Deadline: 07-Aug-2026
The Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe has launched a new Call for Proposals to strengthen grassroots and intersectional gender equality movements across Europe through long-term collaboration, coalition-building, and collective action. The programme provides grants ranging from €225,000 to €450,000 for three-year collaborative projects led by coalitions of at least three eligible organizations working to advance the rights of marginalized women, girls, transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people.
About the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe Call for Proposals
The Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe is a funding initiative dedicated to strengthening grassroots organizations and feminist movements working to advance gender equality, social justice, and inclusion across Europe. The programme recognizes that long-term, collaborative action is essential to addressing systemic discrimination, harmful gender norms, and structural inequalities.
This funding opportunity focuses on movement-building rather than standalone projects. It encourages organizations to work together through coalitions that strengthen advocacy, community organizing, collective learning, and cross-border cooperation.
By supporting long-term partnerships, the Alliance seeks to build resilient feminist movements capable of influencing public policy, amplifying marginalized voices, and creating lasting social change.
Funding Amount
Successful coalitions may receive:
- Minimum grant: €225,000
- Maximum grant: €450,000
The Alliance expects to fund between six and twelve coalitions.
Funding may cover:
- Project implementation costs.
- Eligible staff salaries.
- Organizational overhead costs.
- Collaborative activities.
- Capacity-building initiatives.
- Advocacy and communication activities.
Project Duration
Supported projects will run for:
- Three years
- Implementation period: January 2027 to December 2029
Projects should include long-term strategies that strengthen movements beyond the funding period.
Programme Objectives
The programme aims to:
- Strengthen grassroots gender equality movements.
- Build long-term collaboration among feminist organizations.
- Increase solidarity across Europe.
- Strengthen grassroots organizations.
- Improve organizational capacity.
- Advance the rights of marginalized communities.
- Promote intersectional feminism.
- Expand cross-border cooperation.
- Strengthen policy advocacy.
- Support collective action for gender equality.
Priority Areas
Projects should contribute to one or more of the following priorities:
- Movement strengthening.
- Coalition building.
- Feminist collaboration.
- Grassroots organizing.
- Community mobilization.
- Collective learning.
- Capacity development.
- Advocacy for gender equality.
- Rights of marginalized women and girls.
- Rights of transgender people.
- Rights of non-binary people.
- Rights of gender non-conforming people.
- Narrative change.
- Social justice partnerships.
- Cross-sector alliances.
- Policy engagement.
- Public awareness.
- Feminist leadership.
Projects should demonstrate strong collaboration and long-term movement-building outcomes.
Eligible Activities
The programme supports a wide range of collaborative initiatives, including:
- National collaborative projects.
- Regional partnerships.
- Pan-European initiatives.
- Joint advocacy campaigns.
- Campaigns with social justice movements.
- Narrative-change training.
- Digital storytelling projects.
- Cross-border advocacy.
- Coalition-building workshops.
- Community organizing activities.
- Movement strategy development.
- Research translation into advocacy.
- Knowledge sharing.
- Leadership development.
- Capacity-building programmes.
Activities should strengthen feminist movements and create sustainable partnerships across participating countries.
Target Beneficiaries
The programme prioritizes initiatives benefiting:
- Marginalized women.
- Girls.
- Transgender people.
- Non-binary people.
- Gender non-conforming people.
- Low-income communities.
- Migrant communities.
- Racialized communities.
- Ethnic minority groups.
- Rural communities.
- Disadvantaged communities.
- People living with disabilities.
- Survivors of violence.
- Older people.
- Young people.
Projects should demonstrate how these communities will actively participate in and benefit from project activities.
Who is Eligible?
Applications must be submitted by a coalition of at least three legally registered organizations.
Eligible applicants include:
- Grassroots organizations.
- Feminist organizations.
- Gender equality organizations.
- Community-based organizations.
- Network organizations.
- Intermediary organizations.
- Civil society organizations working on gender equality.
Network organizations and intermediaries may participate provided they apply together with grassroots organizations.
Eligible Countries
Organizations must be legally established and operating in one of the following:
- European Union Member States.
- United Kingdom.
- Armenia.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Kosovo.
