Tag Archives: Business Grants

DIGITAL SCIENCE GRANT CATALYST, 2026

Applications Deadline: Monday, 5th October 2026, 17:00 BST

LOCATION: Multiple Regions

The Digital Science Catalyst Grant is an international initiative to support innovation in new software tools and technologies to advance research and create meaningful change. The program supports and invests in early-stage ideas in the novel use of technology with an award for the most promising ideas that aid science and further its impact on society.

ELIGIBILITY:

They want early-stage startups, research projects, and moonshot thinkers building agentic tools that:

Operate across multiple steps, planning, executing, and reviewing, rather than answering a single prompt.

Embed in the workflows researchers, institutions, and publishers already use

Carry audit trails, governance controls, and provenance so the people who rely on them can trust them.

Tackle a real problem across the research lifecycle: writing, discovery, evidence synthesis, peer review, funding decisions, or research integrity.

If you’re making AI safe to put in front of an institution, autonomous in service of researchers, with accountability built in, they want to hear from you.

Applying takes one short form and a few minutes.

Who can apply? Anyone with an early-stage idea: founders, research teams, students, and individuals. Your tool can be a prototype, a working product, or a well-formed concept. They fund early, so you do not need revenue or a finished build.

What to tell them? A clear description of the problem you are solving, your approach, why it fits an agentic, trustworthy workflow, and where you are today. If you have a demo or prototype, show them.

How they choose? Their judges score each application across seven areas: team, problem, solution, competitors, market, progress to date, and fit with Digital Science. Strong applicants are invited to a short interview with a live demo (where applicable) and a few questions.

BENEFIT:

The award. Up to £25,000, which can be split across more than one recipient.

APPLY

2026 CALL FOR PROPOSALS: MOUNTAINS ADAPT SMALL GRANTS

Application Deadline: 15 September 2026

LOCATION: East Africa

Community-based organizations in the countries of the East African Community (EAC) are invited to apply to the 1st call for proposals of the Mountains ADAPT small grants project for mountain community resilience. The small grants support inclusive ecosystem-based approaches that respond to climate change impacts in mountains and help communities protect their natural environment and improve their livelihoods.

ELIGIBILITY:

Civil society organizations, preferably grassroots, community-based, youth, or women’s organizations delivering community-based actions to adapt to climate change impacts in mountain communities of the East African Community.

Only registered organizations are eligible to apply.

Only formally registered organizations are eligible to apply. Applicants must upload their official registration certificate as part of the application form. If selected, the organization will also need to have an official bank account (not a personal/individual) to receive the funds.

Eligible organizations must demonstrate experience working directly with the benefiting mountain community. Applicants should also show proven capacity to implement the proposed projects. A strong experience in implementing adaptation and/or environmental activities will be considered an asset during the evaluation process.

Organizations only need to demonstrate prior experience working with and in projects benefiting mountain communities, not necessarily from international funding sources.

Applicants must submit the following documents along with their application form: The organization’s valid registration certificate and the national ID card or passport of the organization’s legal representative. Additionally, if selected, the applicant must present official banking details of the organization (must coincide with the organization’s registry).

The application form can also be accessed and filled in in any of the following languages: French and Kiswahili.

This first round of call for proposals will fund up to 15 projects in the EAC. Solution proposals should be submitted through the application link by 15th September 2026 at 11:59 pm (East African Time).

Contact information: For questions or support, please contact us at unep-mountainsadapt@un.org.

BENEFIT:

The Mountains ADAPT small grants project provides up to 30,000 USD towards the design and implementation of impactful solutions for climate change impacts on mountain communities. Successful community-based organizations will receive capacity development and training support to implement the proposed solution in their community.

APPLY