Funding Opportunities

The Rhodes Trust is accepting applications for the 2027 Rhodes Scholarship for East Africa, offering one exceptional candidate from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan or Burundi fully funded postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. The scholarship covers Oxford course fees, a living stipend, visa and health-surcharge costs, flights and other support while developing outstanding young leaders committed to service and positive impact.

The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation is inviting legally registered Ugandan civil society organisations to apply for partnership under the REACT programme, which promotes women’s participation in environmental peacebuilding, climate action and conflict prevention. Organisations may seek up to EUR 85,000 for advocacy or grassroots initiatives, or up to EUR 170,000 for a combined two-year intervention addressing both policy influence and gender-transformative community resilience.

Unitaid is funding a Community and Civil Society Engagement Pilot to strengthen the role of communities and civil society organisations in the introduction and scale-up of lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention option. Eligible organisations in participating Sub-Saharan African countries can submit short Expressions of Interest for community-led approaches involving prevention literacy, advocacy, accountability, engagement, demand generation and equitable access. A total pilot funding envelope of up to US$200,000 may be shared among multiple selected organisations.

The University of Manchester is offering 30 Equity and Merit Scholarships for academically excellent and financially disadvantaged students from Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe for Master's study beginning in September 2027. Scholarships cover full tuition, while full-time scholars studying in Manchester also receive return international airfare, living expenses and visa support.

The Al-Sumait Prize for African Development 2026 will award US$1 million to an individual or institution whose proven research, projects or initiatives have made significant and lasting contributions to education and development in Africa. The 2026 prize cycle focuses specifically on Education.

UNESCO and AI-Lab/CBPF are offering young researchers remote access to advanced Artificial Intelligence and high-performance computing infrastructure. MSc and PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and junior faculty from Africa and other eligible regions can use the programme to advance clearly defined research or innovative projects while receiving mentoring, training and collaborative research support.

FoodSafety4Africa is offering grants of up to €40,000 to established innovation hubs capable of delivering structured training, mentoring and acceleration support to food-safety innovators and entrepreneurs connected to the FS4Africa programme. At least five hubs will be selected for eight-month projects running from February to September 2027.

CODESRIA is inviting African researchers, academics, policy actors and civil-society intellectuals to participate in the 2026 Democratic Governance Institute in Lagos, Nigeria. The institute will examine migration governance, mobility, democratic agency, migrant rights, regional integration and the political economy of migration in Africa.

The Global Mental Health Africa Conference 2027 is offering a limited number of travel fellowships for early-career researchers, students, persons with lived experience and other individuals advancing mental health in Africa. Successful applicants may receive support for conference registration, travel, accommodation and other approved attendance costs for the conference in Nairobi.

The Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge 2026 supports young founders aged 18–30 who are leading operational projects or startups with measurable social or environmental impact. Multiple grant awards ranging from USD 1,000 to USD 15,000 are available, alongside free founder support, finalist coaching and access to a global community of young changemakers.

The Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund supports equitable research collaborations between postdoctoral-level researchers at the University of Cambridge or eligible affiliated institutes and researchers based at African universities or equivalent research institutions. Funding of up to £25,000 is available for collaborative research projects, while workshops and research training activities in Africa may receive up to £15,000.

The Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges programme is inviting proposals to develop improved, low-cost multiplex platforms for assessing micronutrient status, inflammation and infectious disease. Funding is available through two tracks: up to US$200,000 for minimum-scope projects and up to US$800,000 for more ambitious projects. Eligible applicants include legally recognised nonprofit organisations, companies, international organisations, government agencies and academic institutions worldwide, with LMIC participation particularly encouraged.

The Royal Academy of Engineering is accepting applications for the 2027 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The programme supports entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa who have developed engineering-based innovations with strong commercial potential and social or environmental benefits. Shortlisted innovators receive eight months of commercialisation training and mentoring and compete for £85,000 in total prize money.

A fully funded leadership programme and Master of Global Affairs for high-potential young leaders from around the world.

The AfriMAB GRÓ-LRT Land Restoration Fellowship offers fully funded six-month postgraduate training in Iceland for professionals working on ecosystem restoration within African biosphere reserves. Fellows will undertake coursework, practical field training and an individual restoration project while earning 30 postgraduate ECTS credits and a GRÓ LRT diploma.

