Convergence — Indo-Pacific NGO Blended Finance Accelerator (DFAT)

Enriched multilateral · Found: 2026-03-14 21:42

DFAT Australia-funded accelerator providing catalytic grants (up to AUD 300K-840K) to NGOs designing blended finance vehicles for climate action and gender equality in Indonesia, Vietnam, and other Indo-Pacific countries. Second call expected Q2 2026.

Source: https://www.convergence.finance/accelerator/dfatngo/apply

Funding Details

Funder

Convergence Blended Finance / DFAT Australia

Funding Goal

Support NGOs in designing and launching blended finance vehicles targeting climate action and/or gender equality outcomes in Indo-Pacific developing countries

Funding Amount

Stage 1: up to AUD 300,000; Stages 2-3: up to AUD 840,000 (conditionally repayable if vehicle launches successfully) (136.000 € – 571.000 €)

Deadline

2026-Q2-expected (periodic)

How to Apply

Submit expression of interest at convergence.finance/accelerator/dfatngo/apply. First call (2025) closed November 18, 2025. Second call expected Q2 2026. Monitor Convergence website and sign up for notifications.

Target Region

Indo-Pacific: Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pacific Islands

Contact

convergence.submittable.com/submit for applications; Convergence website for general enquiries

Last Checked

2026-03-14 21:42

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Organization must be registered NGO (non-profit)
• Lead applicant cannot be a multilateral organization or development bank
• Must demonstrate organizational capacity to design and manage financial vehicles

Project Scope

• Blended finance vehicle must target eligible Indo-Pacific ODA countries (Indonesia/Vietnam eligible, India NOT eligible)
• Thematic focus must be climate action and/or gender equality — plastic waste alone insufficient without climate framing

Required Documents

• Provide proof of incorporation and prior fiscal year financial statements

Constraints

• Later stage grants may be conditionally repayable if vehicle launches
• Monitor Convergence website for Q2 2026 second call opening

Summary

The Indo-Pacific NGO Blended Finance Accelerator is a programme co-created and funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and managed by Convergence Blended Finance. It provides catalytic grant funding and acceleration support to NGOs working on transformative blended finance solutions in the Indo-Pacific region. The programme aims to help NGOs scope, develop, and launch blended finance vehicles that combine public, philanthropic, and private capital to advance climate action and gender equality in developing Indo-Pacific nations. The programme operates in three stages: Stage 1 (Scoping/Feasibility, up to AUD 300,000) provides funding to assess the viability and design of a blended finance vehicle; Stage 2 (Proof-of-Concept, up to AUD 840,000) supports full design and structuring; and Stage 3 (Scale-up) enables vehicles to expand. Later stages may involve conditionally repayable grants if the vehicle successfully launches. Full proposals are submitted by invitation only, following a competitive Expression of Interest process. Geographically, the programme targets Indo-Pacific nations eligible for Official Development Assistance, with a particular emphasis on underserved markets such as Pacific Island nations. Eligible countries include Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and Sri Lanka. India is not currently listed as an eligible country. The thematic focus is on climate action aligned with SDGs 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, and/or gender equality (SDG 5). The first call for proposals ran in 2025 with an Expression of Interest deadline of November 18, 2025. A second call is anticipated for Q2 2026 based on programme documentation. NGOs applying must demonstrate organizational capacity for financial vehicle design and management, proof of incorporation, and prior fiscal year financial statements.

Historical Context

First call launched 2025. Programme is multi-year with recurring intakes anticipated. 80+ applications received in first call. This programme builds on Convergence broader Blended Finance Accelerator (formerly Design Funding) which has run multiple windows since 2015.

Why it was added

grant-scan-list2-2026-03-14

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