Global EbA Fund Medium-Size Grants 2026 – The Global EbA Fund has launched its first Medium-Size Grants Call for Proposals, offering grants of up to US$500,000 for projects that advance Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), strengthen climate resilience and help scale innovative approaches.
The new funding window is designed for projects addressing systemic barriers to the wider adoption, financing and scaling of Ecosystem-based Adaptation. The Fund is particularly interested in initiatives that can strengthen enabling environments, influence policy, develop innovative financing approaches and connect climate, biodiversity and land priorities.
Applications for the Medium-Size Grants will be accepted from 12 October to 16 November 2026.
Projects can run for up to 24 months.
About the Global EbA Fund
The Global EbA Fund supports innovative and catalytic approaches that help people and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
Ecosystem-based Adaptation uses biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall strategy to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.
The Medium-Size Grants window is intended to move beyond individual or isolated interventions and support approaches capable of contributing to wider systemic change, policy uptake, investment and replication.
Grant Amount and Project Duration
Each Medium-Size Grant can provide up to:
US$500,000
The maximum project duration is:
24 months
The Fund will apply specific eligibility and evaluation criteria for this Medium-Size Grants window, with a strong emphasis on innovation, catalytic potential and scalability.
Application Period
The submission window is:
12 October 2026 to 16 November 2026
Applications must be submitted through the Global EbA Fund’s online platform.
The Fund states that the online submission link will be made available on the Medium-Size Grants webpage on 12 October 2026. Applicants are encouraged to work on the application form offline before submitting it through the online system.
Who Can Apply?
The Global EbA Fund identifies the following types of organisations as eligible for review:
- 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, subject to the Fund’s conditions
- Consortia of organisations working collaboratively to increase impact around EbA
Consortia are permitted, but the application must clearly identify a lead agency as the Applicant Organisation. If selected, that organisation will be responsible for the grant agreement.
Government organisations cannot receive funding directly from the Global EbA Fund. However, government entities can participate as partners in eligible arrangements provided they do not receive funding from the Fund. Collaboration with national, sub-national and local governments is encouraged.
Geographic Eligibility
The Medium-Size Grants call has a broader international scope than a country-specific funding programme.
Eligible projects may be:
- Global
- Thematic
- Focused on ODA-eligible countries
For projects involving particular countries, applicants should carefully review the Fund’s eligibility requirements and ensure that the proposed work meets the applicable geographic criteria.
What Types of Projects Are Supported?
The Medium-Size Grants call is focused on Ecosystem-based Adaptation and projects that can contribute to broader systemic change.
The Fund identifies three priority themes:
- Innovative Finance Solutions for EbA
This theme supports innovative partnerships and financing approaches designed to unlock private capital and blended finance for Ecosystem-based Adaptation.
Projects may explore ways to develop investable EbA models, strengthen climate-finance pipelines, mobilise investment or create commercially viable approaches that support conservation and climate resilience.
- EbA for Human Development and Security
This theme focuses on the relationship between climate resilience, human development and security, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
Projects are expected to consider community-led and conflict-sensitive approaches and address barriers that prevent investment in climate-resilient development.
- Interlinkages for People, Nature, Climate and Land
This theme focuses on stronger connections between climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and disaster-risk reduction.
The Fund is interested in approaches that can connect existing commitments, tools, actors and financing opportunities and help countries and communities achieve multiple environmental and development outcomes.
Applicants do not have to address all three themes. A project may align with the themes where relevant.
What Does the Fund Mean by Ecosystem-based Adaptation?
Projects must qualify as Ecosystem-based Adaptation.
The proposed intervention should clearly identify the climate impacts being addressed and explain how ecosystem-based approaches will reduce vulnerability or strengthen resilience.
Applicants should therefore avoid presenting a conventional environmental conservation project as an EbA project unless there is a clear connection between ecosystem-based action and adaptation to climate change.
Projects should demonstrate how the proposed approach addresses identifiable climate risks affecting people and communities.
Key Eligibility Requirements
The Global EbA Fund states that eligible project concepts should meet several important requirements.
Projects must:
- Qualify as Ecosystem-based Adaptation
- Have innovative and catalytic potential
- Clearly identify the climate impacts being addressed
- Address no more than one Strategic Objective
- Integrate no more than two Action Pillars
- Be global, thematic or target ODA-eligible countries
- Request no more than US$500,000
- Have a maximum duration of 24 months
- Build on existing work
- Demonstrate how results will continue after the funding period
- Partner with local institutions and organisations
- Demonstrate relevant experience among the lead applicant and partners
- Include local communities, Indigenous Knowledge and gender perspectives where relevant
- Be led by legally recognised organisations
- Meet the Fund’s due-diligence requirements
The Fund specifically states that projects should not be standalone interventions and should build on existing work, knowledge, partnerships or experience.
