By the NGOs.ke Editorial Team
Yes, Kenyan NGOs can apply to the Global EbA Fund in 2026, but most should aim at the medium-size window, not the small one. The Fund runs two calls this autumn. Small grants of up to US$250,000 are open now and close on 26 October 2026. Medium grants of up to US$500,000 open on 12 October and close on 16 November 2026. Both pay for ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA): using healthy mangroves, rangelands, wetlands and forests to cut communities’ climate risk. The catch for Kenya is buried in the small-grant call. That window’s main focus is Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Kenya is neither.
Most grant listings sharing this call online carry the “SIDS and LDCs” headline and stop there. This guide explains where that leaves a Kenyan organisation, which window to target, and how to build a proposal the reviewers will take seriously.
What is the Global EbA Fund?
The Global EbA Fund is a catalytic grant mechanism run by IUCN and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It is financed through Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI). It doesn’t pay for tree-planting days or one-off field projects. Its stated aim is to remove the barriers that stop EbA from scaling, such as weak policy, thin evidence, missing finance models and limited technical capacity.
That framing matters. Projects must be built on existing work, and the Fund says plainly that proposals “should not be comprised exclusively of field implementation.” If your concept is mostly “we will restore 50 hectares,” it’s the wrong fund.
Global EbA Fund 2026: key facts at a glance
| Small-size grants (8th call) | Medium-size grants | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum grant | US$250,000 | US$500,000 |
| Submission window | 28 Sept – 26 Oct 2026 | 12 Oct – 16 Nov 2026 |
| Project length | Up to 24 months | Up to 24 months |
| Geographic focus | ODA-eligible SIDS and LDCs; other ODA countries only with “exceptional ambition” | Global, thematic, or any ODA-eligible country |
| Priority themes | Investment readiness, EbA technologies, applied research, synergies with NbS initiatives | Innovative finance, EbA for human security, Rio Convention interlinkages |
| Where to apply | IUCN online grants portal (live now) | Portal link posted on the Fund’s site on 12 Oct |
Is Kenya eligible for the Global EbA Fund?
Kenya is eligible in principle. Both calls require projects to target ODA-eligible countries, and Kenya sits on the OECD’s DAC list of ODA recipients as a lower-middle-income country. So the door is open.
The small-size call is narrower, though. Its primary focus is ODA-eligible SIDS and LDCs. It adds that applications from other ODA-eligible countries “will be considered” only where a proposal shows exceptional ambition and unique opportunities to scale EbA. A Kenyan application there competes on the hardest terms. It isn’t ruled out, but you’d need a very strong case.
The medium-size call has no such tilt. It also suits Kenyan NGOs that already have a track record, a partner network and audited accounts, because the evaluation gives 20% weight to institutional capacity and budget.
Who can be the lead applicant?
- NGOs, international NGOs and community-based organisations (CBOs)
- Indigenous Peoples’ organisations
- Universities, research institutes and think tanks
- Private companies (under conditions; no for-profit activities funded)
- Consortia, with one clearly named lead “Applicant Organisation”
Government bodies can’t receive money, directly or through sub-grants. Counties and national agencies can be partners and beneficiaries, and the Fund actively encourages that. IUCN and UNEP offices themselves are not eligible. All applicants must be legally registered entities, so a Kenyan NGO’s registration and PBO transition paperwork needs to be in order before you start (see our guide to what the PBO Act requires of NGOs in 2026).
Which medium-size theme fits Kenyan NGOs best?
The medium-size call has a general track plus three priority topics. Aligning with one is welcomed but not required.
- Innovative finance for EbA. Partnerships with private actors that move EbA “beyond subsistence” into business models that can attract private and blended capital.
- EbA for human development and security. Work in fragile and conflict-affected areas, showing how EbA reduces tension over shared natural resources.
- Interlinkages across the Rio Conventions. Organisations working with national governments to connect climate, biodiversity, land and disaster-risk commitments.
