The Commonwealth Foundation Open Grants Call 2026–2027 supports civil society organisations, grassroots communities and creative actors working to advance meaningful social, cultural and political change across eligible Commonwealth countries.

The programme funds projects that influence public policy, strengthen civic participation and promote accountability through constructive engagement with governments and other decision-makers, or through creative advocacy that uses arts and creative practices to influence public discourse, policies and behaviours.

This year's call introduces two complementary funding streams: Individual Organisation Grants for standalone projects led by eligible civil society organisations, and Collective Action Grants for networks, coalitions, alliances, platforms and creative collectives working together to strengthen participation and advance change.

All proposals must address at least one of the Foundation's three strategic impact areas and demonstrate how gender and intersectionality will be integrated throughout project design and implementation.

Funding Available

The programme offers two grant streams:

1. Individual Organisation Grants

• Funding: £15,000–£30,000 per year
• Duration: Up to two years
• Maximum potential grant: £60,000 over two years
• Intended for eligible not-for-profit civil society and creative organisations delivering standalone projects.

2. Collective Action Grants

• Funding: £15,000–£20,000 per year
• Duration: Up to two years
• Maximum potential grant: £40,000 over two years
• Intended for eligible networks, coalitions, alliances, platforms and creative collectives undertaking collaborative projects.

For both streams, the requested grant must not exceed 70% of the applicant's or lead applicant's average annual income over the previous two years. Average annual income must be below £2.5 million.

Funding Priorities

Projects must address at least one of the following three strategic impact areas.

1. Climate and Environmental Justice

Projects may focus on:

• Addressing the social, political and economic causes and impacts of climate and environmental injustice, particularly for marginalised communities.
• Strengthening community participation in climate policy and environmental decision-making.
• Improving laws, policies and practices that promote climate and environmental justice.
• Supporting a just and clean energy transition that protects community rights and livelihoods.
• Promoting indigenous knowledge and locally developed environmental solutions.
• Improving accountability, access to justice and remedies for environmental harm and human rights violations.

2. Economic Inclusion

Projects may focus on:

• Reducing socioeconomic and income inequalities.
• Improving equitable access to resources, services, assets and economic opportunities.
• Protecting labour rights and addressing forced labour.
• Strengthening women's, youth and marginalised groups' participation in economic policymaking, budgeting and public expenditure decisions.
• Advancing sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurship, inclusive economic opportunities and decent employment.
• Promoting the creative economy and youth-led economic inclusion initiatives.

3. Freedom of Expression

Projects may focus on:

• Protecting freedom of expression, association, assembly and access to information.
• Strengthening independent media, transparency and access to information laws.
• Supporting civil society participation in national, regional and international human rights mechanisms.
• Advancing digital rights and inclusion, including addressing online violence against women and young people.
• Reducing barriers to public participation and promoting open civic dialogue.
• Strengthening public information systems and government accountability through credible evidence and community documentation.

The Foundation encourages projects that address intersections between these priorities, such as using access-to-information mechanisms to strengthen climate accountability or promoting economic inclusion through participatory policymaking.

Cross-Cutting Priorities

All proposals must demonstrate how gender and intersectionality have informed project design and will be integrated throughout implementation. This includes considering how gender interacts with age, disability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geographical location to shape access to opportunities and participation.

The Foundation also prioritises:

• Small states: Applications from eligible civil society and creative organisations in Commonwealth small states are strongly encouraged.
• Youth participation: Projects should meaningfully support young people's leadership, agency and involvement in public dialogue and decision-making.

Who Can Apply?Individual Organisation Grants

Eligible applicants include:

• Not-for-profit civil society organisations.
• Not-for-profit creative organisations.

Applicants must be registered in an eligible Commonwealth Foundation member country.

Collective Action Grants

Eligible applicants include:

• Not-for-profit networks.
• Coalitions and alliances of civil society organisations.
• Platforms of civil society and community-based organisations.
• Networks of groups, creative actors and creative collectives.

An unregistered network or collective must nominate an eligible registered member organisation to act as lead applicant.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the requirements for their chosen grant stream.

• Registration and operating history: The organisation, network or collective must have been registered and operating for at least three years, where applicable.
• Relevant experience: Applicants must demonstrate at least three years of experience relevant to the proposed project and its strategic impact area, including experience working in the communities where activities will take place.
• Eligible geography: The applicant or lead applicant must be registered in an eligible Commonwealth Foundation member country.
• Project location: Projects must be implemented at least in the applicant's or lead applicant's country of registration. Activities may extend to other eligible countries, provided there is strong local participation in each.
• Grant affordability: The requested grant must not exceed 70% of average annual income over the preceding two years.
• Income threshold: Average annual income over the previous two years must be below £2.5 million.
• Gender and intersectionality: Proposals must demonstrate how these considerations inform project design and implementation.
• Existing Foundation grants: Organisations currently implementing a Commonwealth Foundation grant, or which have completed a grant but have not yet received their final payment, are ineligible.

Organisations may participate in partnerships, but an eligible lead applicant must take responsibility for the grant agreement and project delivery. An organisation or partner may only be included in one application under this call.

Geographic Scope

The programme covers eligible Commonwealth Foundation member countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific.

Examples of eligible countries include:

• South Africa
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Mauritius
• Botswana
• Bangladesh
• India
• Malaysia
• Sri Lanka
• Jamaica
• Barbados
• Cyprus
• Malta
• Zambia
• Samoa

This is a selection of eligible countries, not an exhaustive list. Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand are marked as ineligible to apply as lead applicants under this call, although organisations registered in those countries may participate as project partners when the lead applicant is from another eligible country.

Exclusions and Important Conditions

The Foundation will not fund:

• Exchanges between developed countries.
• Activities solely focused on building the capacity of government officials or private-sector actors.
• Service-delivery projects, such as distributing medicines or constructing facilities.
• Creative projects without a clear social or political change objective.
• Activities promoting hatred, discrimination or violence, or endangering participants.
• Electioneering or partisan political communications.
• Activities primarily intended to generate private profit without a clear public-interest or advocacy outcome.

Training, events, academic research, books and films may only be funded where they meet the specific conditions of the relevant grant stream and contribute to the wider project or its advocacy objectives.

Required Application Documents

Applications must be submitted through the Foundation's online application system. Required documents include:

• Completed online application form.
• Logic model using the Foundation's template.
• Applicant or lead applicant's registration certificate and evidence of not-for-profit status where necessary.
• Board or trustee details, including names, roles, responsibilities and contact information, or equivalent governance documentation.
• Audited or annual financial accounts, as applicable to the grant amount.
• For Collective Action Grants, the collective's structure, governance arrangements and full membership list.
• For creative organisations and collectives, a selection of previous or current work demonstrating the relevance of their creative practice.

For grants of exactly £15,000 per year, eligible applicants may submit audited accounts or qualifying annual accounts. Requests exceeding £15,000 per year require the most recent audited accounts, subject to the Foundation's documentation rules. Required accounts must not be older than December 2024.

Project Timeline

• Application deadline: 26 October 2026, 13:00 GMT
• Shortlisted applicants expected to be contacted: February 2027
• Successful applicants expected to be informed by the end of June 2027
• Expected project start: Between 1 August and 30 September 2027

Application Process

Applicants must select the appropriate grant stream, confirm their eligibility, prepare the required supporting documents and submit a complete application through the online application system.

Proposals should clearly define the problem, intended change, target communities, advocacy or constructive-engagement approach, expected results and how gender and intersectionality will be integrated. Applicants should also demonstrate relevant experience and explain how the project will influence policy, public discourse or decision-making.

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