Projects Should Have a Scaling or Catalytic Dimension
This is an important feature of the Medium-Size Grants call.
The Fund is looking for projects capable of contributing to broader change rather than simply financing isolated field activities.
A proposal may, for example, seek to:
- Address policy or governance barriers
- Strengthen institutional capacity
- Develop financing mechanisms
- Improve technical capacity
- Create investment-ready concepts
- Generate evidence for policy uptake
- Develop approaches that can be replicated elsewhere
- Strengthen knowledge exchange
- Connect existing climate, biodiversity and land initiatives
- Create pathways for scaling successful EbA approaches
Projects should therefore explain how the proposed intervention can contribute to change beyond the immediate project activities.
Projects Must Build on Existing Work
The Fund does not intend the Medium-Size Grants to finance completely standalone interventions.
Applicants should demonstrate that the proposed project builds on:
- Existing programmes
- Previous field experience
- Existing research or evidence
- Established partnerships
- Existing knowledge
- Previous EbA work
- Existing policy or institutional processes
- Earlier investments that can be scaled or strengthened
The Fund states that projects should address a gap in existing work or knowledge, contribute to policy upscaling, enhance the impact of an investment or help develop a larger proposal for another financing mechanism.
Local Partnerships
Applicants are expected to partner with local institutions and organisations.
The Fund also emphasises the importance of local communities, Indigenous Knowledge and gender perspectives.
For international organisations proposing work in another country, applicants should therefore demonstrate meaningful local experience and appropriate local partnerships rather than proposing an externally designed intervention without local grounding.
Gender and Social Inclusion
Gender and social inclusion form part of the evaluation criteria.
Projects should meaningfully involve relevant stakeholders, including women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and other marginalised groups where appropriate.
Applicants should identify target groups and beneficiaries clearly and consider gender-disaggregated data where available.
Where Indigenous Peoples are affected by a proposed project, the Fund states that Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) will be upheld.
Innovation and Catalytic Potential
The Fund will assess whether a project has innovative and catalytic potential.
Innovation may involve approaches that have not yet been tested in a particular context or methods that have potential for replication.
Catalytic potential may involve:
- Influencing policy
- Addressing institutional or capacity gaps
- Developing financing mechanisms
- Improving governance
- Creating investment pathways
- Supporting replication or scaling
Applicants should explain not only what the project will do, but why the intervention could contribute to broader systemic change.
Sustainability
Projects must demonstrate how results will be maintained and developed after the grant period.
Applicants should explain:
- How project outcomes will continue
- Who will maintain the work
- How partnerships will continue
- How successful approaches can be replicated
- How additional financing could be mobilised
- How the project connects with relevant national or global policies
The Fund specifically encourages links with frameworks such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), where relevant.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The Fund has a Core Indicator Framework for monitoring project outcomes.
Applicants must select at least three relevant indicators from the Core Indicator Framework and incorporate them into the project’s logical framework.
The proposal should therefore have a clear results chain linking:
Activities → Outputs → Outcomes → Climate-resilience results
Indicators should be specific and supported by appropriate data sources and reporting arrangements.
Evaluation Criteria
The Fund will assess applications against several major areas.
Ecosystem-based Adaptation and Project Approach – 40%
The proposal should clearly demonstrate the EbA approach and explain how it will reduce vulnerability or increase resilience to identified climate impacts.
Innovative and Catalytic Contribution – 20%
The proposal should demonstrate innovation and potential to create wider systemic change.
Sustainability – 20%
The project should show how results can continue, be replicated or scaled after the funding period.
Institutional Arrangements and Budget – 20%
The applicant should demonstrate sufficient institutional structure, financial capacity, internal controls, appropriate staffing and experience. The budget should be detailed, cost-efficient and clearly connected with the activities and expected results.
Documents Required
Applicants should prepare the required application package.
The Fund lists the following documents:
- Applicant Declaration
- Co-applicant Mandate, where applicable
- Medium-Size Grants Application Form
- Project Proposal Budget Template
- Due Diligence and Financial Capacity Questionnaire
The Fund provides additional instructions concerning which annexes need to accompany the questionnaire at submission. Applicants should use the current official templates supplied by the Global EbA Fund.
Language of Application
Applications must be submitted in English.
The Fund also states that official organisational documents and register entries must be translated into English.
