Global NGO Funding Calls 2026: New Grants and Partnership Opportunities

Explore the latest Global NGO Funding Calls 2026, including the GAFSP 9th Call for Proposals, with approximately US$163 million available for country-led agriculture and food security projects.

Organizations working in food security, agriculture, rural development and community resilience have an important funding opportunity to explore through the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) 9th Call for Proposals for Country-led Projects.

The call is designed to support eligible low-income countries with investments that strengthen food systems, improve agricultural productivity, build climate resilience and enhance livelihoods for smallholder farmers and rural communities. Approximately US$163 million in grant financing is expected to support between six and 10 projects under the current funding round.

Although this is an important opportunity for NGOs and civil society organizations, there is a key eligibility distinction: NGOs cannot submit applications directly under the Country-Led modality. Proposals must be submitted by eligible national governments working with an approved GAFSP Supervising Entity. However, NGOs, farmer organizations, private-sector organizations, research institutions and other stakeholders can potentially contribute to national proposals and participate in implementation arrangements.

The GAFSP 9th Call for Proposals for Country-led Projects was launched on 13 May 2026 to finance country-owned investments addressing food security, nutrition and agricultural development challenges.

The call comes at a time when conflict, climate shocks, economic instability and increasing food and fertilizer costs continue to affect food systems and rural livelihoods. GAFSP states that the funding is intended to help countries make high-impact and scalable investments over the medium and long term.

The programme is aligned with the GAFSP Strategic Plan 2025–2030, with emphasis on integrated approaches that can strengthen agricultural and food systems while contributing to resilience and inclusive development.

Priority areas include agricultural productivity, market access, climate resilience, the empowerment of women and girls, and sustainable food systems. The call also encourages collaboration between public and private actors and stronger alignment with national development priorities.

Who Can Apply?

The Country-Led modality is open to national governments of eligible countries working in partnership with an approved GAFSP Supervising Entity.

Eligible investment Supervising Entities include:

African Development Bank (AfDB)
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
World Bank

Countries may also choose the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) or the World Food Programme (WFP) as an additional Supervising Entity for technical assistance activities.

NGOs, civil society organizations, individual farmers, private firms, research institutes, academic institutions and local governments cannot apply directly for funding under this particular call.

However, the programme expects governments to engage relevant stakeholders, including civil society, smallholder farmers, producer organizations, women’s groups, private-sector actors and development partners, during proposal development.

Tasks

The GAFSP funding is intended to support national projects that can generate meaningful improvements in agriculture and food systems. Potential activities should be connected to the objectives and priorities established in the official call documentation.

Priority investment areas include strengthening agricultural productivity, improving market access, enhancing resilience to climate-related risks, empowering women and girls, and supporting more inclusive and sustainable food systems.

The call also places emphasis on:

Country ownership: Projects should reflect national priorities and demonstrate strong government leadership.

Implementation readiness: Proposals should provide credible institutional arrangements and demonstrate that implementation can be undertaken effectively.

Scalability: GAFSP seeks investments capable of producing significant and sustainable results.

Stakeholder participation: Governments are expected to consult relevant stakeholders when preparing proposals.

Partnerships: Collaboration among governments, development institutions, civil society, producer organizations and private-sector actors can strengthen implementation arrangements where appropriate.

For NGOs specifically, the opportunity is therefore less about applying independently and more about engaging the relevant government ministry and exploring opportunities to contribute to the national proposal or later implementation.

Qualifications

Education and Certification

The supplied GAFSP call information does not establish specific academic qualifications for individual NGO staff members because the application is made by eligible national governments rather than individuals.

Organizations interested in participating should instead review the official 9th Call for Proposals Guidelines and work through the relevant national government and Supervising Entity.

Experience

Strong project implementation experience is highly relevant to organizations seeking to participate as implementation partners. GAFSP notes that proposals are assessed partly on the track record of implementing entities in executing comparable projects.

This means organizations should be prepared to demonstrate relevant experience in areas such as agriculture, rural development, food security, climate resilience, nutrition, market systems or related development interventions, depending on the proposed national project.

International NGOs and civil society organizations may participate in implementation where their expertise or operational capacity is relevant, subject to the government’s requirements and the policies and procedures of the selected Supervising Entity.

Non-eligible UN agencies may also participate in delivery or technical roles, although they cannot serve as GAFSP Supervising Entities.

Additional Information

Funding Available

The GAFSP 9th Call is expected to provide approximately US$163 million in grant financing, with an estimated six to 10 projects to be financed across eligible low-income countries.

Co-Financing Requirement

Co-financing is mandatory. Proposals without co-financing will be considered ineligible.

Both cash and in-kind contributions can qualify. Applicants must provide evidence of secured or expected co-financing. Examples of evidence include signed financing agreements, government budget documentation, appropriation documents, letters of intent or formal government communications.

Co-financing can also improve a proposal’s score. The call provides additional scoring opportunities for contributions from sources outside official development assistance and for proposals where total co-financing reaches at least 50% of the GAFSP grant request.

Application Deadline

The deadline for proposals and required supporting documents is:

15 September 2026

Eligible countries must submit their proposals through the prescribed GAFSP process and in partnership with an approved Supervising Entity.

Application Resources

GAFSP has provided official resources to assist applicants, including the 9th Call for Proposals Guidelines, country-led proposal templates and budget templates. The organization also notes that the English proposal template was updated on 26 May 2026 to correct a numbering error in Question 20.

Organizations considering partnership roles should carefully review these documents to understand the requirements of the national proposal.

How NGOs Can Get Involved

NGOs that cannot apply directly should consider approaching the ministry responsible for agriculture or food security in an eligible country. The GAFSP FAQ specifically encourages civil society organizations, farmer organizations, private-sector actors and other stakeholders to engage with their government during proposal preparation.

An NGO may be able to contribute technical expertise, implementation capacity, local knowledge, community engagement or other services relevant to the eventual project, subject to government demand and the applicable rules of the selected Supervising Entity.

Final Thoughts

The Global NGO Funding Calls 2026 landscape includes opportunities that can provide substantial resources for organizations working on major development challenges. The GAFSP 9th Call is particularly significant because of its approximately US$163 million funding envelope and its focus on food security, agricultural transformation, resilience and rural livelihoods.

For NGOs, however, understanding the application structure is essential. This is not a direct NGO grant competition. National governments are the eligible applicants, while NGOs and other stakeholders can engage through consultation, partnerships and possible implementation roles.

Organizations interested in benefiting from the call should therefore begin discussions with relevant government authorities and development partners before the 15 September 2026 deadline and carefully consult the official GAFSP documentation for the final eligibility and submission requirements.

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