1. OpenAI’s AI & Teen Development Research Grant Program 2026
OpenAI is committing $5 million to support independent research examining how generative AI affects young people aged 13–17. The programme is interested in rigorous work on emotional development and wellbeing, relationships and social development, patterns of AI use across different contexts, and the effectiveness of safeguards, age-appropriate design and policy interventions. Individual research grants can be worth up to $1 million, and applicants should be affiliated with a research institution or organisation or have substantial relevant expertise.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Oct. 6
2. Black Ideas Grant (B.I.G.) 4.0 2026
The Black Ideas Grant 4.0 supports Black-mandated, Black-led and Black-serving organisations and groups creating positive change in Black communities across Canada. Funding is available through three streams: up to $30,000 for core and operational needs, up to $80,000 for programmes and services, and up to $200,000 for community spaces and social infrastructure. Projects should address anti-Black racism, social outcomes or economic outcomes while strengthening community-led solutions.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Oct. 20
3. AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants for Junior Researchers 2026
The AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants support junior researchers in sub-Saharan Africa to undertake short research stays at host institutions elsewhere on the continent. The programme strengthens scientific capacity, research networks and mentorship, with general grants open to eligible researchers and a special stream for female candidates. Funding ranges from up to €2,300 for one month to €3,000 for two months, and applicants must be registered doctoral researchers with an identified scientific host.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Oct. 16
4. Pulitzer Center Gender Equality Grant 2026 (up to $5,000)
The Pulitzer Center Gender Equality Grant supports investigative, data-driven journalism on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. It is open to independent journalists and newsrooms in the United States and internationally, with an emphasis on reporting that elevates underrepresented communities, examines systemic inequalities and uses strong evidence and investigative methods. Funding can support reporting costs for compelling public-interest journalism projects.
Click here to apply | Deadline: On Rolling Basis
5. California Documentary Project (CDP) Grants 2026-2027
The California Documentary Project supports nonfiction film, audio and digital media projects exploring the histories, cultures, ideas and experiences that shape California. Research and Development Grants provide up to $15,000 for projects in their early stages, while Production Grants provide up to $50,000 for projects already in production. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organisations and individuals working with an eligible nonprofit fiscal sponsor or public agency.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Oct. 14
6. Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 (up to £25,000)
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant is an international funding opportunity supporting innovative software tools and technologies that can advance research and create meaningful societal impact. The programme is particularly interested in early-stage ideas involving novel uses of technology, including reliable agentic and autonomous AI workflows for research. The most promising ideas can receive an award of up to £25,000 to help develop and test their approach.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Oct. 5
7. ACU Early Career Conference Grants 2026-2027
The Association of Commonwealth Universities Early Career Conference Grants help emerging researchers attend and participate in conferences in Commonwealth countries outside their country of work. Seven grants of up to £2,000 are available to cover eligible costs such as conference registration, flights, accommodation, visa costs and travel and health insurance. Applicants must be early-career researchers or academics at an ACU member university and be presenting or chairing at an eligible conference.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Oct. 13
8. Olympic Studies Centre PhD Students & Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme 2027
The Olympic Studies Centre Research Grant Programme supports PhD students and early-career academics conducting humanities or social-science research related to Olympism, the Olympic Movement or the Olympic Games. Successful applicants can receive up to $6,000 and may use the opportunity to conduct research and consult the Olympic Studies Centre’s collections and historical archives in Lausanne, Switzerland. Applicants must meet the programme’s academic-status and research-focus requirements.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Sep. 22
9. AU-EU Youth Action Lab Grant 2026
The AU-EU Youth Action Lab provides funding for youth-led organisations developing solutions to global challenges in their local communities. Its final call includes Innovation Grants of €42,000 and Entrepreneurship Grants of €31,500 for eligible youth-led organisations. African applicants must be formally registered in one of the programme’s focus countries, which include Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and several other African countries, and must meet the programme’s youth-led governance requirements.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Sep. 23
10. Africa No Filter Voices for Climate Justice Program 2026 (up to $4,000)
The Africa No Filter Voices for Climate Justice Program supports African storytellers creating compelling public narratives about climate justice, debt, gender and fossil fuels. Journalists, content creators, podcasters, vloggers, muralists and data visualisers from selected African countries can receive training, mentorship, content amplification and grants of up to $4,000. Applicants should have an established platform or body of work and propose a strong storytelling idea connected to the campaign’s core themes.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Sep. 25
11. Global Entrepreneurship Festival Entrepreneurs Investment Program (EIP) 2026 ($35,000 Seed Investment)
