The Commonwealth Foundation’s open grants call for 2026/2027 funds not-for-profit civil society organizations and creative groups in eligible Commonwealth countries, with £15,000 to £30,000 a year for up to two years. Applications close at 1pm GMT on 26 October 2026. For small NGOs and community groups, the real question is whether registration age, income and track record clear the tests below.
At a glance
| Deadline | 1pm GMT, 26 October 2026 |
| Who can apply | Not-for-profit civil society organizations, creative organizations, networks, coalitions and collectives in eligible Commonwealth countries |
| Funding | Individual Organisation Grants: £15,000 to £30,000 a year. Collective Action Grants: £15,000 to £20,000 a year. Both for up to two years |
| Cost to apply | No fee stated on the call page |
| Official link | commonwealthfoundation.com/grants/annual |
Who can apply
The Foundation sets several hard tests, and the eligibility quiz on the call page is the first gate. As the page states them for this round:
- You must have been registered and operating for at least three years, with three years of demonstrable experience relevant to the proposed project.
- Average annual income over the past two years must be below £2.5 million, and the grant requested cannot exceed 70% of your total annual income.
- Financial statements must not be older than December 2024.
- Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand cannot supply the lead applicant, though organizations there can join as partners.
- Organizations currently implementing a Commonwealth Foundation grant, or recently finished but not yet paid the final instalment, are not eligible.
What the grants fund
Projects must address one or more of three priorities: climate and environmental justice, economic inclusion, and freedom of expression. Gender and intersectionality should run through the whole project. The call also names exclusions, including service delivery, electioneering, activities that generate private profit, and projects with no social or political change objective.
A new Collective Action Grants strand sits alongside the individual grants, aimed at networks, coalitions, alliances and creative collectives. It requires documentation of the collective’s structure and a member list.
How to apply
- Complete the eligibility quiz on the official call page and confirm your country qualifies.
- Register on the online grants platform linked from that page.
- Submit the online form with a logic model (template provided), your registration certificate, governance documents and recent accounts. Creative applicants add portfolio samples, within the limits the page sets.
- Submit before 1pm GMT on 26 October 2026 through the application portal.
Key dates for this round: applications opened on 23 September 2026. Shortlisted applicants are notified by the end of February 2027, final decisions come by the end of June 2027, and implementation starts between August and September 2027.
Advice from the Impact DOTS team
- Run the eligibility quiz before drafting anything. Registration age and the income ceiling are pass or fail, so find out early.
- Check the 70% rule against your own accounts. A request of £30,000 needs a qualifying annual income, so compute it from the figures you will submit.
- Gather the registration certificate, governance papers and accounts now. Missing documents are an avoidable reason to lose a complete application.
- Write the logic model around one named priority and show the change you expect, not only the activities. The call states a preference for constructive engagement with governments and creative advocacy.
FAQ
Is there a fee to apply? The call page states no application fee.
Can a newly founded group apply? Not under this call. It requires at least three years of registration and operation.
Can a service-delivery project be funded? No. The call lists service delivery among its exclusions.
Who do I contact with questions? The call page lists cfgrants@commonwealth.int.
Sources
Commonwealth Foundation: open grants call 2026/2027
