Funder / Initiative

Global EbA Fund

The Fund aims to create an enabling environment for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities and ecosystems to climate change. It supports innovative approaches that help EbA move from individual initiatives towards wider uptake, scaling and mainstreaming.

As of June 2026, the Fund had supported 75 projects across 41 countries, addressing financial, governance, knowledge and awareness barriers to EbA. Its portfolio spans ecosystems including coastal and marine environments, drylands, forests, mountains, urban areas, river basins and wetlands.

OVERVIEW

The 8th Global EbA Fund Call for Small-Size Grants seeks innovative and catalytic projects that address the systemic barriers preventing Ecosystem-based Adaptation from being effectively implemented, financed and scaled.

The primary geographic focus is on ODA-eligible Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) because these countries face particularly high climate vulnerability while often having limited institutional, technical and financial capacity to respond. 

The opportunity is therefore not simply looking for a conventional local conservation project. It wants proposals that can strengthen the systems around adaptation, including institutional capacity, evidence and data, knowledge exchange, investment readiness and pathways for scaling.

Geographic Focus

The primary geographic focus is:

ODA-eligible SIDS and LDCs.

However, applications from other ODA-eligible countries may also be considered where the proposal demonstrates exceptional ambition and unique opportunities to scale EbA.

This distinction is important for applicants because the opportunity is not limited exclusively to SIDS and LDCs, but these countries are clearly the priority.

What Does the Fund Mean by Scaling?

For this call, scaling means expanding successful EbA solutions, replicating tested approaches across new sectors, regions or country settings, or integrating them across different administrative levels.

Scaling can involve:

• Institutionalising successful approaches.
• Increasing financing.
• Developing new implementation pathways.
• Developing financial instruments that enable wider adoption. 

SCOPE OF THE CALL

The Fund is looking for proposals that address upstream and systemic barriers to EbA uptake and scaling.

Projects should focus on areas such as:

• Institutional and technical capacity.
• Quality data and evidence generation.
• Systematic knowledge exchange and learning.
• Investment readiness.
• Sustainable financing pathways.
• Innovative technologies that can be adapted or scaled.
• Applied and functional research.
• Synergies with other EbA or nature-based solution initiatives. 

Required Adaptation Logic

Proposals must demonstrate a clear adaptation chain.

The proposal should identify:

• Relevant climate hazards and risks.
• Social and economic sensitivity.
• Ecological sensitivity.
• The ecosystem services that should be maintained or enhanced.
• How the intervention builds adaptive capacity.
• How this ultimately reduces vulnerability and climate risk.
• Tangible benefits for both people and nature. 

Social and Environmental Requirements

Projects must integrate:

• Gender responsiveness
• Respect for Indigenous Peoples' rights
• Local participation
• Environmental and social safeguards
• Equitable benefit-sharing
• Measures to prevent maladaptation. 

Projects should also demonstrate a credible sustainability and exit strategy, including long-term viability, local ownership or institutional continuity after the Fund's support ends.

AREAS SPECIFICALLY ENCOURAGED

The call encourages projects focused on:

Investment Readiness and Project Pipeline Preparation

Developing investable and scalable concepts that can attract larger climate-finance resources.

Innovative Technologies for EbA

Adapting or scaling tested technologies within particular socio-ecological systems and generating useful evidence for practitioners and decision-makers.

Applied and Functional Research

Practical research designed to address specific barriers to EbA implementation or investment.

Synergies with Existing EbA / Nature-Based Solution Initiatives

Connecting projects with existing initiatives and facilities to create operational synergies and additional co-funding pathways.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

A successful project should contribute to:

• A stronger enabling environment for EbA uptake and investment.
• Greater scaling of EbA in highly vulnerable countries.
• Stronger locally led EbA interventions.
• Documented replication pathways through knowledge management and exchange.
• Improved technical and institutional readiness.
• Investment-ready concepts and financing strategies.
• A broader network of EbA expertise across different sectors and geographies. 

WHO CAN APPLY?

The Fund is deliberately looking beyond traditional conservation organisations and seeks to create new partnerships and collaborations, including partnerships involving non-traditional actors.

Eligible applicant categories include:

• International NGOs (INGOs)
• NGOs
• Community-based organisations (CBOs)
• Indigenous Peoples' Organisations
• Universities and academic institutions
• Research institutes and think tanks
• Private-sector companies and specialised organisations working on climate change adaptation. 

This means the call can be relevant to actors working across climate adaptation, community development, research, technology, finance, policy and private-sector solutions, rather than only conservation organisations.

LOCAL PARTNERSHIP REQUIREMENT

For projects with country-level activities, a consortium involving one or more local organisations is required.

At least 25% of the project budget must be allocated to local partners, subject to the Fund's standards and due diligence requirements.

The partnership should demonstrate:

• Clear capacity transfer.
• Shared decision-making.
• Long-term institutional strengthening.
• Local ownership.
• Knowledge transfer. 

Government entities, as well as IUCN and UNEP offices, may participate in consortia provided they do not receive funding from the Global EbA Fund.

COUNTRY ELIGIBILITY

The document identifies the following ODA-eligible SIDS:

Belize, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The document identifies the following 44 ODA-eligible LDCs:

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.

Important: the call also allows applications from other ODA-eligible countries where the proposal demonstrates exceptional ambition and unique opportunities to scale EbA.

PROJECT DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

A strong proposal should demonstrate:

• A clearly defined climate adaptation problem.
• A clear link between climate risk, ecosystem vulnerability and human vulnerability.
• A credible EbA approach.
• A pathway for scaling or replication.
• Local participation and ownership.
• Appropriate social and environmental safeguards.
• Institutional and technical capacity development.
• Evidence generation and knowledge sharing.
• A credible long-term sustainability or exit strategy. 

FUNDING

Maximum grant: USD 250,000

Number of grants: Up to 10

Project duration: 18–24 months.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications are submitted through the Global EbA Fund's online platform.

The Fund specifically advises applicants to:

• Use the application form for drafting purposes.
• Work on the application offline before transferring it to the online platform.
• Review the Grants Procedures Manual before submitting. 

KEY DATES

Official Call Launch: 24 August 2026

Application Submission Window:
28 September – 26 October 2026.

LIMITATIONS / IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

Applicants should pay particular attention to the following:

• The primary geographic focus is ODA-eligible SIDS and LDCs. 
• Other ODA-eligible countries may be considered only where the proposal demonstrates exceptional ambition and unique opportunities to scale EbA. 
• Country-level projects require local organisational participation.
• At least 25% of the project budget must be allocated to local partners. 
• Proposals need a clear adaptation chain and must address both social and ecological vulnerability.
• Gender responsiveness, Indigenous Peoples' rights, local participation and environmental/social safeguards must be integrated.
• Projects must demonstrate sustainability or institutional continuity beyond the Fund's investment period.
• The opportunity is designed around scaling and systemic change, not simply delivering an isolated activity.

TARGET BENEFICIARIES

The call is particularly relevant to initiatives benefiting:

• Vulnerable communities.
• Communities and ecosystems facing high climate risk.
• Local organisations and practitioners.
• Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
• Institutions seeking to strengthen adaptation planning and investment.
• Countries and regions with limited adaptation financing and technical capacity.

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