Funding Friday
Happy Friday everyone,
This week, many of our funding opportunities focus on amplifying community-led solutions, advancing equity, and enabling innovation across critical areas such as public health, gender equality, climate resilience, and social inclusion. From strengthening the role of informal waste collectors in the fight against plastic pollution to empowering women and transgender communities in Hong Kong and supporting the reintegration of migrant workers in Bangladesh, these initiatives highlight the transformative power of grassroots leadership and inclusive development.
I hope you find something helpful in this weeks newsletter,
Jesse
Global
♻️ Inclusive Plastic Action Programme
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) has launched the Inclusive Plastic Action Programme 2025 to support local champions in tackling plastic pollution within their communities. This initiative recognizes the vital role of informal waste collectors, often led by marginalized groups, who are responsible for collecting over 60% of the world's plastic waste. The programme aims to provide targeted grants to enhance capacities in areas such as training, organizational development, community engagement, environmental literacy, and advocacy.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Informal Sector Integration: How can formal recognition and support of informal waste collectors enhance plastic waste management systems?
Capacity Building: What training and resources are most effective in empowering marginalized groups to lead environmental initiatives?
Community Engagement: In what ways can community-driven approaches contribute to sustainable solutions for plastic pollution?
🔗 Empowering Communities: Inclusive Plastic Action Programme 2025
🩺 Advancing Early Detection in Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes
Breakthrough T1D is inviting applications for its initiative aimed at improving the diagnosis of adult-onset Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), with a particular focus on the early stages of the disease. This program seeks to support research that enhances understanding and detection of T1D in adults, a demographic often underrepresented in diabetes research.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Diagnostic Challenges: How can healthcare systems adapt to better identify and diagnose adult-onset T1D, distinguishing it from Type 2 Diabetes?
Research Gaps: What are the current limitations in understanding the pathophysiology of adult-onset T1D, and how can targeted research address these gaps?
Global Impact: Considering the global prevalence of diabetes, how can findings from this research initiative inform international guidelines and practices?
🔗 Beyond Pediatrics: Advancing Early Detection in Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes
🏙️ Resilient and Inclusive Cities Hub Small Scale Grants
📝 The Resilient and Inclusive Cities Hub, hosted by the Global Disability Fund, has launched a call for small-scale innovation solutions aimed at creating inclusive and sustainable cities. This initiative supports projects that enhance urban resilience and inclusivity, particularly focusing on the needs of persons with disabilities.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Urban Inclusivity: How can urban planning and development be reimagined to prioritize inclusion of persons with disabilities?
Innovative Solutions: What novel approaches can address urban resilience in the face of climate change and social inequalities?
Collaborative Efforts: In what ways can multi-stakeholder collaborations enhance urban development effectiveness?
🔗 Building Inclusive Urban Futures: Resilient and Inclusive Cities Hub Small Scale Grants
🔬 CEPI's Call for Innovative Analytical Technologies
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has announced a new funding opportunity aimed at developing innovative analytical technologies to enhance vaccine release speed, reduce costs, and improve deployment. This initiative seeks to support the development of technologies that can expedite vaccine development and manufacturing processes, particularly in response to epidemic and pandemic threats.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Analytical Innovation: How can novel analytical methods transform vaccine quality control and release timelines?
Global Health Impact: What roles do rapid and cost-effective vaccine analytics play in improving access during global health emergencies?
Technology Integration: In what ways can emerging technologies be integrated into existing vaccine manufacturing workflows to enhance efficiency?
🔗 Accelerating Vaccine Development: CEPI's Call for Innovative Analytical Technologies
Asia Pacific
🕸️ Webs of Safety and Care Grants
📝 The Urgent Action Fund for Asia & Pacific (UAF A&P) is inviting applications for its Webs of Safety and Care (WSC) Grants. This initiative aims to support women, trans, and non-binary human rights defenders in the Asia-Pacific region by providing resources to build and strengthen community-based safety and care structures. The grants focus on holistic well-being, legal and political protection, economic viability, and social and cultural support.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Holistic Safety: How can community-based structures be designed to address the multifaceted safety needs of activists?
Sustainable Support: What strategies can ensure the longevity and sustainability of care structures for human rights defenders?
Inclusive Practices: In what ways can organizations ensure that safety and care initiatives are inclusive and responsive to the diverse identities within their communities?
