February Funding Intelligence: 110+ New Opportunities Shaping 2026
More than 260 opportunities across 18 sectors and 190 countries - and over $1B in grants, research funding, and catalytic investment for a resilient 2026.
Hello Everyone!
Welcome to the February 2026 Impact Funding edition of 2026- celebrating one year on Substack!
The February 2026 landscape marks a decisive move away from fragmented, one-off aid toward “Ecosystem-Led Resilience.” Across all sectors—from Deep Tech in Europe to humanitarian recovery in Ukraine—we are seeing a powerful momentum behind Structural Continuity. Donors are no longer just funding activities; they are resourcing the legal, professional, and digital foundations that allow local systems to sustain themselves and adapt long after the grant ends.
This month, we have analyzed over 110 new listings, identifying a total actionable funding pool of over $1 Billion USD. The intelligence signal is clear: success is now favoring integrated readiness. Whether you are scaling an AI-literacy tool or restoring a national protection grid, the landscape is looking for partners who can bridge the “innovation paradox” by building secure, human-centered, and market-ready systems.
You can find all the opportunities, including upcoming, rolling and long-term planning opportunities, in the sector-specific pages* —perfect for planning your long term fundraising strategy.
In this edition, you’ll find opportunities in:
Cross-Cutting / Intersectional Impact (68 opportunities, 17 new). Scaling the circular bioeconomy and "blue innovation" to climate-proof food systems across the Global South.
Agriculture, Climate, Environment, Energy & Food (54 opportunities, 25 new). Scaling the circular bioeconomy and "blue innovation" to climate-proof food systems across the Global South.
Gender and Women’s Empowerment (31 opportunities, 8 new). Moving from representation to institutional authority, focusing on women-led tech and Track 1 peace negotiations.
Global Health & WASH (52 opportunities, 17 new). A "double-helix" focus: hyper-local health equity (maternal health) paired with pandemic-proof R&D.
Education, Human Rights & Inclusion (28 opportunities, 12 new). Shifting from access to structural resilience, with a focus on long-term inclusive schooling in South Sudan and the Pacific.
Humanitarian Aid, Emergency Programming & DRR (30 opportunities, 23 new). Prioritizing anticipatory action and mental health resilience in Ukraine and the Middle East over reactive relief.
Innovation, Research & Smart Cities (29 opportunities, 11 new). Bridging the "innovation paradox" by funding real-world deep-tech validation and AI-driven forecasting.
*The sector -specific pages are for paid subscribers, this helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities. However, the monthly roundup of top opportunities will always remain free and accessible to all. This month we are happy to share with you 50+ selected opportunities.
In January, I ran a pay-what-you-can experiment. What I learned was simple and reassuring: people used it thoughtfully. Some chose the lowest level, some paid the standard rate, and some actively opted to contribute more. That distribution told me this model actually reflects the reality of the global impact space — uneven resources, shared intent, and a genuine willingness to support things that are useful.
So I’m keeping it. Pay-what-you-can is no longer an experiment here; it’s how this platform stays accessible and sustainable.
Pay what you can links:
$100 / year (standard)
Selected Opportunities
Cross-Cutting / Intersectional Impact
The Liveability Challenge 2026, Temasek Foundation. *Closing soon!*
The Liveability Challenge is stepping up with its ninth edition, calling on innovative start‑ups and scale‑ups worldwide to tackle urban sustainability in tropical climates through two strategic themes: Decarbonisation and Cool Earth. The Decarbonisation track seeks disruptive deep‑tech solutions that significantly cut carbon emissions across industries, such as waste‑to‑resource systems, renewable energy, and energy‑efficiency interventions. The Cool Earth track, meanwhile, focuses on solutions that strengthen resilience against climate‑induced extreme weather, for example passive cooling technologies, nature‑based interventions, or heat‑mitigation innovations.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Start‑ups and scale‑ups with deep‑tech solutions targeting urban climate / liveability challenges.
Funding amount: The top two solutions from either challenge themes will receive S$1M in grant funding.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate Tech & Urban Innovation; Focus areas: decarbonisation, heat resilience, nature‑based solutions, scaling deep‑tech.
Deadline: February 9, 2026 (23:59 GMT+8).
By aligning catalytic capital with enterprise‑acceleration and industrial ecosystem access, this challenge is a strategic lever to scale climate‑tech breakthroughs for liveable tropic cities.
UN Global Pulse Accelerator Programme – Cohort 4 (2026), UN Global Pulse. *New!*
The UN Global Pulse Accelerator Programme – Cohort 4 (2026) is a United Nations system-wide initiative designed to help UN-led innovation teams transition proven pilots into sustainable, scalable solutions that deliver deeper impact for people and the planet. The programme pairs structured mentoring, multidisciplinary strategy development, and ecosystem engagement with a hands-on, in-person workshop in Finland (8–12 June 2026), where selected teams refine real world scaling plans tailored to their contexts. Top teams with the most compelling strategies will be awarded a Scale Catalyst Grant (USD 60,000) and targeted mentoring to support implementation. The programme is fully backed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, reflecting a shared commitment to leveraging data, digital technologies, and responsible innovation to accelerate progress on development and humanitarian outcomes across UN mandates.
Geographies: Global (UN system).
Who can apply: UN-led teams with innovative, piloted solutions ready to scale.
Funding amount: Scale Catalyst Grant USD 60,000 (for select teams).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Innovation & Technology; Focus areas: scaling strategy, data-enabled solutions, digital and AI support for impact.
Deadline: February 11, 2026 (midnight EST).
The Accelerator underscores the UN’s strategic pivot toward scaling tested innovations with robust data, human-centred design, and partnerships that deepen development and humanitarian impact.
Call for Proposals 2026 – EAC/A15/2025, European Commission – European Solidarity Corps. *First window of Volunteering Projects & Solidarity Projects closing soon!*
The European Solidarity Corps’ 2026 call funds a wide array of youth-led and institutional solidarity activities across Europe and beyond. With a total allocation of over EUR €129 million, the call supports volunteering projects, solidarity initiatives, humanitarian aid actions, and the accreditation of participating organizations through the Quality Label. The program’s overarching goals include boosting civic participation, enhancing inclusion, promoting environmental and humanitarian engagement, and fostering skills through mobility. Each action line has distinct application deadlines and eligibility pathways, welcoming both established entities and youth groups registered on the ESC Portal.
Geographies: EU27, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Türkiye, North Macedonia.
Who can apply: Any legal entity (non-profit or for-profit); youth groups registered on the ESC Portal.
Funding amount: EUR €129,595,000 total pool; individual project sizes vary by action.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Youth & Student Engagement; Focus areas: solidarity volunteering, youth action, humanitarian aid, civic participation.
Deadline: Volunteering Projects & Solidarity Projects: February 18, May 7, October 1, 2026; Volunteering in High Priority Areas: March 3, 2026; Humanitarian Aid Volunteering: April 23, 2026; Quality Label: September 22, 2026.
Proposals that demonstrate authentic youth ownership, measurable impact, and inclusive outreach are most competitive in ESC evaluations.
National Grassroots Organizing Program – National Grants, Ben & Jerry’s Foundation. *No longer accepting rolling applications- deadline for 2026 closing this month!*
The foundation offers two-year, unrestricted general operating grants to small, constituent-led grassroots nonprofits across the U.S. These grants are designed to empower local leadership in organizing for social and environmental justice and prioritize collective action, power analysis, campaign building, and community-rooted solutions to systemic inequities.
Geographies: United States and its territories.
Who can apply: Grassroots nonprofit organizations with budgets of USD $350,000 or less, U.S.-based and focused, employing organizing as primary strategy; restricted from funding universities, research, direct services, capital campaigns, or international work.
Funding amount: Up to USD $30,000 per year for two years; average USD $20,000 per year.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Grassroots Organizing; Social & Environmental Justice.
Deadline: February 25, 2026, 4:00 PM ET.
By providing flexible core support rather than project-specific funding, this program strengthens grassroots organizations’ capacity to build power, advance systemic change, and sustain justice-driven campaigns across vulnerable communities.