WHO AFRO and TDR are inviting applications for small implementation-research grants addressing major health-system and infectious-disease priorities in the WHO African Region. Eligible African institutions, including NGOs, universities, research institutes and health programmes, may request up to US$15,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months that generate practical evidence to improve health services, strengthen systems and influence policy or programme implementation.

The GEF SGP CSO Challenge Program is offering grants of up to US$300,000 to civil society organisations seeking to replicate or scale proven environmental solutions. The current call covers eligible GEF recipient countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific and Oceania, including Uganda. Projects may run for up to 24 months and must align with at least one of the programme's five environmental priority areas.

The United Nations Environment Programme is inviting registered local civil-society and community-based organisations working directly with mountain communities in East Africa and the South Caucasus to propose locally led climate-adaptation solutions. Grants of up to US$30,000 will support practical ecosystem-based and nature-based interventions that strengthen community resilience, livelihoods, food security and natural-resource protection.

AAUW International Fellowships support academically outstanding women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents and are pursuing their first Master's or doctoral degree in an eligible STEM field. For 2027–2028, selected Master's students receive US$20,000 and doctoral students receive US$25,000 to support full-time graduate study, primarily at accredited institutions in the United States.

The AU–EU Youth Action Lab is offering 13 Innovation Grants of EUR 42,000 each to eligible youth-led nonprofit organisations in 12 African countries, including Uganda. The grants support young people to design, test, adapt, improve or scale innovative solutions to global challenges while creating tangible local impact and longer-term systems, policy or practice change. Projects will run for 12 months from January to December 2027.

Africa No Filter, in partnership with Comic Relief, is inviting African journalists, content creators and other storytellers from 10 eligible countries, including Uganda, to participate in Voices for Climate Justice. Selected storytellers will receive grants of up to US$4,000, training, mentorship and content amplification to produce compelling stories connecting climate justice with gender, debt and fossil fuels in Africa.

The Science Granting Councils Initiative is inviting multi-country African research consortia to submit Expressions of Interest for major collaborative research projects supporting STISA-2034. Projects may focus on agriculture, health, artificial intelligence and digital technologies, energy or environment, with funding of approximately CAD 50,000–CAD 300,000 per participating consortium member for projects lasting up to 36 months.

SENSE Foundation Brussels is accepting applications from eligible nonprofit organisations worldwide for projects addressing health, nutrition, the environment, sustainable development, scientific research and related social needs. Grants generally range from EUR 5,000 to EUR 25,000, but SENSE funding may cover no more than 25% of the project's total annual cost. Projects benefiting women, minorities and other underrepresented populations receive particular attention.

UNESCO and the Government of Japan are offering 10 research fellowships of up to US$10,000 to young researchers from eligible countries, including Uganda and 46 other African countries. Fellows will undertake postgraduate research for three to nine months at a Japanese university or research institution in areas related to heritage conservation, sustainable development and artificial intelligence.

The African Centre for School Leadership is offering research grants to African researchers conducting practical, policy-relevant research on school leadership. Funding supports single-context and comparative studies that can strengthen leadership practice, education policy, learning outcomes and inclusive education systems across Africa.

The African Union Commission is selecting 100 youth- and women-led African enterprises for a 12-month business-acceleration fellowship. Participants will receive structured training, mentorship, intellectual-property support, AfCFTA market intelligence and market-entry assistance designed to strengthen cross-border growth and investment readiness.

The UK Government's Chevening Scholarships are accepting applications from eligible Ugandan emerging leaders for fully funded postgraduate study in the United Kingdom in 2027–2028. Successful scholars undertake an eligible full-time taught Master's degree while receiving tuition, living, travel, visa and other scholarship support and joining Chevening's global leadership network.

Graduate scholarship and multidisciplinary leadership programme for applicants admitted to an eligible Stanford graduate degree.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities is offering seven Early Career Conference Grants of up to £2,000 each to help emerging researchers and academics at ACU member universities participate in international conferences in another Commonwealth country. Funding can support registration, travel, accommodation, visas and insurance for eligible researchers presenting their work or chairing a conference session.