🔗 Strengthening Community Safety: Webs of Safety and Care Grants
💜 Empowering Marginalized Voices- Hong Kong
HER Fund has launched its General Grant Program to pool resources to empower women and transgender people, advocate for social change and gender equality, and increase social attention to improve their situations by providing grants and capacity building to grassroots organizations.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Intersectional Advocacy: How can grassroots organizations effectively address the intertwined challenges faced by marginalized communities in Hong Kong?
Sustainable Change: What strategies can ensure the longevity and impact of initiatives aimed at eliminating gender-based violence and discrimination?
Community Empowerment: In what ways can participatory decision-making enhance the effectiveness of programs supporting women and transgender individuals?
🔗 Empowering Marginalized Voices: HER Fund General Grant Program – Hong Kong
🌍 Empowering Returnee Women Migrant Workers- Bangladesh
UN Women Bangladesh is seeking proposals for the "Sustainable Reintegration for Women Migrant Workers Project." This initiative aims to strengthen gender-responsive reintegration approaches across various sectors by building the capacities of relevant government ministries and departments. The project focuses on providing services for effective and sustainable reintegration of migrant workers, especially women.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Gender-Responsive Reintegration: How can reintegration programs be tailored to address the unique challenges faced by returnee women migrant workers?
Institutional Collaboration: What mechanisms can enhance coordination between government bodies and civil society organizations to support sustainable reintegration?
Economic Empowerment: In what ways can skills development and employment opportunities be made more accessible to returnee women migrant workers?
🔗 Empowering Returnee Women Migrant Workers: Sustainable Reintegration Project – Bangladesh
🌸 Advancing Women's Economic Empowerment
The Asia Gender Equality Fund 3.0 is a strategic funding initiative aimed at supporting transformative projects by non-profit organizations that focus on improving economic outcomes for women and girls in Asia. This round emphasizes gender-just climate action and interventions, addressing the distinct challenges women face due to climate change and empowering them to achieve economic security.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Climate and Gender Intersectionality: How can climate action initiatives be designed to specifically address the unique challenges faced by women and girls in Asia?
Scalability of Solutions: What strategies can ensure that successful gender-focused climate solutions can be scaled across different regions in Asia?
Collaborative Impact: In what ways can partnerships between NGOs, governments, and the private sector amplify the impact of gender equality initiatives?
🔗 Advancing Women's Economic Empowerment: Asia Gender Equality Fund 3.0
Africa
🤝 Industrial Development Corporation's Social Employment Fund
📝 The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has launched the Social Employment Fund (SEF) as part of South Africa's broader economic recovery agenda. The SEF aims to create meaningful work opportunities by supporting community-based projects that serve the common good. Through partnerships with non-state actors, the fund focuses on areas such as health, education, food security, and environmental conservation.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Community Engagement: How can community-based projects be scaled to address unemployment effectively?
Sustainable Impact: What measures ensure the long-term sustainability of jobs created through social employment initiatives?
Public-Private Partnerships: How can collaborations between government entities and civil society organizations enhance the reach and impact of employment programs?
🔗 Empowering Communities: Industrial Development Corporation's Social Employment Fund
🌿 Understanding African Universities’ Capacity for Climate Adaptation Research
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to assess and enhance the capacity of African universities in conducting climate adaptation research. This initiative aims to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities within higher education institutions to effectively contribute to climate adaptation efforts across the continent.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Institutional Capacity: How can African universities strengthen their research infrastructure to address climate adaptation challenges?
Collaborative Networks: What role can partnerships between universities, governments, and communities play in advancing climate adaptation research?
Policy Integration: How can research findings from African universities be effectively integrated into national and regional climate policies?
🗺️ Ukusekela Small Project and Support Fund Program – South Africa
The AIDS Foundation of South Africa (AFSA), in partnership with Bread for the World (BfdW), is inviting applications for the Ukusekela Small Project and Support Fund (SPSF) Program. This initiative aims to empower communities to act and participate in their own development through actions that are designed, implemented, and owned by the communities themselves.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Community Empowerment: How can grassroots organizations leverage small-scale funding to drive sustainable development in their communities?
Gender Equality: What strategies can be employed to ensure that at least 65% of funded initiatives are female led, addressing gender inequalities effectively?
Capacity Building: In what ways can mentoring and technical assistance enhance the capabilities of small organizations to deliver impactful services?
🔗Empowering Grassroots Initiatives: Ukusekela Small Project and Support Fund Program – South Africa
It’s striking how many of these initiatives center community leadership as both method and outcome. Do you think this signals a shift in how funders are starting to view power, not just equity, as a structural design principle?