MassChallenge Switzerland Accelerator, MassChallenge. *New!*
MassChallenge Switzerland Accelerator is a leading early-stage startup acceleration program designed to help ambitious founders refine their business models, expand their networks, and prepare for scale without giving up equity. Over a structured four-month period, participating startups gain access to world-class mentorship, expert-led workshops, curated introductions to corporate partners and investors, and a rich ecosystem of support tailored to high-impact innovation. While the program is industry-agnostic, it features sustainability and impact-focused tracks such as Agtech & Foodtech, Materials & Industry, and Healthtech, allowing founders to deepen domain expertise with specialized resources. The accelerator culminates in opportunities to compete for a share of up to CHF 1 million in non-dilutive cash prizes and in-kind awards, reinforcing MassChallenge’s commitment to fostering startup growth and ecosystem connectivity.
Geographies: Switzerland (open to startups globally).
Who can apply: Early-stage startups from any country and industry with viable, scalable concepts.
Funding amount: Non-dilutive cash prizes up to CHF 1 million plus in-kind benefits.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Entrepreneurship & Innovation; Focus areas: product-market fit, scaling readiness, startup growth support.
Deadline: March 4, 2026.
The program’s equity-free model and global network access reflect MassChallenge’s strategy of lowering barriers for early innovators and accelerating their path to measurable growth and impact.
Robert G. Wilmers Integrity Prize, Wilmers Integrity Prize. *New!*
The Robert G. Wilmers Integrity Prize honors individuals whose leadership is defined by integrity, service to community, and sustained commitment to making the world better across a wide range of fields. Awarded annually, the Prize recognizes one laureate whose work exemplifies ethical courage and positive social impact, alongside two finalists whose contributions reflect the same values. Eligible fields span the arts, education, environment, law, medicine, nutrition, social justice, and social reform, underscoring the funder’s belief that integrity-driven leadership is essential across all sectors of society. Rather than rewarding technical innovation or organizational scale, the Prize centers character, accountability, and the long-term effects of principled action. Applicants may nominate themselves or be nominated by others, reinforcing the Prize’s openness and emphasis on values over visibility.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Individuals across eligible fields; self-nominations and third-party nominations accepted.
Funding amount: USD $50,000 to one laureate; USD $5,000 to each of two finalists.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Social Impact; Focus areas: ethical leadership, community service, integrity-driven change.
Deadline: Self-application deadline March 31, 2026, it’s possible to nominate year-round.
The Prize reinforces a clear funder philosophy: lasting social progress depends not only on what leaders achieve, but how they choose to lead.
Business Partnership Challenge 2026, Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
ADA’s flagship private sector funding mechanism is back for 2026, inviting proposals from enterprises and eligible nonprofit actors to drive employment, entrepreneurship, and market systems change in the Global South. The Business Partnership Challenge funds initiatives that strengthen institutional frameworks, support SME growth, and build inclusive labor mobility and training systems. Projects must demonstrate multi-stakeholder collaboration, alignment with SDG 8 and SDG 9, and deliver long-term, systemic impact. All applicants are required to provide 50% of total project costs in cash and ensure projects last 3 to 5 years. Grants will be disbursed against narrative and financial reporting milestones.
Geographies: All ODA-eligible countries.
Who can apply: Enterprises, chambers, associations, and nonprofit foundations based in Austria, the EEA, or Switzerland with 3+ years of experience.
Funding amount: EUR €500,000–1,000,000 per project; total envelope: €5,000,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Livelihoods & Economic Recovery; Focus areas: SME development, employment mobility, skills partnerships, public–private cooperation.
Deadline: April 12, 2026 (23:59 CET).
This call emphasizes systemic transformation through public–private collaboration, with a clear mandate to catalyze jobs, SMEs, and inclusive economic systems.
iF Social Impact Prize 2026, iF Design Foundation. *New!*
The iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE recognizes and supports implemented projects that use design as a lever for social and environmental progress. Anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Prize seeks initiatives that address pressing global challenges while demonstrating ethical responsibility, feasibility, and measurable benefit to target communities. Unlike concept-stage awards, this prize explicitly prioritizes projects already in operation, valuing relevance, real-world application, and sustainable impact over scale or visibility. The funder’s selection logic places strong emphasis on moral-ethical standards, problem-solving capacity, and the meaningful integration of design principles, whether through design thinking, design-led processes, or the design of project elements themselves. The Prize is awarded twice annually, with a total fund of EUR €100,000 that may be allocated to one or multiple projects, reflecting iF’s intent to amplify diverse, effective responses to complex societal needs.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Companies, NGOs, foundations, public organizations, social enterprises, and entrepreneurs with implemented projects.
Funding amount: Total prize fund EUR €100,000, awarded to one or multiple projects.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Social Impact; Focus areas: design-led innovation, ethical and inclusive design, SDG-aligned solutions.
Deadline: May 20, 2026 (Round 1); August 19, 2026 (Round 2).
The Prize reflects iF’s core philosophy: that design, when grounded in ethics and real-world use, is a powerful system-shaping tool for social change.
Zayed Sustainability Prize – 2027 Cycle, Zayed Sustainability Prize. *New!*
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.
Agriculture, Climate, Environment, Energy & Food
Tech Solutions for Climate Resilience in Colombia – Call for Proposals, Mercy Corps Ventures. *New!*
Mercy Corps Ventures invites early-stage startups developing technology-driven solutions that help vulnerable communities in Colombia prepare for, adapt to, or recover from climate shocks. Far from a conventional grant, this initiative is structured to advance practical innovation that bridges climate resilience with sustainable business models, focusing on adaptive agriculture, inclusive climate fintech, and climate-smart technologies tailored to underserved populations such as smallholder farmers, low-income households, and micro-enterprises. Selected ventures receive equity-free funding, technical assistance, mentorship, and access to Mercy Corps Ventures’ global partner and investor network to help validate and scale their solutions. Rather than seeding prototypes with unclear pathways, the Fund emphasizes measurable impact, replicability, and solutions that can strengthen food security, unlock access to climate finance, or enhance risk management infrastructure through data and digital tools.
Geographies: Colombia.
Who can apply: Early-stage, tech-enabled for-profit startups based in Colombia.
Funding amount: Up to USD $40,000 per startup (equity-free).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate Resilience; Focus areas: adaptive agriculture, inclusive fintech, climate-smart tech.
Deadline: February 9, 2026 (9:00 pm Colombia time).
Designed as a test-and-learn platform, this call embodies Mercy Corps Ventures’ strategy to validate high-impact climate innovations where community vulnerability intersects with technological possibility.
Honnold Foundation Core Grant – 2026 Grant Cycle, Honnold Foundation. *New!* *Closing soon!*
Designed as a core funding mechanism for equitable solar access, the Honnold Foundation’s 2026 grant cycle backs community-connected organizations using solar energy to strengthen resilience and expand opportunity in underserved communities. The Foundation’s approach emphasizes durable local ownership and real-world uptake—supporting projects where community leadership and trust are not incidental, but central to delivery and long-term stewardship. Eligibility signals a preference for grounded, accountable actors (including organizations with fiscal sponsors and tribally-led applicants), pairing flexibility in organizational form with clear expectations around community connection and readiness to implement. The two-step process (starting with an Organization and Project Summary) reflects a deliberate screening logic: identify aligned work early, then move selected applicants into deeper due diligence and technical review.
Geographies: Global (both domestic and international applicants welcome).
Who can apply: Domestic and international organizations with charitable status (or fiscal sponsor) and community connection, including U.S. Tribes and tribally-led organizations.
Funding amount: Core grants typically range from USD $25,000 to $150,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Energy Access; Focus areas: equitable solar access, community-led solar, energy justice, climate resilience.
Deadline: February 12, 2026 (05:00 PM EST).
The structure reinforces a clear funder preference for community legitimacy and execution readiness, using core support as a lever for durable, locally stewarded solar outcomes.