- Montenegro.
- North Macedonia.
- Serbia.
All coalition members must meet the programme’s eligibility requirements.
How to Apply
Interested coalitions should follow these steps.
- Review the official Call for Proposals and eligibility requirements.
- Form a coalition of at least three eligible organizations.
- Develop a shared vision and collaborative project plan.
- Identify movement-building objectives and expected outcomes.
- Design activities that strengthen grassroots organizations and collective action.
- Prepare a realistic three-year budget.
- Develop governance and partnership arrangements.
- Complete the official application form.
- Submit all required supporting documents before the application deadline.
- Respond to any clarification requests during the assessment process if required.
Application Components
A competitive application should generally include:
- Coalition information.
- Organizational profiles.
- Partnership agreements.
- Project description.
- Objectives and expected outcomes.
- Work plan.
- Governance framework.
- Budget and budget justification.
- Monitoring and evaluation plan.
- Sustainability strategy.
- Risk management approach.
- Supporting documentation requested by the programme.
Selection Criteria
Applications are expected to be evaluated based on:
- Alignment with programme objectives.
- Strength of the coalition.
- Movement-building potential.
- Intersectional approach.
- Quality of collaboration.
- Organizational capacity.
- Innovation.
- Sustainability.
- Expected impact.
- Value for money.
Projects demonstrating strong partnerships, long-term collaboration, and meaningful participation of marginalized communities are likely to be more competitive.
Why This Funding Opportunity Matters
Grassroots organizations are essential to advancing gender equality and protecting the rights of marginalized communities. However, many face limited resources, increasing social challenges, and growing opposition to gender equality.
The programme helps:
- Strengthen feminist movements.
- Build sustainable coalitions.
- Increase collaboration across Europe.
- Empower grassroots organizations.
- Promote intersectional gender equality.
- Support marginalized communities.
- Expand advocacy efforts.
- Influence public policy.
- Strengthen democratic participation.
- Foster long-term social change.
By investing in collaborative leadership and movement-building, the programme aims to create stronger, more resilient organizations capable of driving lasting change across Europe.
Common Application Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid these common mistakes.
- Applying without the required coalition of three eligible organizations.
- Submitting projects that lack a collaborative approach.
- Failing to demonstrate movement-building outcomes.
- Providing weak governance or partnership structures.
- Preparing unrealistic budgets.
- Ignoring the needs of marginalized communities.
- Failing to explain sustainability beyond the grant period.
- Submitting incomplete application documents.
Strong applications should clearly demonstrate collaboration, shared leadership, long-term impact, and meaningful participation by grassroots organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe Call for Proposals?
It is a funding programme that supports collaborative projects aimed at strengthening grassroots and intersectional gender equality movements across Europe through long-term partnerships and collective action.
How much funding is available?
Successful coalitions may receive grants ranging from €225,000 to €450,000.
How many projects will be funded?
The Alliance expects to support between six and twelve coalitions.
Who can apply?
Applications must be submitted by coalitions of at least three legally registered organizations. Eligible applicants include grassroots organizations, feminist organizations, community organizations, network organizations, and civil society organizations working on gender equality.
Which countries are eligible?
Eligible organizations must be based in the European Union, United Kingdom, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, or Serbia.
What types of activities are supported?
The programme funds coalition building, advocacy campaigns, community organizing, digital storytelling, cross-border cooperation, narrative-change initiatives, leadership development, and collaborative projects that strengthen feminist movements.
What makes a strong application?
Competitive proposals demonstrate strong partnerships, meaningful involvement of marginalized communities, a clear movement-building strategy, realistic implementation plans, sustainable collaboration, and measurable long-term impact.
Conclusion
The Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe Call for Proposals provides substantial funding for grassroots organizations committed to advancing gender equality through collaboration, solidarity, and collective action. With grants ranging from €225,000 to €450,000 for three-year projects, the programme supports coalitions that strengthen feminist movements, empower marginalized communities, influence public policy, and promote lasting social change across Europe. By investing in long-term partnerships and intersectional approaches, the initiative helps build stronger, more inclusive movements capable of advancing equality and human rights throughout the region.
