Global EbA Fund 2026 Medium-Size Grants Call for Proposals

Who can apply

• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• International non-governmental organisations (INGOs)
• Intergovernmental organisations (IGOs)
• Community-based organisations (CBOs)
• Indigenous Peoples' organisations
• Universities and other academic institutions
• Research institutes and think tanks
• Private-sector companies meeting the Fund's public-interest and eligibility conditions
• Specialised organisations working on climate change adaptation
• Consortia of eligible organisations with a clearly designated lead applicant
• Legally recognised organisations with relevant Ecosystem-based Adaptation experience
• Organisations capable of working with local partners and demonstrating credible implementation and financial-management capacity

Focus areas

• Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)
• Climate change adaptation and resilience
• Strategic scaling of nature-based adaptation
• Innovative financing for Ecosystem-based Adaptation
• Blended finance and private capital mobilisation
• Investment-ready adaptation project pipelines
• Climate-resilient livelihoods
• Ecosystem services and sustainable business models
• Community-led climate adaptation
• Climate resilience in fragile and conflict-affected contexts
• Climate security and natural resource governance
• Climate adaptation and human development
• Biodiversity conservation linked to climate adaptation
• Sustainable land management
• Disaster risk reduction
• Integrated climate, biodiversity and land policy frameworks
• National Adaptation Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions
• Institutional and technical capacity strengthening
• Climate adaptation policy and governance
• Local partnerships and knowledge transfer
• Indigenous and traditional knowledge
• Gender-responsive adaptation
• Evidence generation and knowledge exchange
• Scaling and replication of proven adaptation approaches
• Sustainable climate finance and investment mobilisation

Requirements

• The proposed project must qualify as Ecosystem-based Adaptation under the applicable EbA Qualification Criteria and Quality Standards.
• The proposal must clearly identify the climate risks being addressed and demonstrate how the activities will reduce vulnerability or strengthen community resilience.
• The project must demonstrate innovative and catalytic potential to overcome systemic barriers to scaling Ecosystem-based Adaptation.
• The proposal must contribute to one Global EbA Fund Strategic Objective and address at least one but no more than two Action Pillars.
• Projects must be global or thematic in scope or otherwise target only ODA-eligible countries.
• The requested grant must not exceed US$500,000.
• The proposed implementation period must not exceed 24 months.
• Projects must build on existing work, partnerships, knowledge or tested approaches rather than constitute unrelated standalone interventions.
• Projects consisting exclusively of field implementation are not eligible.
• Applicants must demonstrate a credible pathway for sustaining or developing project results after the grant period.
• Projects with country-level activities must include a consortium with one or more local organisations.
• At least 25% of the project budget for country-level activities must be allocated to eligible local partners.
• Partnership arrangements should demonstrate shared decision-making, capacity transfer and long-term local institutional strengthening.
• Lead applicants and partner organisations must be legally recognised entities.
• Applicants must demonstrate relevant technical experience and institutional capacity to implement the proposed project.
• Applicants must meaningfully consider gender equality, local participation, Indigenous knowledge and social inclusion.
• Applicants must incorporate at least three relevant indicators from the Global EbA Fund Core Indicator Framework into the project logical framework.
• The lead applicant must satisfy the Fund's due diligence and financial-capacity requirements.
• Government organisations cannot receive Global EbA Fund financing directly or through subgrants, although they may participate as unfunded partners.
• Private-sector applicants must comply with restrictions excluding ordinary for-profit activities, sector-specific obligations and compensatory or replacement measures.
• Individual applicants are not eligible.
• Applications must be submitted in English.
• Official organisational documents and registration records must be translated into English where necessary.
• Applicant co-financing is not required.

Application steps

• Visit the official Global EbA Fund Medium-Size Grants webpage.
• Download and carefully review the 2026 Medium-Size Grants Call for Proposals.
• Review the Global EbA Fund Grants Procedures Manual and current Frequently Asked Questions.
• Confirm that the applicant organisation, target geography and proposed intervention satisfy the eligibility requirements.
• Identify the principal climate adaptation challenge and demonstrate how the proposed project qualifies as Ecosystem-based Adaptation.
• Select one Strategic Objective and one or two relevant Action Pillars.
• Develop an innovative and catalytic proposal based on existing work, credible evidence and opportunities for wider adoption.
• Establish appropriate partnerships with local institutions and organisations.
• For country-level projects, prepare a consortium arrangement allocating at least 25% of the project budget to eligible local partners.
• Download and complete the official Medium-Size Grants Application Form.
• Complete the Applicant Declaration.
• Complete the Co-applicant Mandate for applicable consortium partners.
• Prepare the Theory of Change, logical framework and project activities using the official template.
• Select at least three relevant indicators from the Fund's Core Indicator Framework.
• Prepare the detailed project budget using the official budget template.
• Complete the Due Diligence and Financial Capacity Questionnaire.
• Prepare the proposed project team's CVs and organisational chart.
• Prepare a map of the proposed project location where available.
• Gather the required legal registration, organisational and financial supporting documents.
• Create or access an account on the official IUCN Grants Portal.
• Complete the online application and upload all required supporting documents.
• Submit the complete application in English through the online portal by 16 November 2026.