Global Nutrition Cluster Technical Support and Leadership (Re-advertisement), UNICEF. *New!* *Closing soon!*
This partnership opportunity seeks a specialized civil society organization to provide global leadership and strategic support to the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC), strengthening how Nutrition in Emergencies is coordinated, delivered, and advocated across humanitarian contexts. As Cluster Lead Agency, UNICEF is reinforcing the GNC Programme Team’s capacity to provide timely, high-quality technical assistance to countries facing acute and protracted nutrition crises. The selected partner will play a central role in shaping strategy, governance, and partner engagement, while also leading communications and advocacy efforts that elevate Nutrition in Emergencies within global humanitarian priorities. The assignment reflects a clear emphasis on systems-level coordination, localization, and evidence-driven programming, aligned with the GNC Strategy 2026–2029 and related capacity-strengthening frameworks. By combining leadership facilitation, technical advisory support, and structured knowledge dissemination, this role is designed to enhance coherence, visibility, and collective impact across more than 60 country responses.
Geographies: Global; Kenya (Nairobi); United States of America (New York).
Who can apply: Civil society organizations with technical expertise in Nutrition in Emergencies and experience supporting cluster coordination.
Funding amount: USD $150,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Nutrition; Focus areas: nutrition in emergencies, cluster coordination, localization, advocacy.
Deadline: February 15, 2026.
This call underscores UNICEF’s strategy to professionalize and systematize Nutrition in Emergencies leadership through dedicated partners that combine technical depth with coordination and advocacy capability.
Environment and Peace – Call for International Partners (Conflict Sensitivity), PeaceNexus Foundation. *New!* *Closing soon!*
PeaceNexus Foundation is inviting international environmental organizations to partner in a long-term process to integrate conflict sensitivity into their operations, strategies, and ways of working. Grounded in the recognition that biodiversity loss, climate vulnerability, and violent conflict increasingly overlap, this call focuses on institutional change rather than project delivery. Selected partners will receive tailored organizational accompaniment alongside flexible funding to strengthen staff capacities, embed conflict analysis into environmental programming, adapt safeguards and policies, and improve engagement with communities in fragile and polarized contexts. The initiative is designed as a phased partnership, reflecting PeaceNexus’s belief that meaningful conflict-sensitive practice requires sustained internal change, leadership buy-in, and adaptive learning over time.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: International environmental organizations with programs in at least five countries and experience working in conflict-affected or polarized contexts.
Funding amount: Up to CHF 50,000 per phase of support, with up to three phases possible.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Environment and climate; peacebuilding; organizational development; Focus areas: conflict-sensitive conservation, environmental peacebuilding, institutional capacity strengthening.
Deadline: February 16, 2026 (23:59 CET).
PeaceNexus prioritizes trust-based partnerships, favoring organizations open to deep reflection and internal change over those seeking light-touch technical assistance.
Mitigation Action Facility – Call for Projects 2026, Mitigation Action Facility. *Closing soon!*
The Mitigation Action Facility’s 2026 Call supports ambitious, transformational climate mitigation initiatives in ODA-eligible countries that are tightly integrated into national policy frameworks. Previously known as the NAMA Facility, this fund backs public-sector-led programs that unlock private capital, address carbon lock-in, and catalyze systemic decarbonization. Selected projects must demonstrate strong MRV frameworks, sector-wide impact potential, and multi-stakeholder collaboration across planning and implementation. Funding is provided for both implementation and technical assistance phases, with a two-step application process beginning with a Concept Note due in May 2026.
Geographies: Global South (ODA-eligible countries, incl. Africa, Asia, Latin America).
Who can apply: National governments or public authorities, with at least one co-applicant (e.g. DFI, UN, NGO, private sector).
Funding amount: Up to EUR €25 million per project.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Environment / Climate; Focus areas: transformational change, decarbonization, carbon lock-in, climate finance, MRV systems.
Deadline: February 25, 2026 (Concept Note stage).
The Facility favors policy-aligned, large-scale proposals that leverage institutional reform and blended finance- early alignment with national climate strategies and co-financiers is essential.
Youth Climate Justice Fund – 2026 Open Call, Youth Climate Justice Fund. *New!*
The Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF) supports youth-led movements at the frontlines of the climate crisis that are advancing justice-centered, community-rooted solutions. The fund prioritizes grassroots groups that challenge structural inequities, hold decision-makers accountable, and build collective power through organizing, campaigns, and movement infrastructure. YCJF’s funding approach is intentionally flexible and inclusive, welcoming both registered and unregistered collectives as well as individuals applying on behalf of a group. Beyond grantmaking, the fund invests in long-term movement strength through peer learning and capacity-strengthening support in areas such as leadership, financial literacy, project management, and communications. The 2026 open call focuses on local and national initiatives with deep community ties, reflecting YCJF’s commitment to shifting resources toward youth-led actors who are often excluded from traditional climate finance despite their critical role in driving equitable climate action.
Geographies: Global (local and national groups across all regions).
Who can apply: Youth-led local and national climate justice groups or collectives; individuals may apply if acting on behalf of a collective.
Funding amount: USD $20,000 (local groups); USD $40,000 (national groups).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate Justice; Focus areas: youth-led climate action, movement building, policy accountability.
Deadline: March 1, 2026 (23:59 UTC).
YCJF’s model centers power-building rather than projects, positioning youth-led movements as essential political actors in shaping just climate futures rather than short-term implementers.
eBay Circular Fashion Fund, eBay. *New!*
The eBay Circular Fashion Fund returns in 2026 as an annual global funding and mentorship initiative aimed at supporting early-stage fashion businesses that are transforming the industry through circular design, recycling, reuse, and repair models. The program is designed to accelerate innovators that extend the life of clothing and reduce waste across the fashion system by combining direct financial backing, expert mentoring, and global exposure with eBay and industry leaders. Selection is judged by a panel of sustainability experts, previous alumni founders, and eBay leadership based on circularity impact, business model strength, and alignment with eBay’s sustainability strategy.
Geographies: United States; United Kingdom; European Union; Switzerland; Canada; Australia.
Who can apply: Early-stage businesses (6 months–6 years) legally registered as companies, charities, or social enterprises in eligible markets.
Funding amount: Eight finalists: USD $50,000 each with mentoring; one Global Winner eligible for up to USD $300,000 venture investment.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Sustainable Fashion; Circular Business Models; Textile Recycling; SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure); SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production); SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Deadline: March 8, 2026 (11:59 PM Eastern Time).
This program underscores eBay’s strategic commitment to scaling circular fashion solutions by combining targeted grant awards, global mentoring, and venture-backed growth pathways to help innovators deliver measurable environmental impact.
Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund – 2026 Grants, Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF). *New!*
The Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF) is a focused global grants program designed to support rigorous environmental impact work for proposed small-scale climate intervention field tests that aim to reverse climate change. The fund invests in projects that integrate predictive environmental impact assessments (EIA), advanced impact modeling, and stakeholder engagement strategies ahead of actual field demonstrations. This targeted funding mechanism prioritizes innovative technologies on the cusp of real-world testing that show clear potential for meaningful climate benefits, while ensuring that environmental, social, and governance implications are well understood and documented. CIEIF’s strategy reflects its mission to bridge the gap between concept and responsible implementation by supporting transparent analysis and peer-reviewed reporting on intervention risks and opportunities.
Geographies: Global (applications accepted worldwide).
Who can apply: Investigators with innovative climate intervention field test proposals emphasizing EIA, impact modeling, and stakeholder engagement.
Funding amount: USD $75,000 per grant (three awards).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate Change; Environmental Impact Assessment; Climate Intervention.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
The 2026 cycle advances CIEIF’s focus on building credible, socially accountable evidence about emerging climate intervention technologies by funding analytical groundwork that can shape future research, policy, and practice.
15th E-ASIA Joint Research Program Call: Alternative Energy, E-ASIA Joint Research Program.
The 15th E-ASIA Joint Research Program call on Alternative Energy invites multinational research consortia to advance innovative energy technologies and systems that support low-carbon and sustainable energy transitions across the Asia-Pacific region. The program is designed to align national research investments around shared priorities, funding collaborative projects that address renewable energy generation, energy storage, hydrogen and fuel technologies, smart grids, and system integration challenges. E-ASIA places strong emphasis on scientific excellence, complementary expertise across countries, and solutions with clear potential to contribute to climate mitigation and long-term energy security. Funding is administered at the national level, with each participating country supporting its own research teams under a coordinated framework. By requiring multi-country collaboration and harmonized implementation, the call aims to generate regionally relevant knowledge and technologies that can accelerate the transition to clean energy systems.
