Deadline: 21-Jun-2026
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is inviting grant applications to support initiatives aimed at improving access to primary education, increasing school retention and completion rates, and strengthening foundational learning outcomes for vulnerable learners in Uganda. The initiative seeks to address the barriers preventing children from accessing quality education while ensuring that those enrolled remain in school and achieve better learning outcomes.
Implemented under UNICEF Uganda’s Country Programme 2026–2030, the initiative focuses particularly on girls, children with disabilities, refugees, and teenage mothers through a combination of financial support, school improvement interventions, teacher development, and community engagement.
About the Program
- The initiative is implemented by UNICEF Uganda under its multi-year Country Programme 2026–2030.
- It supports efforts to improve access to quality primary education for vulnerable learners.
- The programme seeks to increase school retention and completion rates.
- It aims to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes.
- The initiative works in partnership with civil society organizations.
- It combines direct support to learners with system-strengthening interventions.
- The programme addresses educational inequalities affecting the most vulnerable populations.
Program Objectives
- Improve access to primary education for vulnerable children.
- Strengthen school retention and completion rates.
- Enhance foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes.
- Support girls’ education and school re-entry.
- Address barriers faced by children with disabilities.
- Improve educational access and outcomes for refugee children.
- Support teenage mothers to continue their education.
- Strengthen teacher capacity and instructional quality.
- Improve accountability and service delivery within education systems.
- Promote community participation in education.
Priority Focus Areas
- Access to education for vulnerable learners.
- School retention and completion.
- Foundational literacy and numeracy improvement.
- Girls’ education and gender-responsive interventions.
- Inclusion of children with disabilities.
- Refugee education support.
- Support for teenage mothers returning to school.
- School performance-based grants.
- Cash assistance for vulnerable households.
- Teacher capacity building.
- Psychosocial support services.
- Community engagement and mobilization.
- Strengthening education systems.
- Planning, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms.
Funding Information
- Indicative budget: 500,000.00.
- Funding supports integrated interventions designed to improve educational access and learning outcomes.
- Grants will be implemented in partnership with eligible civil society organizations.
Target Districts
The initiative targets selected districts in Uganda where educational challenges remain significant.
These districts include:
- Adjumani.
- Lamwo.
- Yumbe.
- Madi-Okollo.
- Oyam.
- Nebbi.
- Isingiro.
- Terego.
- Kitgum.
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants include:
- Civil society organizations partnering with UNICEF Uganda.
- Organizations with experience implementing education programmes.
- Organizations with demonstrated capacity to work with vulnerable children and communities.
- Applicants capable of delivering interventions across the targeted districts.
- Organizations with experience in education system strengthening and community engagement.
Target Beneficiaries
The initiative primarily focuses on supporting:
- Vulnerable primary school learners.
- Girls at risk of dropping out.
- Teenage mothers seeking to continue their education.
- Children with disabilities.
- Refugee children.
- Learners experiencing financial barriers to education.
- Communities with low retention and completion rates.
- Teachers and school administrators requiring capacity strengthening.
Key Barriers Being Addressed
The programme seeks to overcome barriers that prevent children from accessing and completing education, including:
- Financial constraints faced by households.
- Limited access to school feeding programmes.
- Social and cultural challenges affecting girls.
- Exclusion of children with disabilities.
- Challenges affecting refugee learners.
- Limited psychosocial support services.
- Poor learning outcomes and learning poverty.
- Weak community participation.
- Capacity gaps within schools and districts.
Program Activities
Supported interventions may include:
School Performance-Based Grants
- Providing grants to schools based on agreed performance indicators.
- Improving teaching and learning environments.
- Supporting school improvement initiatives.
- Strengthening school accountability mechanisms.
Cash Support to Vulnerable Households
- Delivering targeted cash transfers.
- Reducing financial barriers to school attendance.
- Supporting vulnerable families to keep children in school.
- Promoting school retention and completion.
Teacher Capacity Building
- Training teachers in effective instructional approaches.
- Strengthening competency-based teaching practices.
- Improving literacy and numeracy instruction.
- Supporting remedial learning initiatives.
- Enhancing classroom management skills.
Psychosocial Support Services
- Providing emotional and psychosocial support to learners.
- Supporting children affected by adversity and displacement.
- Promoting learner well-being and resilience.
- Creating safe and supportive school environments.
Community Engagement
- Mobilizing communities to support education.
- Encouraging parental involvement in children’s learning.
- Promoting girls’ education and school re-entry.
- Strengthening local accountability structures.
- Raising awareness about inclusive education.
Expected Outcomes
The programme aims to achieve the following results:
- Improved access to primary education for vulnerable learners.
- Increased school retention and completion rates.
- Better literacy and numeracy outcomes.
- Enhanced teaching and learning environments.
- Effective utilization of school performance grants.
- Strengthened school and district planning capacities.
- Improved monitoring of education services.
- Increased community participation and accountability.
- Timely financial support reaching vulnerable households.
- Improved attendance among vulnerable learners.
- Better educational outcomes for girls.
- Increased inclusion of children with disabilities.
- Improved support for refugee learners.
- Greater educational opportunities for teenage mothers.
Why This Program Matters
- Education remains one of the most effective tools for reducing poverty and promoting long-term development.
- Vulnerable children often face multiple barriers that prevent them from accessing quality education.
- Strengthening foundational learning is essential to reducing learning poverty.
- Supporting girls, refugees, and children with disabilities promotes inclusive education.
- Financial support can help families keep children in school.
- Teacher development contributes directly to improved learning outcomes.
- Stronger community engagement improves accountability and sustainability.
- Investing in education creates lasting benefits for children, families, and communities.
Application Tips
- Demonstrate experience in delivering education programmes for vulnerable children.
- Clearly explain how proposed interventions address barriers to education.
- Highlight expertise in inclusive education approaches.
- Include practical strategies for improving literacy and numeracy outcomes.
- Show experience working with local communities and district authorities.
- Present realistic implementation plans and monitoring mechanisms.
- Explain how interventions will strengthen sustainability and accountability.
- Provide evidence of organizational capacity to manage grant funding effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the purpose of this UNICEF Uganda initiative?
- The initiative aims to improve access to primary education, strengthen retention and completion rates, and enhance foundational learning outcomes for vulnerable learners in Uganda.
What is the indicative budget for the programme?
- The indicative budget for the initiative is 500,000.00.
Which areas of education does the programme focus on?
- The programme focuses on access to education, school retention, foundational learning, girls’ education, disability inclusion, refugee education, psychosocial support, teacher development, and community engagement.
Who are the primary beneficiaries of the initiative?
- Beneficiaries include vulnerable learners, girls, children with disabilities, refugees, teenage mothers, and households facing financial barriers to education.
Which districts will benefit from the programme?
- The initiative targets Adjumani, Lamwo, Yumbe, Madi-Okollo, Oyam, Nebbi, Isingiro, Terego, and Kitgum districts.
What types of interventions will be supported?
- Supported interventions include school performance grants, targeted cash transfers, teacher training, psychosocial services, remedial learning, and community mobilization activities.
What outcomes does UNICEF expect from the programme?
- Expected outcomes include improved attendance, stronger retention and completion rates, enhanced literacy and numeracy outcomes, better school accountability, and increased educational opportunities for vulnerable children.
Conclusion
The UNICEF Uganda Education Initiative represents a comprehensive effort to ensure that vulnerable children not only access primary education but also remain in school and achieve meaningful learning outcomes. By combining financial support, teacher development, psychosocial services, community engagement, and system strengthening, the programme seeks to create more inclusive and resilient education systems that enable every child to learn, thrive, and reach their full potential.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.