Targeting (informal) groups or organisations to raise awareness, develop transformative leadership, build skills and confidence of the Voice targe groups. Empowerment grants are small grants with a maximum timeframe of 24 months. Informal groups can access funding by partnering with a formal ‘host’ organisations. In Uganda, empowerment grants are available from €5,000 up to €25,000.

Empowerment grants focus on the redistribution of power for marginalised and discriminated groups in society. It aims at building confidence in order to engage and interact with each other as well as in public, and build mutual trust while acknowledging their differences. In Uganda, demographic surveys indicate that Eastern Uganda (particularly Karamoja sub-region), Northern Uganda (particularly Acholi and Lango sub-regions) and West Nile sub-regions are the most marginalised areas and therefore we shall ONLY accept applications from groups and/or organisations from and/or working in those regions. Furthermore, only local organisations and groups whose annual budgets are not more than €50,000 are eligible to apply.

Empowerment grants are targeting (informal) groups or organisations led by the following Voice target groups:

• Persons living with disabilities
• Indigenous people and/or ethnic minorities
• Age-discriminated vulnerable groups especially youth
• Women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence

The overall aim is to strengthen and enhance their capacity to lobby and advocacy. The target groups need to be in the driver’s seat, whether leading on their own, with allies, or exploring and co-creating solutions with those in power. Preference will be given to local groups, community groups or organisations.

What do we fund?

This grant will support activities aimed at, amongst others:

• Building the capacity of the target groups or organisations that work with/for them such as through institutional strengthening of their organisations. Applications for capacity building must provide clear sustainability plans.
• Supporting initiatives to build self-confidence among indigenous groups especially those that have been pushed away or affected by war or draught or other reasons.
• Facilitating transformative leadership among members of the target groups at community level.
• Bridging gender gaps and power differences and other imbalances that affect the target groups at grassroots level.
• Empowering the target beneficiaries with information about their rights, opportunities, safe spaces, and linkages that can advance their access to justice, resources, or political participation.

This call for proposals is closed, so application is no longer possible. Please come back here at a later stage to learn about the grantees that have been selected in this call for proposals.

Calls for proposals for Influencing grants will be opened once a year, while for Empowerment, Innovate and Learn and Sudden Opportunity grants we accept proposals on a rolling basis. The current open calls for proposals can be found here.