The University of Calgary International Entrance Scholarship provides CAD 20,000 annually to two outstanding international students entering their first undergraduate year in Fall 2027. The award may be renewed for three additional years, giving it a maximum potential value of CAD 80,000, provided the recipient meets the academic and international-student renewal conditions.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy is inviting eligible applicants to respond to specific addenda under the Advancing Global Health Annual Program Statement. The APS supports major global-health initiatives addressing country-specific and thematic priorities, with awards under the overall programme ranging from US$500,000 to US$250 million.

The Government of Japan, through the Embassy of Japan in Uganda, provides Grass-roots Human Security Project grants to eligible non-profit and development-oriented organisations implementing practical community projects in Uganda. Funding generally reaches up to approximately US$100,000 and prioritises construction, facilities and substantial equipment in areas such as education, vocational training, health, water and sanitation, agriculture and disaster reconstruction.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs is offering large-scale cooperative agreements of US$5 million to US$50 million under the U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program. The programme supports market-based, private-sector-led economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa through Critical Minerals Investment and Commercial Diplomacy Acceleration.

The International Telecommunication Union is inviting capable public and private organisations, government institutions and ministries to organise national or regional Robotics for Good Youth Challenge events. The 2026–2027 edition focuses on robotics solutions for health emergencies, with winning national teams advancing to the Grand Finale at the 2027 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva.

Africa CDC is inviting young African professionals to apply for the two-year Africa Epidemic Services Public Health Informatics Fellowship. The programme combines practical and classroom-based training to strengthen digital health, health information systems, data science and public-health informatics capacity across African health institutions.

The DIV Fund is accepting rolling applications for evidence-driven innovations that can cost-effectively improve the lives of people living in poverty. Funding ranges from up to US$200,000 for real-world pilots to US$1.5 million for proven innovations transitioning to scale, with opportunities open across sectors in low-, lower-middle- and upper-middle-income countries. Applicants must already have a post-prototype innovation that has been tested with real users.

The Van Doorn Foundation provides project grants of up to €5,000 to eligible educational institutions and local organisations in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia working to improve access to vocational training and employment opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people aged 14–28. Funding can support training equipment and materials, disability-inclusive vocational training, tuition assistance, apprenticeships, internships and tools that help young people move into employment or self-employment.

Madica is a rolling pre-seed investment programme supporting promising technology-driven startups operating across Africa. Selected companies may receive up to US$200,000 in investment together with 18 months of mentorship, executive coaching, peer learning, investor access, immersion experiences and tailored company-building support. The programme particularly seeks to improve access to capital for underrepresented and underfunded African founders.

UNDP is inviting CreativeTech startups across Africa to join the timbuktoo Launchpad, a pan-African incubation programme supporting technology-enabled businesses in the creative economy. Selected startups receive structured incubation, mentorship, digital tools, investment-readiness support and access to founders, investors and innovation partners across Africa.

UNDP is inviting AgriTech startups to join the timbuktoo Launchpad, a pan-African venture-building and incubation programme supporting technology-driven solutions for Africa’s agricultural transformation. Selected startups receive incubation, mentorship, digital tools, investment-readiness support and access to a continental network of founders, investors and innovation partners.

The Fast Forward Accelerator supports early-stage tech and AI-powered nonprofits worldwide with USD 25,000 or more in unrestricted funding, expert mentorship and a three-month programme covering technology, fundraising and nonprofit growth. Applications for the 2027 cohort are expected to open in late July 2026, but the exact deadline and application form have not yet been announced.

FID provides year-round grants for innovative, evidence-informed solutions that reduce poverty and inequality in low- and middle-income countries. Funding supports projects at different stages, from preparation and piloting to impact evaluation, public-policy adoption and scale-up.

Fully funded postgraduate awards for exceptional candidates demonstrating academic excellence, character, leadership and commitment to service.

Small seed funding for early-stage, volunteer-led projects creating compassionate and practical community change.

Simple microgrants awarded by independent local and thematic chapters to make creative community ideas happen.

Staged grants for early-career conservationists carrying out practical, field-based nature conservation work in developing countries.

Rapid funding for African women human rights defenders, organisations and movements responding to urgent, unanticipated and strategic situations.

Rapid practical support for human rights defenders and organisations facing risks connected to peaceful human rights work.

Short-term advocacy and resilience support for civil society responding to unexpected restrictions, attacks or opportunities affecting civic and democratic freedoms.