Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs Civil Society Support

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 16:24

Framework agreements and grant schemes for Danish development NGOs focusing on green growth, sustainable natural resource management, climate change, energy, and water projects. Includes small projects pool for organizations working on environmental sustainability in Denmark and developing countries.

Source: https://www.terravivagrants.org/group-5-cross-cutting/denmark-ministry-of-foreign-affairs/

Funding Details

Funder

Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida)

Funding Goal

Support Danish civil society organisations and their local partners in developing countries across multiple grant schemes including: framework agreements for large/medium NGOs; small projects grants; development research programs; capacity-building training; and embassy-administered local grants to civil society in partner countries. Focus areas include sustainable natural resource management, green growth, climate change, energy, water, and development effectiveness.

Funding Amount

Varies by scheme: small projects pool for smaller organisations; framework agreements for large/medium NGOs; research grants via Danida fellowship center; training grants also available

Deadline

Annual call cycles for each scheme; development research calls issued annually; embassy grants vary by mission (periodic)

How to Apply

Framework agreements: directly with Ministry for Development Cooperation. Research grants: competitive calls via dfcentre.com. Embassy grants: contact relevant Danish diplomatic mission. Policies and tools available at amg.um.dk/en/tools/.

Target Region

Priority partner countries: Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Africa, Egypt, Palestinian Territories, Ukraine, Georgia

Contact

Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Danida: um.dk/en; Danida Fellowship Center: dfcentre.com

Last Checked

2026-05-07 02:26

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Framework agreements require Danish-registered development NGO status with proven track record
• Small projects pool open to Danish development organisations
• Research grants require affiliation with Danish research institution
• Embassy grants require inquiry with specific Danish diplomatic mission in target country

Project Scope

• Partnership with local organisations in Danida priority partner countries typically required

Constraints

• Verify current call status and deadlines via official amg.um.dk or dfcentre.com - this source is from 2022

Summary

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) operates multiple grant schemes for Danish civil society organisations and development actors through Danida (Danish International Development Agency). This overview covers the main grant modalities available to Danish NGOs and researchers working in development contexts. The primary scheme for Danish NGOs is civil society support through framework agreements. The Ministry engages in agreements with large and medium Danish development NGOs and separately funds a small projects pool for smaller organisations. Additionally, a special pool supports innovative NGOs working on HIV/AIDS. These programmes support Danish organisations partnering with local actors in developing countries. Danida also administers research programmes: North-Driven Research makes annual calls for Danish researchers in development themes (typically including environment, natural resources, agriculture, energy and climate); South-Driven Research delegates theme choice to partner country institutions (Vietnam, Tanzania, Ghana, Nepal). Building Stronger Universities strengthens research capacity in Ghana, Nepal, Tanzania, and Uganda. Travel grants support Danish students conducting field research. Thematic priorities under Denmark's green growth agenda include sustainable food production, access to energy and water, and integrated climate action. Natural resource management and environmental sustainability are core Danish development priorities. Geographically, priority partner countries include Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam (Southeast Asia), Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia (Africa) and others - overlapping significantly with Ocean Plastic Forum's international operating regions. Embassy-administered grants allow Danish diplomatic missions to make direct grants to local NGOs in partner countries without requiring Ministry consultation. These are accessed by contacting the relevant Danish embassy directly. This Terra Viva Grants Directory page is a secondary reference source, not an official Danish government page. Applicants should consult official Danida/MFA sources for current call details and deadlines.

Historical Context

Denmark has provided development assistance for decades through Danida. Civil society framework agreements are a long-standing instrument renewed periodically. The Terra Viva Grants Directory page was published in 2022 and provides a general overview of Danish development grant schemes.

Sources

• https://www.terravivagrants.org/group-5-cross-cutting/denmark-ministry-of-foreign-affairs/

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