Global EbA Fund Medium-Size Grants 2026: Up to USD 500,000 for Ecosystem-based Adaptation
Category: Grants / Climate Change / Environment
Funding Available: Up to USD 500,000 per grant
Number of Grants: Up to 10 medium-size grants
Maximum Project Duration: 24 months
Application Status: Open
Application Period: 12 October – 16 November 2026
Closing Date: 16 November 2026
Overview
The Global EbA Fund is seeking innovative and catalytic proposals that address systemic barriers preventing Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) from being adopted, financed, institutionalised, and scaled.
The Fund focuses on creating an enabling environment for EbA through policy and governance, technical capacity, evidence and data, investment readiness, learning networks, and innovative financing.
It is not intended to support conventional stand-alone field implementation projects. Instead, proposals should demonstrate how targeted investments can generate wider institutional change, mobilise additional partners and financing, and create evidence or models that can be replicated across countries or regions.
What Is Ecosystem-based Adaptation?
Ecosystem-based Adaptation uses ecosystems and nature-based approaches to help vulnerable communities and ecosystems adapt to climate change.
Previous Global EbA Fund activities have covered:
- Coastal and marine areas
- Drylands
- Grasslands
- Forests
- Mountains
- Urban areas
- River basins
- Wetlands
Strategic Objectives
The Fund focuses on three strategic objectives:
1. Build Awareness & Strengthen Capacity
Support awareness, knowledge development, and institutional capacity needed to mainstream EbA.
2. Improve Governance & Planning
Address gaps in policy, planning, and regulatory environments.
3. Increase Access to Sustainable Finance
Expand access to sustainable short- and long-term financing mechanisms for applying and scaling EbA.
Three Action Pillars
Projects should contribute to one or more of the Fund’s action pillars:
Levers for Catalytic Change
- Policy and policy instruments
- Education and capacity building
- Financing
Functional Data and Science
- Climate risk and vulnerability assessments
- Future scenario modelling
- Traditional knowledge and technologies
Innovation and Adaptation
- Unconventional approaches
- Integration of EbA into relevant sectors
Priority Thematic Areas
Applicants may focus on one of three thematic areas. Alignment with these themes is welcomed but not mandatory, provided the proposal aligns with the overall Fund objectives and action pillars.
1. Innovative Finance Solutions for EbA
Projects may:
- Develop climate-finance value chains
- Create bankable pathways for EbA approaches
- Demonstrate the economic value of EbA
- Develop sustainable livelihood and income-generation models
- Attract private capital and blended finance
- Build investment-ready project pipelines
- Improve access to global climate funds and multilateral development banks
2. EbA for Human Development & Security
This theme links:
- Climate adaptation
- Humanitarian action
- Development
- Governance
- Peacebuilding
Projects should address policy, regulatory, financial, and awareness barriers to EbA investment, particularly in high-risk or fragile contexts.
3. People–Nature–Climate–Land Synergies
Projects should strengthen connections between:
- Climate adaptation
- Biodiversity conservation
- Land degradation neutrality
- Disaster risk reduction
Examples include joint planning, cross-ministerial coordination, integrated decision-support tools, economic valuation of ecosystem services, and investment-readiness approaches.
Who Can Apply?
The Global EbA Fund encourages new and non-traditional partnerships and applicants beyond traditional conservation organizations.
Eligible recipient categories include:
- International NGOs (INGOs)
- NGOs
- Community-based organizations (CBOs)
- Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations
- Universities and academic institutions
- Research institutes and think tanks
- Private-sector companies and specialized organizations working on climate change adaptation
Local Partnership Requirement
For projects involving country-level activities, the proposal must include one or more local organizations in the consortium.
At least 25% of the project budget must be allocated to local partners, subject to the Fund’s standards and due diligence requirements.
Partnerships should demonstrate:
- Capacity transfer
- Shared decision-making
- Local ownership
- Long-term institutional strengthening
- Knowledge transfer
Geographic Eligibility
For country-specific projects, the target country must be eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) according to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) list at the time of application.
Regional and multi-country projects are also eligible, provided all countries included in the project are ODA-eligible.
Important: This Is Not a Conventional Project Grant
Applicants should carefully distinguish this opportunity from a standard climate or conservation grant.
The Fund does not support:
- Business-as-usual activities
- Stand-alone field implementation projects
Instead, proposals should address systemic barriers to scaling Ecosystem-based Adaptation and demonstrate potential influence on:
Policy → Finance → Institutions → Knowledge → Investment → Replication
Projects should show how the proposed intervention can create an enabling environment for broader EbA uptake and investment.
Expected Outcomes
Successful projects are expected to contribute to:
- Stronger enabling environments for EbA
- Increased scaling of EbA implementation
- Stronger locally led EbA interventions
- Documented replication pathways
- Improved technical and institutional capacity
- Investment-ready concepts and financing strategies
Application Process
Applicants should:
- Review the Global EbA Fund application materials.
- Review the Grants Procedures Manual.
- Develop the application offline using the application form as a drafting tool.
- Prepare the required project information, partnerships, activities, results, and budget.
- Submit the completed proposal through the online platform.
Key Dates
Official Call Launch: 24 August 2026
Application Opens: 12 October 2026
Application Deadline: 16 November 2026
Applications must be submitted through the online platform.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funder | Global EbA Fund |
| Grant Size | Up to USD 500,000 |
| Number of Grants | Up to 10 |
| Project Duration | Up to 24 months |
| Focus | Ecosystem-based Adaptation |
| Applicant Types | NGOs, CBOs, universities, research institutions, private sector and others |
| Local Partner Requirement | Required for country-level activities |
| Local Budget Allocation | At least 25% |
| Geographic Requirement | ODA-eligible countries |
| Application Period | 12 October – 16 November 2026 |
| Deadline | 16 November 2026 |
Official Website
For the full call details, application materials, and submission instructions, visit the Global EbA Fund official website:
Global EbA Fund – Medium-Size Grants
⚠️ Important Note
Applicants should review the official call documents and Grants Procedures Manual carefully before applying. Eligibility, requirements, and application procedures should be confirmed against the latest official information.
Recommended for: NGOs, CSOs, community-based organizations, research institutions, universities, climate adaptation organizations, and partners developing innovative approaches to ecosystem-based adaptation.