Finland MFA: Programme-Based Support for Finnish CSOs (2026-2029)
Expired government · Found: 2026-03-14 15:32
Exclusively for Finnish CSOs. Danish NGO not eligible. Included for context. EUR 80M/year. Next cycle around 2029-2030.
Funding Details
- Funder
- Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
- Funding Goal
- Programme-based support for Finnish civil society organisations to implement development cooperation programmes and humanitarian assistance in developing countries, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthening civil society in partner countries.
- Funding Amount
- Up to EUR 80 million per year (EUR 320 million total for 2026-2029 cycle) (up to 80.000.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2025-02-28 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Applications must be submitted via the Applyforgrants.fi / haeavustuksia.fi portal. Applicants must have a valid mandate to act on behalf of their organisation, granted via the Suomi.fi e-Authorizations service.
- Target Region
- Global developing countries
- Contact
- keo-30@gov.fi (Unit for Civil Society, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-07 01:17
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland launched a call for applications for programme-based discretionary government grants for Finnish civil society organisations (CSOs) to fund development cooperation programmes and humanitarian assistance for the period 2026-2029. The total envelope is estimated at EUR 320 million across four years, equating to up to EUR 80 million annually. The programme aims to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, promote human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and vibrant civil societies in developing countries. From 2026 onwards, Finnish CSOs with partnership status with the EU's DG ECHO may also apply for humanitarian assistance components, including nexus activities linking crisis prevention, development, and peace. Eligible activities include long-term development cooperation programmes in developing countries and humanitarian aid. Programmes must align with Finland's foreign and security policy and relevant government reports. There is no explicit thematic restriction, but programmes must demonstrate results-based management capabilities. Applicants must be Finnish-registered CSOs. There are no specific geographic restrictions for the project locations, but partner countries must be in the developing world. Organisations must demonstrate robust project management, monitoring, and evaluation capacities. Applications were submitted via the Applyforgrants.fi portal with a deadline of 28 February 2025 at 16:15 Finnish time. This was the first call for the 2026-2029 cycle; the next cycle is expected around 2029-2030. Funding is allocated from Finland's development cooperation appropriations. There are no co-funding requirements explicitly stated on the page, but programme quality, alignment with Finnish development policy, and organisational capacity are key assessment criteria.
Historical Context
Programme-based support for Finnish CSOs is a recurring cycle. The 2026-2029 cycle was opened in January 2025 with applications accepted until 28 February 2025. Previous cycles have followed a similar multi-year format.
Why it was added
grant-scan-2026-03-14-tier-c
Sources
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