The second theme speaks directly to northern Kenya, where competition over pasture and water drives conflict. The first maps neatly onto a national shift already under way. Under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme, a roughly US$295 million blended fund backed by the government and the World Bank, counties are moving from grant-funded activities to projects that can draw in private capital. The Star reported in May 2026 that more than 2,400 county projects are at various stages, with water infrastructure making up nearly half.
An NGO proposal that helps a county make an ecosystem-based water or rangeland project investment-ready is close to what this call describes. The county partners; your organisation holds the grant.
How are proposals scored?
- Project approach (40%): a genuine EbA approach, a logical theory of change and logframe with SMART indicators, and meaningful gender and social inclusion, including free, prior and informed consent where Indigenous Peoples are affected.
- Innovative and catalytic contribution (20%): methods not yet proven in this context, aimed at systemic change in policy, capacity, finance or governance.
- Sustainability (20%): replication and links to national policy. For Kenya, that means naming the National Adaptation Plan and Kenya’s NDC, plus your County Climate Change Fund where relevant.
- Institutional arrangements and budget (20%): financial controls, experienced staff and a cost-efficient budget.
Every project must also fit one of the Fund’s three strategic objectives and no more than two of its three action pillars. It must use at least three indicators from the Fund’s Core Indicator Framework (August 2026 edition).
What documents do you need?
- Applicant Declaration
- Co-applicant Mandate (for each partner)
- Application form for your chosen window
- Theory of Change, Logframe and Project Activities form (uploaded directly to the portal)
- Project proposal budget template (Excel)
- Due Diligence and Financial Capacity Questionnaire
Everything must be in English, including translated copies of registration documents. The Fund recommends drafting offline first, and with good reason: the portal won’t forgive a dropped connection at 11pm on deadline day. Read the Grants Procedure Manual before you write a word. It has worked examples for each action pillar.
A realistic timeline from today
As of 1 October 2026, a Kenyan NGO has about three and a half weeks for the small window and six and a half for the medium one. If you’re new to the Fund, we’d put your effort into the medium call:
- Now to 12 October: lock partners, get signed co-applicant mandates, and secure a letter of support from the county or national agency you’ll work with.
- 12 October: the medium-size portal link goes live on the Fund’s website.
- By early November: finish the logframe, budget and due-diligence questionnaire; have someone outside the team test the theory of change.
- Before 16 November: submit early. Only successful applicants are contacted, and there’s no feedback for the rest.
Our step-by-step grant proposal guide for Kenyan NGOs covers the logframe and budget basics. If you’re also chasing smaller civil-society money this month, see our breakdown of the GFF x CIVIC VOICES grant.
Full call documents are on the official Global EbA Fund website.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Kenyan CBO apply to the Global EbA Fund?
Yes. Community-based organisations are listed as eligible lead applicants, provided they are legally registered and can pass the Fund’s due-diligence and financial-capacity checks. Smaller CBOs often do better as partners in a consortium led by a larger NGO.
Is the Global EbA Fund only for SIDS and LDCs?
No. Only the small-size call focuses mainly on SIDS and LDCs, and even that window accepts strong proposals from other ODA-eligible countries such as Kenya. The medium-size call is open to any ODA-eligible country.
Can county governments receive Global EbA Fund money?
No. In line with IKI policy, the Fund doesn’t grant to governments or allow sub-grants to them. Counties can be partners and beneficiaries of a project led by an NGO, university or other eligible body.
Can we submit more than one proposal?
Yes, if each proposal meets all the eligibility criteria. Past grantees can apply again, but not for a second phase of a project the Fund has already financed.
Does the Fund pay for tree planting or mangrove restoration?
Only as part of a bigger, catalytic design. Field work is allowed where clearly justified, but projects mustn’t focus primarily on implementation. The Fund wants work that changes policy, finance, evidence or capacity so EbA can scale.
Also worth a read: Kenya Needs Sh2.2 Trillion for Climate Adaptation by 2035 — from 254.ke, part of the NGO Summit media network.
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