Deadline: 30-Sep-2026
The SENSE Foundation Brussels supports non-profit organisations focused on science, genetics, nutrition, environmental protection, sustainability, education, inclusion, equality, and Women in STEM. The foundation prioritizes initiatives that create measurable, scalable, and long-term impact rather than short-term or event-based outcomes.
Key Grant Features
- Maximum grant amount: up to €25,000 per project
- Funding limit: up to 25% of total annual project cost
- Overhead cap: maximum 10% of awarded grant
- Funding type: mostly one-time support
- Exception: university-related scholarship programmes may receive ongoing support
- Priority focus: sustainability, scalability, and measurable impact
- Preference: projects leveraging additional funding or partnerships
Who Is Eligible
- Legally registered non-profit organisations
- Minimum of 2 years of legal registration
- At least 24 months of operational experience
- Overhead ratio must not exceed 20%
- Projects must align with at least two foundation focus areas
- Must demonstrate clear methodology and measurable outcomes
- Both Belgium-based and international organisations may apply
Eligible Focus Areas
- Scientific research
- Genetics
- Nutrition
- Health improvement and public health systems
- Environmental protection and climate sustainability
- Education and scholarship programmes
- Inclusion, equality, and diversity initiatives
- Women in STEM programmes
- Support for minorities and vulnerable groups
- Charitable aid for temporary hardship
Ineligible Applications
- Incomplete application submissions
- Overhead exceeding 20% at organisational level
- Commercial sponsorship proposals
- Fundraising events
- Political or religious organisations or initiatives
- Ideological or advocacy-driven projects
- Previously rejected proposals without major revision
Why This Grant Matters
This grant programme helps non-profits scale high-impact initiatives in science, health, and sustainability. It enables organisations to expand research, improve public health outcomes, strengthen environmental protection, and increase access to education and inclusion. It also improves credibility and helps attract additional funding partners.
How the Application Process Works
- Confirm eligibility criteria
- Legal registration minimum of 2 years
- Operational experience of at least 24 months
- Overhead not exceeding 20%
- Define project scope
- Identify problem statement
- Define target beneficiaries
- Set measurable goals and outcomes
- Prepare methodology
- Implementation plan
- Timeline and execution strategy
- Build budget structure
- Total annual project cost
- Requested funding (max 25%)
- Overhead allocation (max 10% of grant)
- Demonstrate sustainability
- Long-term impact strategy
- Scalability plan
- Co-funding or partnership opportunities
- Submit application
- Complete documentation
- Clear alignment with foundation priorities
Evaluation Criteria
- Alignment with at least two strategic focus areas
- Commitment to inclusion and diversity
- Long-term sustainability of impact
- Clarity and feasibility of methodology
- Financial realism and responsible budgeting
- Scalability and co-funding potential
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Missing or incomplete documentation
- Exceeding overhead limits
- Requesting more than 25% of total project cost
- Weak or undefined impact metrics
- Lack of alignment with foundation priorities
- One-time or event-based project design
- Political, religious, or ideological framing
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the maximum funding available?
- The grant provides up to €25,000 per project
- Funding covers a maximum of 25% of total annual project cost
- Who can apply for the grant?
- Eligible applicants include legally registered non-profits
- Must have at least 2 years of registration
- Must demonstrate at least 24 months of operations
- Are international organisations eligible?
- Yes
- Both Belgium-based and international NGOs can apply
- Must meet all eligibility requirements
- What types of projects are supported?
- Science, genetics, and nutrition research
- Health improvement initiatives
- Environmental and sustainability projects
- Education and scholarship programmes
- Inclusion and diversity initiatives
- Women in STEM and minority support projects
- Can overhead costs be included in the grant?
- Yes, but with restrictions
- Overhead must not exceed 10% of the awarded grant
- Organisational overhead must stay under 20%
- Is the funding recurring or one-time?
- Generally one-time funding
- Exceptions exist for university scholarship programmes
- What makes a strong application?
- Clear problem definition and target group
- Measurable outcomes and KPIs
- Strong alignment with at least two foundation priorities
- Sustainable and scalable project design
- Transparent and realistic budgeting
Conclusion
The SENSE Foundation Brussels grant programme supports impactful non-profit initiatives in science, health, sustainability, and social inclusion. Organisations with strong eligibility alignment, clear methodology, and measurable long-term outcomes have the best chance of securing funding up to €25,000.
For more information, visit SENSE Foundation Brussels.