Geographies: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania (participating E-ASIA countries).
Who can apply: Transnational research consortia with eligible partners from at least three participating E-ASIA member countries.
Funding amount: Country-specific caps apply; examples include PHP 15,000,000 total for two projects (Philippines) and up to CNY 2,000,000 per project (China).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Energy & Climate; Focus areas: renewable energy systems, energy storage, hydrogen, smart grids.
Deadline: March 18, 2026 (5:00 pm JST).
This call reflects E-ASIA’s strategy of coordinating national clean energy research investments to deliver collaborative solutions with regional relevance and climate impact.
MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity 2026, AEON Environmental Foundation. *New!*
The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity is a prestigious global award that recognizes individuals whose work has delivered exceptional contributions to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Established to advance the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the prize highlights leadership that translates ecological knowledge into lasting environmental and societal impact. The 2026 cycle will honor two laureates whose achievements demonstrate international relevance, long-term commitment, and influence across one or more of three areas: on-the-ground implementation, science and research, or policy and public enlightenment. By elevating individual leadership rather than project proposals, the MIDORI Prize is designed to amplify proven change-makers whose work can inspire replication, policy uptake, and broader public engagement in biodiversity protection worldwide.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Individuals worldwide contributing to biodiversity conservation or sustainable use; nominations required.
Funding amount: Two prizes of USD $100,000 each.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Biodiversity Conservation; Focus areas: biodiversity leadership, conservation impact.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
By centering individual achievement, the MIDORI Prize reinforces AEON Environmental Foundation’s strategy of advancing global biodiversity outcomes through visible leadership, systems influence, and alignment with international biodiversity frameworks.
Innovate for Impact Challenge, World Food Prize Foundation.
The Innovate for Impact Challenge is a global competition designed to spotlight and accelerate early‑stage agricultural technology (AgTech) startups whose breakthrough solutions have the potential to transform food systems and advance global food security. Aligned with the Foundation’s mission to elevate innovations that address sustainability and hunger, this challenge invites visionary founders from around the world to compete for cash prizes and unparalleled exposure. Entrants move through stages including submission, semi‑finalist selection, public engagement, and a live pitch event at the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, in October 2026 — a convening that draws leaders across agriculture, policy, and investment.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Early‑stage, for‑profit AgTech startups with at least one full‑time founding member.
Funding amount: $50,000 (1st), $10,000 (2nd), $5,000 (3rd).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Food & Agriculture; innovation for sustainable food systems (SDG 2, SDG 9).
Deadline: April 15, 2026.
This challenge accelerates scalable AgTech innovations by combining global competition, expert evaluation, and strategic exposure at one of the food system’s premier convenings.
Gender Equality & Women Empowerment
Call for Proposals for Civil Society – UNFPA Türkiye (Lots 1 & 2), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). *New!* *Closing soon!*
Through this call, UNFPA Türkiye is seeking to operationalize its 8th Country Programme (2026–2030) by partnering with civil society organizations that can advance sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment through complementary pathways. Lot 1 emphasizes service delivery and outreach for vulnerable women, girls, and young people, paired with systems-strengthening collaborations with public and local actors. Lot 2 focuses on research, evidence generation, policy development, and advocacy designed to influence decision-making and national discourse. Across both lots, UNFPA prioritizes rights-based, gender-responsive, and intersectional approaches that strengthen national capacity, improve service quality, and embed sustainability beyond project cycles. The call reflects UNFPA’s dual investment logic: pairing frontline implementation with upstream evidence and policy influence to drive durable, system-level change.
Geographies: Türkiye.
Who can apply: Non-profit civil society organizations legally registered in Türkiye.
Funding amount: Lot 1: Up to USD $150,000; Lot 2: Up to USD $100,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; Focus areas: GBV prevention, youth empowerment, care economy, policy and systems strengthening.
Deadline: February 16, 2026.
By structuring the call into service delivery and policy-evidence tracks, UNFPA signals that durable progress on SRHR and gender equality requires simultaneous investment at community and system levels.
Prevention of Gender Violence and Protection of Adolescent Girls in Trinidad and El Alto, UNICEF. *New!* *Closing soon!*
Through this call, UNICEF Bolivia seeks to address entrenched patterns of gender-based violence, sexual violence, and early and forced unions by investing in prevention models centered on adolescent agency and protective community environments. The initiative reflects UNICEF’s strategic framing of violence not only as an individual harm, but as a systemic outcome shaped by social norms, family dynamics, and weak protection ecosystems. By integrating life skills, psychosocial support, parental engagement, and community-based prevention, the program aims to shift risk trajectories for adolescent girls while strengthening local protection systems. The call is explicitly aligned with UNICEF’s 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, prioritizing gender equity, adolescent empowerment, and evidence-based, multisectoral approaches that can disrupt cycles of violence and exclusion in high-risk urban and peri-urban contexts such as El Alto and Trinidad.
Geographies: Bolivia, El Alto (La Paz Department) and Trinidad (Beni Department).
Who can apply: Non-profit civil society organizations.
Funding amount: Total pool: USD $755,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Protection; Focus areas: adolescent agency, GBV prevention, protective environments.
Deadline: February 18, 2026.
This call underscores UNICEF’s conviction that reducing violence against girls requires sustained investment in agency, family systems, and community norms, not only crisis response.
For Women in Science Challenge – Call 101, L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Program. *New!* *Closing soon!*
This global For Women in Science challenge recognizes women scientists whose research excellence and leadership contribute to advancing scientific knowledge and innovation. Structured as both a funding and recognition mechanism, the program combines financial awards with international visibility and integration into a global network spanning academia, research institutions, and science-policy ecosystems. By spotlighting women’s contributions to science and supporting their continued research trajectories, the call directly addresses persistent gender gaps in scientific careers. The award reflects the program’s long-term strategy of strengthening women’s professional capital in research — pairing resources with recognition to support sustained impact and leadership in science.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Women researchers and scientists.
Funding amount: €25,000 per award; four awards granted.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: women in STEM, research leadership, scientific excellence.
Deadline: February 21, 2026.
This award exemplifies the For Women in Science model of advancing gender equality in research by coupling direct funding with long-term visibility and professional recognition.
Al Madad Foundation Small Grants Call 2026, Al Madad Foundation (linked to homepage). *New!* *Closing soon!*
The Al Madad Foundation’s Small Grants Call 2026 invites small and emerging charitable organizations in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt to submit concept notes for projects that strengthen women’s capacity to provide for their families and act as agents of change in their communities. Beyond funding, this program integrates tailored organizational support — including mentoring, webinars, and practical guidance- to help organizations grow both their project delivery and institutional systems. Reflecting AMF’s strategic focus on empowerment and sustainability in displacement settings, the call emphasizes interventions that combine direct community impact with enhanced organizational resilience.
Geographies: Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt.
Who can apply: Small and emerging charitable organizations registered in the country of implementation.
Funding amount: Up to GBP £10,000 per grant.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Humanitarian Aid; Focus areas: women’s empowerment, organizational capacity building, refugee support.
Deadline: February 23, 2026.
This call underscores AMF’s commitment to strengthening the capacity and sustainability of emerging civil society actors while advancing women’s agency and resilience in displacement contexts.
Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment, Supreme Council for Women, Bahrain / UN Women.
The Global Award celebrates exceptional contributions across the public, private, and civil society sectors toward advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality. With no application fees and open globally, it invites individuals and organizations to submit one application (which may contain multiple initiatives) demonstrating impactful, innovative, and inclusive work. Applicants are encouraged to highlight policy influence, sustainable programming, advocacy, or leadership models that foster women’s rights. The award—given every three years—aims not only to recognize achievement but to amplify visibility and drive momentum behind feminist action globally.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Individuals; civil society, public or private institutions worldwide.
Funding amount: USD $100,000 per award (4 total awards by category).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Gender Equality; Focus areas: women’s empowerment, innovation, advocacy, leadership.
Deadline: March 20, 2026 (11:59 PM NY Time).
The award supports global recognition as a lever for scaling feminist impact across borders and sectors.