The Entrepreneurs Investment Program is an initiative of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival designed to identify, train, mentor and connect high-potential startups with investors, partners and global market opportunities. It is open to founders with innovative ideas and startups at different stages, from early concepts and prototypes to operating businesses seeking to scale. Selected participants can access training, startup clinics, investor pitching, mentorship, incubation, global exposure and $35,000 in seed investment.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Oct. 6
12. D-Prize Global Competition 2026 for Entrepreneurs ($20K grants)
The D-Prize Global Competition supports entrepreneurs launching new organisations that distribute proven poverty interventions in low- and middle-income countries. Rather than funding the invention of new solutions, D-Prize focuses on closing distribution gaps for interventions that are already known to work. Selected teams can receive startup grants of up to $20,000 to pilot and launch their ventures, making the competition particularly relevant to founders focused on scalable social impact.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Dec. 6
13. Ashoka Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2027 (Seed Grants for Changemakers & more)
The Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership supports young people aged 20 and under who are leading or developing projects that create positive change in their schools and communities. Eligible participants in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the United States can access multiple funding pathways, including early seed grants and larger finalist and grand-prize awards. The challenge also provides training, peer engagement, certification opportunities and possible participation in an in-person convening.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Jan. 31
14. ACLS Digital Justice Seed and Development Grants 2026-2027
The ACLS Digital Justice Grants support digital humanities and social-science projects that engage ethically with the histories and interests of people of colour and other historically marginalised communities. Seed Grants of $10,000–$25,000 support startup and prototyping work, while Development Grants of $50,000–$100,000 support more advanced projects with demonstrated engagement and impact. Grant funds must be administered by a U.S. higher-education institution.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Nov. 3
15. Common Ground Program Opportunity & Innovation Grants 2026 (up to €4,500)
The Common Ground Program Opportunity & Innovation Grants provide modest, flexible funding to civil-society organisations, informal collectives and local initiatives working to bridge divides and strengthen dialogue in the Western Balkans. Grants of up to €4,500 can support pilot projects, feasibility work, responses to emerging political or community developments, and promising new approaches to social cohesion. Twenty grants are expected to be available during 2026.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Nov. 2
16. International Finance Corporation (IFC) SME Growth Accelerator 2026 (up to $1.5M)
The IFC SME Growth Accelerator is listed by Opportunity Desk as a funding programme for small and medium enterprises seeking to scale operations, enter new markets and create quality jobs. The listing states that funding ranges from $50,000 to $1.5 million alongside mentorship, networks and follow-on financing opportunities. Eligible businesses are expected to be for-profit SMEs operating in Africa, Asia or Latin America and to meet specified employee and revenue thresholds.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Nov. 15
17. Aerospace Accelerator Program 2026 (up to $200,000)
The Aerospace Accelerator Program supports early-stage startups developing technology-driven solutions to challenges in the aerospace sector. Selected ventures can receive up to $200,000 in grant funding, including salary support for one founder, as well as expert guidance, business-development training and access to the Aerospace Innovation Hub. Applicants must satisfy the programme’s founder, company-stage and Calgary presence requirements.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Sep. 30
18. British Council Springboard Research Grants with France, Germany & Spain 2026 (up to £10,000)
The British Council Springboard Research Grants support collaborative projects between research teams in the United Kingdom and France, Germany or Spain. With a strong focus on early-career researchers, the grants fund mobility and collaborative activities that can lead to joint publications and future grant proposals, including Horizon Europe applications. Awards are worth up to £10,000 and proposals must involve eligible higher-education or not-for-profit research institutions.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Sep. 30
19. Ernest Solvay Fund 2026 (up to €10,000)
The Ernest Solvay Fund provides financial support of up to €10,000 for non-commercial initiatives in Belgium and countries where Solvay is active. Projects should fall within one of three areas: scientific and digital education, environmental progress, or initiatives that improve quality of life and community wellbeing. Applicant organisations must implement their project within the eligible geographic radius of a Solvay industrial, research or administrative site.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Sep. 30
20. Pulitzer Center Rainforest Reporting Grant 2026 (up to $15,000)
The Pulitzer Center Rainforest Reporting Grant supports ambitious independent journalism focused on tropical forests, particularly the Amazon, Congo Basin and Southeast Asia. Staff and freelance journalists can apply for reporting support, with most grants ranging from $8,000 to $15,000 and larger amounts possible for projects with specialised technology or consultancy needs. The programme encourages collaborative, innovative and high-impact reporting approaches.
Click here to apply | Deadline: On Rolling Basis
21. Pulitzer Center Global Reporting Grants 2026
The Pulitzer Center Global Reporting Grants support in-depth, high-impact journalism on important issues that receive insufficient media attention. Staff and freelance journalists worldwide may apply for the hard costs of reporting a specific story or series, including travel, essential data and temporary specialist support. The programme is broad in topic and geography and is designed for clearly defined reporting projects rather than academic research, advocacy campaigns or general concepts.
Click here to apply | Deadline: Rolling Basis