Can Organisations Submit More Than One Proposal?
Yes.
The Fund states that an organisation may submit more than one proposal, provided each proposed project meets the eligibility requirements.
Can Government Partners Participate?
Government entities cannot receive funding directly from the Global EbA Fund.
However, government institutions can participate as partners or beneficiaries where they do not receive funding from the Fund.
The Fund encourages collaboration with government authorities to create enabling environments for Ecosystem-based Adaptation and strategic partnerships.
Can an International NGO Apply?
Yes.
International NGOs are specifically included among the eligible organisation types.
The Fund also states that the principal applicant does not necessarily have to be located in one of the beneficiary countries in a multi-country arrangement. In such cases, the applicant should have relevant experience in the project country or countries, EbA experience or expertise, and one or more local partners.
Can a Consortium Apply?
Yes.
Consortia are eligible, provided there is a clearly identified lead organisation serving as the Applicant Organisation and responsible for the grant agreement if the proposal is successful.
Are Individuals Eligible?
No.
The Fund is open to legally recognised organisations and does not provide grants for individual study, such as PhD funding. An eligible institution may apply on behalf of an individual where appropriate.
How to Prepare Before the Application Window Opens
Although applications open on 12 October, organisations can begin preparing now.
Potential applicants should:
- Review the official Medium-Size Grants call
- Review the Global EbA Fund Grants Procedure Manual
- Confirm that the proposed intervention qualifies as EbA
- Identify the climate risks being addressed
- Map relevant local partners
- Review existing programmes and evidence
- Define the scaling or catalytic opportunity
- Develop a theory of change
- Prepare a logical framework
- Identify relevant Core Indicators
- Prepare an initial work plan
- Develop a detailed project budget
- Gather organisational registration and due-diligence documents
- Prepare English translations of required official documents
- Review the Fund’s strategic objectives and action pillars
Starting early is particularly important because the application requires several supporting documents and a detailed project design.
Application Dates
Official application window:
12 October 2026 – 16 November 2026
The online submission link is expected to be made available on 12 October 2026 through the Global EbA Fund Medium-Size Grants webpage.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the Global EbA Fund’s online application platform.
The Fund states that the submission link will be published on the Medium-Size Grants webpage on 12 October 2026.
Applicants should use the official application forms and templates supplied by the Global EbA Fund rather than relying on third-party proposal formats.
Official Information
For more details visit…..Global EbA Fund – Medium-Size Grants:
Applicants should review the complete official call, eligibility requirements, Grants Procedure Manual, application forms and budget templates before submitting a proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Global EbA Fund Medium-Size Grants programme?
It is a new funding window of the Global EbA Fund supporting larger-scale and potentially catalytic approaches to Ecosystem-based Adaptation, with grants of up to US$500,000.
How much funding is available?
Each grant can be up to US$500,000.
What is the maximum project duration?
Projects can run for up to 24 months.
When do applications open?
Applications open on 12 October 2026.
When is the deadline?
The application deadline is 16 November 2026.
Can NGOs from different countries apply?
Yes. NGOs and INGOs are among the eligible applicant types. Projects may be global, thematic or focused on ODA-eligible countries, subject to the detailed eligibility requirements.
Can Indian NGOs apply?
An Indian NGO may be eligible where the proposed project meets the Fund’s geographic and other eligibility requirements. Applicants should not assume that registration in India alone establishes eligibility; the proposed project must satisfy the Fund’s EbA, geographic, partnership and other criteria.
Can an NGO apply with an international or local partner?
Yes. Partnerships and consortia are permitted, and the Fund requires projects to partner with local institutions and organisations.
Can the project be a completely new idea?
The Fund states that Medium-Size Grant projects should build on existing work and should not be standalone interventions. The proposal should demonstrate how it builds on existing knowledge, programmes, partnerships or experience.
Can the grant be used for government activities?
Government entities cannot receive funding directly from the Fund. Government collaboration is possible where the government partner does not receive funding from the Global EbA Fund.
What language must be used?
Applications must be submitted in English. Official organisational documents and register entries must also be translated into English where required.
Disclaimer:NGOPortal publishes information about funding opportunities for informational purposes.
The Global EbA Fund is the funding programme and application decisions are made by the Fund. NGOPortal is not the funding agency, grant administrator or intermediary for this opportunity.
The information published here is based on the official Global EbA Fund information available at the time of publication. Applicants should review the latest official call, Grants Procedure Manual, application templates, eligibility requirements and online application instructions before applying.
Publication of this opportunity on NGOPortal does not guarantee eligibility, funding, selection or approval.
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