Global Health & WASH
2026 Hillman Emergent Innovation (HEI), The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation. *Closing Soon!*
This call seeks to accelerate bold, nursing-driven interventions that reshape how care is delivered for marginalized populations in the United States—prioritizing approaches that narrow equity gaps, challenge conventional models, and show credible potential to become best-in-class. The Foundation’s investment logic emphasizes early-stage concepts that can move from promising prototype to scalable intervention within a short runway, backed by measurable outcomes and a clear pathway to real-world adoption. Competitive proposals will be rooted in nursing’s holistic strengths while demonstrating strong institutional and community partnerships, meaningful engagement of patients/families/caregivers, and collaboration across disciplines—especially when care is delivered outside hospital settings. The program is designed to catalyze practical innovations that can influence broader systems of care and sustain beyond the grant period.
Geographies: United States (including U.S. territories).
Who can apply: U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits (non-private foundations); international equivalents serving marginalized populations within the U.S.; government entities; faith-based organizations that welcome and serve all regardless of belief.
Funding amount: USD $50,000 (per award); up to ten (10) awards.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: workforce development, health governance, community engagement
Deadline: February 20, 2026 (5:00 pm ET).
With a high-volume, low-award funnel, proposals that embed cross-sector partnerships and specify how evidence will translate into practice or system uptake tend to align best with the Foundation’s selection logic.
CaixaResearch HealthCare Research Call 2026, ”la Caixa” Foundation. *Closing soon!*
The 2026 HealthCare Research call from the “la Caixa” Foundation supports applied research that advances the design, implementation, evaluation, and scalability of healthcare interventions focused on health promotion and disease prevention. Priorities include projects that demonstrate meaningful pathways from evidence to practice in areas such as mental health, women’s health, child and adolescent health, nutrition and healthy lifestyles, healthy ageing, and chronic conditions, while integrating rigorous, validated methods and multidisciplinary perspectives. This call emphasizes real-world research that produces actionable insights and scalable intervention strategies, rewarding proposals that address feasibility, impact measurement, and sustainability beyond initial funding. Applicants must lead projects based in Spain or Portugal with strong host organizations, and proposals may include research partners and civil society collaborators within budget guidelines. The selection process includes eligibility screening, remote review, and expert committee assessment.
Geographies: Spain and Portugal (project conducted in these countries), global partners allowable within budget limits.
Who can apply: Host organizations (non-profit research performing organizations) in Spain or Portugal, with project leaders holding a doctoral degree.
Funding amount: Pilot studies up to €80,000; retrospective evaluations up to €150,000; new interventions up to €300,000; total envelope up to €2,500,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: pilot feasibility, retrospective evaluation, new intervention design & evaluation
Deadline: February 25, 2026 (14:00 CET).
This first edition call is designed to foster evidence-based health interventions with pathways from demonstration to scalable public benefit, strengthening preventive and promotional health research in real systems.
Roux Prize – 2026 Call for Nominations, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
The Roux Prize is an annual international award that celebrates individuals or groups who have used health evidence in bold, innovative ways to improve population health. Administered by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the prize emphasizes real‑world impact from evidence such as global disease burden data, rewarding not just research but application that drives health improvements for communities or populations.Rather than financing project proposals, the prize recognizes impactful translation and application of data- from burden of disease metrics to policy, practice, or implementation at scale. Nominations are peer‑sourced and evaluated by an expert committee, with the award spotlighting ingenuity in evidence use and the power of data to drive lasting health gains.
Geographies: Global, individuals and groups from any country may be nominated.
Who can apply: Individuals or groups nominated by others (not self‑nominated) whose work demonstrates impactful use of health evidence.
Funding amount: USD $100,000 (prize).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Public Health; Focus areas: evidence‑to‑impact, population health improvement.
Deadline: March 3, 2026.
IHME values innovation in evidence application - nominations should clearly articulate how evidence changed health outcomes or policy decisions.
GAP Fund: Single-Step Support for Medical Product Development, Medical Research Council (MRC).
The GAP Fund provides flexible, one-step support for academic-led projects that aim to bridge the translational gap in medical product development. Managed by MRC and Innovate UK, this fund supports early-stage, high-risk projects that address clear unmet healthcare needs. It is open to researchers across all modalities, from advanced therapies to diagnostics and digital tools, and is designed to advance projects toward feasibility for more substantial follow-on investment.
Geographies: United Kingdom.
Who can apply: UK-based research organizations; collaborators may include SMEs, NHS bodies, and industry.
Funding amount: £50,000–£300,000; Total fund: £3,000,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: translational science, medical product development, early-stage innovation.
Deadline: March 11, 2026 (16:00 UK time).
Strong applications will demonstrate clear routes to downstream funding and alignment with critical health needs in the UK.
Call for Proposals: Water and Sanitation Enterprises in Senegal (Making Water Count 2026–2030), Aqua for All. *New!*
Aqua for All is inviting scalable, impact-driven water and sanitation enterprises in Senegal to apply for support under the new phase of its flagship Making Water Count program (2026–2030). The call targets market-based solutions that can sustainably expand access to safe drinking water and sanitation while mobilizing private capital and strengthening local service delivery ecosystems. Priority is given to enterprises operating across drinking water and sanitation value chains, including household water treatment, fecal sludge management, smart water technologies, and circular economy models. Aqua for All is particularly interested in solutions that integrate climate resilience and gender considerations, and that demonstrate readiness to scale beyond proof-of-concept. Support may include grant funding, technical assistance, or a combination of both, tailored to enterprise needs and growth stage.
Geographies: Senegal.
Who can apply: Registered water and sanitation enterprises with at least two years of operations.
Funding amount: EUR €20,000–400,000 depending on instrument (plus technical assistance).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Water and Sanitation; Focus areas: SME scaling, market-based WASH, climate resilience.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
This call reflects Aqua for All’s investment logic: using smart, performance-linked grants to unlock private capital and build durable WASH markets led by local enterprises.
Female Heart Research Grants – Clinical & Mechanistic Tracks, Novo Nordisk Foundation. *New!*
Through its Female Heart Research program, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is addressing one of the most persistent gaps in biomedical science: the underrepresentation of women in cardiovascular research and the limited understanding of sex-specific disease mechanisms. The program is intentionally structured across two complementary tracks. The Clinical Research Grants support patient-oriented, epidemiological, and interventional studies that can improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular disease in women. In parallel, the Mechanistic Research Grants focus on uncovering the biological, molecular, and physiological pathways that drive sex differences in cardiovascular disease. Together, the tracks reflect a coherent investment logic — linking discovery science with clinical translation to generate evidence that can reshape cardiovascular care for women across the life course. Projects are expected to embed sex-specific hypotheses at their core, rather than treating sex as a secondary variable.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Research institutions with eligible Principal Investigators.
Funding amount: Up to DKK 10,000,000 per grant (Clinical track); up to DKK 10,000,000 per grant (Mechanistic track).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: women’s cardiovascular health, sex-specific mechanisms, translational research.
Deadline: March 19, 2026 (2:00 pm Copenhagen time).
This dual-track design signals the Foundation’s strategy: advancing women’s cardiovascular health requires simultaneous investment in mechanistic insight and real-world clinical evidence.
Engagement Award: Capacity Building — Spring 2026 Cycle, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). *New!*
This Engagement Award from PCORI seeks to strengthen the capacity of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and broader healthcare stakeholders to participate as meaningful partners in patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER). The focus is not on funding clinical studies, but on enhancing skills, infrastructure, and community readiness so that diverse voices can contribute throughout all phases of CER — from planning and design to dissemination of results. Projects may also strengthen researchers’ ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders and support prior Engagement Award recipients in scaling impact. Successful applicants will demonstrate a clear pathway for engaging patients and stakeholders in future patient-centered CER, generate transferable insights for others, and align with PCORI’s Foundational Expectations for Partnerships in Research. Letters of Intent are due March 30, 2026, with invited full proposals due July 13, 2026.
Geographies: United States (primary institutional focus), with potential collaborative components internationally.
Who can apply: Organizations, including non-profits, for-profits, academic institutions, and public entities (not individuals).
