, Food, Energy, Water, and Climate Action—alongside the Global High Schools category, which empowers youth-led sustainability projects. The funder’s selection logic prioritizes demonstrated impact, innovation beyond the status quo, and a clear pathway for scaling solutions to underserved communities. Prize funding is explicitly tied to implementation plans, reinforcing the Prize’s focus on measurable outcomes rather than recognition alone.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: SMEs and nonprofit organizations; secondary schools for the Global High Schools category.
Funding amount: USD $1,000,000 per organizational category winner; USD $150,000 per Global High Schools winner.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Sustainable Development; Focus areas: clean energy, food systems, water security, climate action, youth sustainability leadership.
Deadline: June 23, 2026 (23:59 Gulf Standard Time).
The Prize’s structure reflects a systems-level strategy: rewarding solutions that combine innovation with implementation readiness to deliver lasting sustainability outcomes across regions and sectors.