Funding amount: Up to USD $300,000 per project (Engagement Award Program total pool up to $25 million across engagement tracks).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: patient engagement in CER, stakeholder capacity building.
Deadline: March 30, 2026 (Letters of Intent); invited proposals due July 13, 2026.
This award underscores PCORI’s strategic emphasis on equipping patients and communities to shape comparative clinical effectiveness research in ways that reflect real-world priorities and lived experiences.
Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination through Secondary Prevention in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, Unitaid. *New!*
Unitaid is calling for large-scale, catalytic proposals to accelerate global cervical cancer elimination by transforming access to secondary prevention in low- and middle-income countries. The initiative targets persistent gaps in screening, triage, and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions, with a clear emphasis on overcoming market and delivery barriers that limit uptake at scale. Rather than funding stand-alone pilots, Unitaid seeks interventions capable of reshaping markets — lowering prices, diversifying suppliers, and integrating innovations into national health systems in line with WHO elimination targets. Successful proposals are expected to combine technical innovation with health system integration and sustainable access strategies, delivering population-level impact for women and girls who remain underserved.
Geographies: Low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Who can apply: Consortia of organizations with implementation, technical, and market-shaping expertise.
Funding amount: Approximately USD $30 million total across all selected projects.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: cervical cancer secondary prevention, HPV screening, access to diagnostics.
Deadline: April 9, 2026.
This call exemplifies Unitaid’s model of using market-shaping investment to convert proven health tools into equitable, large-scale access for women in LMICs.
Humanitarian Aid and Emergency Programming
Technology Acquisition and Deployment Fund (TADF): Innovative Technologies for Disaster Management in South Africa, Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). *New!* *Closing soon!*
TIA is inviting proposals for market-ready and advanced-pilot technologies that can strengthen South Africa’s disaster management system across the full disaster cycle; from risk assessment and early warning to response, recovery, and long-term resilience. The call is framed as a shift from reactive crisis response toward proactive, innovation-led disaster governance, with a strong emphasis on technologies that integrate science and technology with social and behavioral insights. Priority areas include AI-driven early warning systems, satellite and drone applications, inclusive preparedness tools, rapid response technologies, recovery and beneficiary-linkage platforms, and resilience-building solutions such as smart infrastructure and climate-resilient water systems. Proposals are expected to demonstrate feasibility, scalability, and alignment with national disaster management policies, while centering community engagement, equity, and local ownership.
Geographies: South Africa.
Who can apply: South African SMMEs, start-ups, non-profits, research institutions, and community-based organizations.
Funding amount: Up to ZAR R1,000,000 per project.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Disaster Risk Reduction; Focus areas: early warning systems, disaster response technologies, community engagement tools.
Deadline: February 9, 2026 (17:00 SAST).
This is a systems call, not a gadget call, framing your solution within national disaster governance and resilience priorities will strengthen alignment.
AICS Emergency Initiative: Education, Protection and Livelihoods in Lebanon, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). *Closing soon!*
This urgent call from AICS Beirut seeks to improve the lives of vulnerable populations in Lebanon—especially women, youth, children, and refugees—by supporting access to quality education, child protection, and livelihood opportunities. Structured in two lots, the initiative emphasizes systems strengthening, institutional alignment, and multi-actor coordination. Lot 1 supports projects in education and protection, including formal and non-formal TVET, while Lot 2 focuses on employment and income generation, aligned with the Lebanon Livelihoods Sector Framework. Projects must reflect humanitarian–development–peace nexus principles and mainstream cross-cutting priorities such as gender, disability inclusion, and protection from exploitation and abuse.
Geographies: Lebanon.
Who can apply: Legally registered non-profit organizations with relevant experience and compliance with Italian legal, tax, and social security standards.
Funding amount: Lot 1: up to €900,000 (single) / €1.8M (joint); Lot 2: up to €1.05M; total pool €8M.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Education; Focus areas: TVET, child protection, employment access, refugee inclusion.
Deadline: February 16, 2026 (23:59 Beirut time).
This call reflects Italy’s long-term commitment to integrated service systems in fragile settings, bridging humanitarian response with inclusive, locally led development.
Regional Response to the Great Lakes Crisis: Uganda and Burundi (AID 012905/01/0), Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS). *Closing soon!*
Through this call, AICS seeks to reinforce Italy’s humanitarian engagement in the Great Lakes region by funding coordinated, multisectoral responses to a protracted displacement crisis affecting both refugees and host communities in Uganda and Burundi. The initiative is explicitly designed around a humanitarian–development–peace nexus, emphasizing interventions that combine immediate life-saving assistance with actions that strengthen resilience, social cohesion, and self-reliance. AICS prioritizes proposals that integrate health, protection, food security, WASH, and livelihoods within nationally led and UN-coordinated response frameworks, ensuring alignment with refugee response and humanitarian planning instruments in both countries. Particular emphasis is placed on addressing the needs of women, children, persons with disabilities, and survivors of gender-based violence, while promoting coordination, accountability, and localization as core principles for effective delivery in highly fragile contexts.
Geographies: Uganda; Burundi.
Who can apply: Eligible non-profit civil society organizations under AICS regulations.
Funding amount: Lot 1 – Uganda: EUR €1,000,000; Lot 2 – Burundi: EUR €500,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Humanitarian Assistance; Focus areas: multisectoral emergency response, refugee and host community support, protection.
Deadline: February 27, 2026 (1:00 PM).
This call illustrates AICS’s strategic use of lot-based humanitarian financing to tailor responses to distinct national contexts while maintaining a coherent regional crisis response.
UNVTF Grants Programme Cycle 10.2, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (linked to homepage). *New!* *Closing soon!*
The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons (UNVTF), managed by UNODC, is now accepting applications under its Cycle 10.2 Grants Program to support initiatives that deliver direct assistance to survivors of human trafficking. This call prioritizes organizations that can provide humanitarian, legal, social, and psychosocial support to victims, with an emphasis on survivor-centered and rights-based interventions that contribute to reintegration and reduced risk of re-trafficking. By facilitating small grants that directly impact survivors on the ground, the UNVTF seeks to strengthen front-line responses and build scalable pathways to recovery and social inclusion.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Non-profit civil society organizations (NGOs/CSOs/CBOs) with valid UN Partner Portal registration and required documentation.
Funding amount: Up to USD $20,000 per grant.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Human Rights; Protection; Victim Assistance; Focus areas: humanitarian support, legal aid, psychosocial assistance, reintegration.
Deadline: February 28, 2026 (23:59 CET).
This funding window reflects UNODC’s broader emphasis on survivor-centred support that translates directly into improved access to justice, wellbeing, and sustainable reintegration for people affected by human trafficking.
United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture – Annual Grants 2026, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture is designed to ensure that survivors of torture receive comprehensive, dignity-centered support that responds directly to the physical, psychological, legal, and social harm caused by severe human rights violations. The Fund prioritizes projects that place survivors at the core of program design and delivery, emphasizing trauma-informed, gender-responsive, and holistic models of care. Its investment logic centers on sustaining experienced service providers that can deliver consistent, high-quality assistance while operating under strict accountability and safeguarding standards. By focusing exclusively on direct services rather than research or advocacy, the Fund reinforces rehabilitation and access to justice as foundational elements of redress, recovery, and long-term social reintegration for survivors and their families.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Civil society organizations and other non-governmental channels of assistance delivering direct services to victims of torture.
Funding amount: USD $20,000–50,000 for first-time or returning applicants; up to USD $100,000 for eligible on-going applicants.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Human Rights; Focus areas: torture rehabilitation, legal aid, psychosocial support, survivor assistance.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
The Fund operationalizes the right to rehabilitation by channeling predictable annual support to frontline organizations delivering survivor-centered care under international human rights standards.
2026 GCSP Prize for Transformative Futures in Peace and Security, Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).
The GCSP Prize for Transformative Futures in Peace and Security rewards innovative and forward-thinking concepts that offer bold approaches to advancing global peace and security. Open to individuals, teams, and organizations worldwide, this award seeks ideas with originality, implementation potential, and systemic impact. The winning concept will receive a fully funded two-month incubation at GCSP’s Creative Spark in Geneva — a unique opportunity to refine and amplify their approach within a global foresight and security innovation hub.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Individuals, groups, and organizations (excluding current GCSP staff/fellows and families).
Funding amount: CHF 15,000 value (in-kind incubation program).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Peacebuilding; Focus areas: foresight, peace innovation, systems thinking.
Deadline: March 20, 2026 (23:59 UTC+1).
GCSP champions radical creativity grounded in systems analysis. Submissions should reflect both visionary thinking and grounded feasibility.
Education, Human Rights & Inclusion
AU–EU Youth Action Lab – Cooperation Grants, AU–EU Youth Action Lab. *Closing soon!*
The Cooperation Grants supports projects led by consortia of youth‑led organizations from both Africa and Europe. The call supports cross‑continental collaboration aimed at joint advocacy, policy influence and youth‑driven social change across the two continents. Organizations must be youth‑led, formally registered, and apply as a consortium (at least one African and one EU partner). The grant unlocks resources for projects ranging from continental youth networks and shared campaigns to cross‑border joint initiatives addressing global challenges.
Geographies: African Union focus countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland region), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and European Union member states.
Who can apply: Youth‑led non‑profit organizations forming cross‑continental consortiums. Apply as a consortium of two to four organizations: including one established in one of the 12 eligible African countries..
Funding amount: EUR €50,000 per consortium (12‑month project).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Youth Development / Civic Engagement; Focus areas: youth cooperation, cross‑continental advocacy, policy influence, social innovation.
Deadline: February 12, 2026.
By bringing together youth organizations from Africa and Europe, this grant aims to build bridges, enabling joint action, shared learning, and stronger youth-led influence at continental scale.
ICNL Grants & Fellowships for Defending Civic Space, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL). *New!*
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) is offering a coordinated suite of small-grant opportunities in 2026 to strengthen civil society resilience and defend civic space in contexts facing legal, political, and structural constraints. Across Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and targeted country contexts in Southeast Asia, ICNL seeks to support locally led initiatives that advance enabling legal environments for civil society, protect fundamental freedoms, and counter restrictive regulatory trends. The funding prioritizes strategic advocacy, coalition-building, legal analysis, and engagement with national, regional, and international accountability mechanisms—rather than service delivery. Together, these calls reflect ICNL’s long-term strategy of pairing legal expertise with grassroots leadership to expand civic space where it is most at risk, while reinforcing organizational resilience and cross-border learning. Grants are designed to be flexible, time-bound, and impact-oriented, with clear expectations around feasibility, accountability, and contribution to systemic change.
Geographies: Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries (selected countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Caribbean); Philippines; Thailand.
Who can apply: Civil society organizations and non-profit organizations legally based in eligible countries (country-specific eligibility applies).
Funding amount: Up to USD 20,000 (SIDS & LDCs call); up to USD 30,000 (Philippines and Thailand calls).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Governance & Civic Space; Focus areas: civic freedoms, enabling environment reform, civil society resilience.
Deadline: February 15, 2026 (Philippines and Thailand); February 28, 2026 (SIDS & LDCs).
Taken together, these calls signal ICNL’s emphasis on legally grounded, locally driven strategies that protect civic space not just through resistance, but through durable reform, coordination, and institutional resilience.
Education Innovation Awards 2026, Theirworld. *New!*
The Theirworld Education Innovation Awards support bold, practical ideas that improve access to quality education for children and young people facing the greatest barriers to learning. The fund is designed to identify and back innovative solutions, often early-stage or under-resourced, that address systemic challenges such as exclusion, poor learning outcomes, and inequitable access to education in low-resource and crisis-affected contexts. Theirworld prioritizes initiatives with a strong evidence base, clear learning objectives, and the potential to influence education systems beyond a single pilot. Funded projects are expected to demonstrate innovation in approach, delivery, or technology, while remaining grounded in real-world feasibility and learner needs. The structure of the awards reflects Theirworld’s strategy of using catalytic funding to surface scalable ideas that can shift how education is delivered to marginalized communities.
Geographies: Global (with emphasis on low-resource and marginalized contexts).
Who can apply: NGOs, nonprofits, and social enterprises working in education.
Funding amount: Up to GBP £50,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Education; Focus areas: education innovation, inclusion, learning outcomes.
Deadline: February 16, 2026.
The Awards reflect Theirworld’s investment logic: small, catalytic grants used to surface innovations capable of reshaping education access and quality at scale.
Catalyst 2026 – CTIA Wireless Foundation, CTIA Wireless Foundation. *New!*
Catalyst is CTIA Wireless Foundation’s flagship funding program backing ambitious early-stage social entrepreneurs who are using mobile-first, wireless-enabled solutions to tackle pressing challenges in American communities. The Foundation’s investment logic centers on wireless networks as civic infrastructure: it seeks innovations that can translate connectivity (including 5G-enabled capabilities) into measurable community benefit—especially for challenges that disproportionately affect marginalized populations. Catalyst is structured as a competitive, staged process that pairs unrestricted prize funding with high-leverage visibility and field-building support, including professional storytelling assets, media coaching, and convening opportunities with industry and policy leaders. The program prioritizes founders with lived experience of the problem they are solving and ventures that have moved beyond ideation to a proof of concept, signaling readiness to scale impact through a powerful technology platform.
Geographies: United States and U.S. Territories.
Who can apply: U.S.-registered nonprofits, for-profits committed to social good, and B-Corps (mobile-first; proof of concept; not CTIA members; not past winners).
Funding amount: USD $100,000 (1st), $50,000 (2nd), $25,000 (3rd), $10,000 (3 honorable mentions); finalists submitting Phase 2 receive minimum $10,000.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Entrepreneurship & Innovation; Focus areas: mobile-first wireless solutions, 5G-enabled social impact, community inclusion.
Deadline: February 24, 2026 (11:59 pm ET).
Catalyst’s design reflects a clear thesis: pairing unrestricted capital with narrative and network access can accelerate wireless-enabled solutions from proof-of-concept to community-scale impact.
Large Research Grants on Education, Spencer Foundation. *New!*
The Spencer Foundation’s Large Research Grants on Education program supports ambitious, multi-year research projects designed to generate foundational knowledge that can meaningfully inform education systems, policy, and practice. Structured as a two-stage, invitation-only process, the program begins with a competitive pre-proposal phase, followed by full proposals from selected teams. Spencer anticipates awarding grants across three funding tiers, enabling research projects at varying scales over one to five years. The program is explicitly field-initiated, prioritizing conceptual rigor, methodological strength, and long-term contribution to educational discourse over short-term evaluations or applied pilots. Funded projects often examine systemic challenges such as equity, governance, learning environments, institutional design, and policy implementation, with clear pathways for scholarly and practitioner dissemination. The structure signals Spencer’s strategic commitment to depth, scale, and sustained inquiry in education research.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Researchers with an earned doctorate affiliated with nonprofit or public institutions.
Funding amount: USD $125,000–500,000 across three funding tiers.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Education Research; Focus areas: systems-level education research, policy-relevant evidence.
Deadline: Pre-proposal: February 24, 2026 (12:00 noon CT); Full proposal (invited): June 23, 2026 (12:00 noon CT).
By funding field-initiated research rather than predefined themes, Spencer reinforces its role as a steward of long-horizon knowledge creation in education.
Yidan Prize 2026 – Nominations Open, Yidan Prize Foundation.
The Yidan Prize 2026 nomination call invites global nominations for two premier awards recognizing extraordinary contributions to education — one for education research and one for education development. As the world’s highest education accolade, the Prize combines substantial financial support with international recognition, aimed at accelerating the adoption of transformative ideas that improve learning quality, expand access, and influence educational policy and practice. The Prize’s design reflects a broad strategy to foster a global community of education changemakers by rewarding both deep, evidence-based research and bold, practice-driven innovations. By opening the process to all credible nominators worldwide — including self-nominations — the Foundation signals an inclusive, impact-oriented intent to identify and amplify voices that are reshaping education systems across diverse contexts.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Nominations open to anyone with credible insight into the nominee’s work; nominees may be individuals or teams (up to three).
Funding amount: HK$30,000,000 (~USD $3.8M) per category, comprised of HK$15M cash and HK$15M project fund for laureates.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Education Innovation; Focus areas: education research excellence, education development impact.
Deadline: March 3, 2026 (12 noon HKT).
The Yidan Prize’s emphasis on both research and practical educational transformation underscores its mission to support scalable, sustainable approaches that shape the future of learning worldwide.
International Children’s Peace Prize 2026 (nominations open), KidsRights Foundation.
The International Children’s Peace Prize is a globally recognized award celebrating youth changemakers aged 12–18 whose courage, leadership, and impact have advanced the rights and wellbeing of children. Nominations may be submitted by any adult on behalf of a young leader or a group of up to five children. Beyond the honorary Nkosi statuette presented by a Nobel Peace Laureate, the Prize package includes significant educational support through the Desmond Tutu Study & Care Fund and a €50,000 project fund dedicated to furthering the winner’s impact, with additional investment from KidsRights. Every nominee gains global visibility on the Prize platform, amplifying their message and inspiring broader youth engagement.
Geographies: Global. Open to children from all countries.
Who can apply: Nominations by adults or individuals on behalf of young changemakers (12–18 years); group nominations permitted (max 5).
Funding amount: €50,000 project funding for the winner.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Children’s Rights Advocacy; Focus areas: youth leadership, peace, social justice.
Deadline: March 31, 2026 (17:00 CET).
KidsRights prioritizes authentic, youth‑led impact - nominations should clearly show how a child’s leadership has driven measurable change for peers or communities.
Innovation, Research & Smart Cities
Mustafa (pbuh) Prize – 2027 Call for Nominations, Mustafa Science & Technology Foundation. *Closing soon!*
Nominations are open for the Mustafa (pbuh) Prize, a biennial international science and technology award that celebrates monumental scientific contributions with transformative impacts on human life and global knowledge. Laureates are selected in two major categories: Life and Medical Science and Technology and Basic and Engineering Sciences, recognizing work that advances understanding and delivers practical benefit in areas such as biomedical innovation, engineering breakthroughs, and foundational science. Interested nominators, including universities, research centers, accredited scientific bodies, and distinguished scientists, may submit candidates whose work demonstrates lasting scientific influence.
Geographies: Global (with focus on scientists residing in Islamic countries).
Who can apply: Scientists (individuals or groups) nominated by accredited scientific institutions or respected scientists.
Funding amount: USD $500,000 per laureate.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Research & Innovation; Focus areas: biomedical sciences, engineering, scientific discovery with global impact.
Deadline: February 20, 2026.
Frame your candidate’s work as transformative at a global scale - emphasize how the scientific innovation reshapes boundaries of knowledge or delivers tangible benefits to human well‑being.
MAGICIAN Second Open Call – Application Use Cases (OC2), MAGICIAN Project (EU Horizon Europe).
Through its Second Open Call, the MAGICIAN project seeks to accelerate the adoption of autonomous defect detection and repair technologies by extending its robotics and AI framework into new industrial domains beyond automotive manufacturing. The call is structured as cascade funding, enabling startups and SMEs to test, adapt, and validate up to two MAGICIAN capabilities within a single targeted sector, in close technical collaboration with the MAGICIAN consortium. Priority is placed on solutions that combine advanced perception, learning systems, and control technologies with human-centered design, reflecting the project’s emphasis on productivity gains alongside improved working conditions. The funder’s logic centers on real-world feasibility and market relevance: supported Application Use Cases are expected to demonstrate industrial applicability, scalability, and readiness to reach higher technology readiness levels within a 12-month implementation window.
Geographies: EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (see full list here).
Who can apply: Startups and SMEs applying alone or as a consortium of up to two entities.
Funding amount: Up to €200,000 per Application Use Case; up to five projects funded.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Manufacturing & Industry; Focus areas: robotic defect detection, AI-driven rework, human–robot interaction.
Deadline: March 2, 2026 (17:00 Brussels Time).
Designed as a lean experimentation mechanism, the call channels Horizon Europe funding into rapid, industry-embedded validation of human-centered automation technologies.
Digital Cities Innovation Accelerator – Small Grants Program, U.S. Department of State. *New!*
The Digital Cities Innovation Accelerator – Small Grants Program supports the deployment of secure, trusted, and high-impact digital solutions in cities across Latin America and the Caribbean. Administered by the U.S. Department of State’s City and Digital Policy (CDP) team, the program is explicitly designed to advance secure digital infrastructure, resilient urban services, and trusted data ecosystems while promoting U.S. technology standards abroad. Funded projects must deploy technology at readiness level 7 or higher, use trusted American technology vendors, and demonstrate clear potential for measurable impact at the sub-national (city or municipal) level. Beyond technical implementation, the program emphasizes economic opportunity, private-sector partnerships, and long-term digital resilience — positioning urban digital transformation as both a governance and economic development strategy. With large award sizes and a limited number of grants, the call targets initiatives that are ready to validate, deploy, and scale secure digital solutions in real-world urban environments.
Geographies: USA and Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Aruba; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guyana; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Martin; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Uruguay.
Who can apply: U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, public entities (including municipal governments), higher education institutions, and for-profit entities.
Funding amount: Approximately USD $1.25 million total; USD $100,000 – $700,000 per award.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Digital Development; Focus areas: secure digital infrastructure, urban public services, trusted technology deployment.
Deadline: March 13, 2026 (Round 1 Statement of Interest).
This accelerator reflects a strategic push to anchor urban digital transformation in security, trusted standards, and cross-border economic partnerships.
Urban Urgencies – Seed Funding for Collaborative Primary Research, Urban Studies Foundation. *New!*
The Urban Studies Foundation has launched Urban Urgencies, a new research funding initiative designed to seed-fund innovative collaborative primary research that speaks directly to urgent urban challenges while advancing timely scholarly debate in urban studies. The program is structured to support projects that are academically rigorous and analytically compelling but also grounded in real-world partnerships: every proposal must be built on an active collaboration with at least one non-academic organization. USF’s investment logic is to generate new primary evidence and insights that can shift how pressing urban issues are understood, debated, and acted on- strengthening both academic contribution and societal relevance. Funded projects are expected to mobilize quickly (starting within nine months of the deadline) and to deliver within an 18-month window, enabling responsive, high-quality research with clear intellectual and public value.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Academic-led research teams with at least one active non-academic partner organization.
Funding amount: Up to GBP £35,000 per project (up to six awards).
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Urban Development; Focus areas: collaborative primary research, urban urgencies, evidence for action.
Deadline: March 23, 2026 (23:59 UTC+0).
Urban Urgencies positions primary research as a time-sensitive intervention—resourcing partnerships that can generate new evidence while the urban stakes are still live.
UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences 2026, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Celebrating its tenth edition, the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences recognizes outstanding scientific contributions that tangibly improve human life through advances in the life sciences. This global prize is part of UNESCO’s broader mandate to support science for sustainable development and to drive progress on priorities such as health equity, food security, and resilient ecosystems. By inviting national commissions and official partner NGOs to nominate excellence from their research ecosystems, UNESCO aims to spotlight work that bridges fundamental discovery with societal impact, fosters international knowledge exchange, and strengthens scientific capacity across regions. With the Republic of Equatorial Guinea providing financial backing, laureates receive a monetary award that fuels further research, a certificate, and a symbolic statuette, reinforcing the Prize’s role in elevating life sciences research as a public good.
Geographies: Global.
Who can apply: Nominated individuals, groups, institutions, or NGOs endorsed by UNESCO Member States’ National Commissions or UNESCO partner NGOs.
Funding amount: USD $300,000 total prize pool, divided equally among up to three laureates.
Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: life sciences breakthroughs, research with demonstrable human impact.
Deadline: March 31, 2026 (midnight UTC+1).
Framed as an international science award with a development lens, the Prize positions transformative life sciences discoveries at the forefront of efforts to improve health, livelihoods, and equitable access to scientific benefits worldwide.
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Hey, great read as always. I particularly ressonated with the idea of bridging the 'innovation paradox' for secure, human-centered, and market-ready systems—that's such a smart way to frame the challenges, especially with AI. How do you think smaller orgs can best start building that structural continuity you mentioned?