The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and IUCN invite Letters of Inquiry from Sri Lankan NGOs, community-based organizations, Indigenous and women’s groups for projects supporting community engagement in managing threatened ecosystems and species, under the GEF Small Grants Program. Grants are up to US$60,000. Eligible only in five districts: Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Galle, and Matara. The deadline is 09 October 2026. Small Grants Program
South Asia
Asia Community Foundation — Southeast Asia Ocean Fund
The 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund invites NGOs, research institutions, and civil society organizations to apply for grants supporting marine conservation, prioritizing projects led by or engaging coastal frontline communities. Grants of up to US$250,000 are awarded over multiple years, with no predetermined activity restrictions. Eligible applicants include local NGOs and research institutions in Southeast Asia; individuals, private enterprises, and government bodies are not eligible. Applications, in the form of an Expression of Interest, are accepted on a rolling basis. Link
Gray Matters Capital — coLABS Impact Investing Fund
coLABS seeks scalable social enterprises that have the potential to dramatically improve the lives of women and girls around the world. coLABS strategically funds entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures that leverage women, and their critical role in the community through revenue-share investment capital. Seed investment ranges from US$100 thousand to US$250 thousand. Focus regions are South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Pre-screen forms can be submitted on a rolling basis. Details
Primate Conservation, Inc. — Field Research on Rare and Endangered Primates
Primate Conservation, Inc. (PCI) funds field research on rare and endangered primate species in their natural habitat, prioritizing under-studied species and projects involving local citizens from the range country. Grants average US$2,500, with a maximum of US$5,000; PCI does not fund conferences, travel to scientific meetings, tuition, or salaries. Eligible applicants are graduate students, conservationists, and primatologists; current priority regions are Asia and West Africa. Deadlines are 1 February and 20 September each year. Visit Primate Conservation, Inc.
Earth Journalism Network — Workshop on Covering Non-Economic Losses and Damage Caused By Climate Change
The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) invites journalists based in Bangladesh to a three-day workshop on reporting non-economic loss and damage (NELD) from climate change. The workshop takes place 27-29 October 2026 in Satkhira. It covers how NELD figures into global climate negotiations and the UN Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, the differential impacts on women and other vulnerable groups, and how reporting on resilience and adaptation can support solutions; the program includes a field trip. Applicants must be Bangladesh-based journalists across print, online, radio, or television with some prior environmental or climate reporting experience, and must commit to attending all three days. EJN covers travel, accommodation, and meals for selected participants. The deadline is 06 September 2026. Workshop details
World Food Programme — Climate Adaptation
The WFP Innovation Accelerator, in partnership with the Adaptation Fund, aims to identify, support, and scale high-impact innovations that enhance climate adaptation across Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Food Programme invites applications from innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers with solutions that strengthen resilience, improve food security, and help vulnerable communities adapt to climate-related shocks such as droughts, floods, storms, and rising temperatures. Selected applicants will be invited to a January 2027 innovation bootcamp, with bootcamp teams then eligible to apply for a funded sprint program. The application deadline is 06 September 2026. Climate Adaptation Innovation Accelerator Program
Rainforest Trust — Creating New Protected Areas
The Rainforest Trust partners with local conservation organizations to create new protected areas and expand existing ones for Critically Endangered and Endangered species. The Initiative invites applications for conservation partnerships from nonprofit entities and NGOs for projects in tropical Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Applying organizations may submit proposals for either a land purchase or a protected area designation. Applications to create new protected areas are reviewed three times per year. The next application deadline is 01 October 2026. Applications for less than US$250 thousand may be submitted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Link
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture — Seed Fund for Research and Training
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture provides up to US$15 thousand in start-up grants to Southeast Asian researchers to support innovative, short-term research or training projects aimed at improving food security, farmers’ incomes. Proposals must include a clear plan for scaling and long-term funding, and deliverables. The application deadline is 31 October 2026. Seed Fund for Research and Training
Nagao Natural Environment Foundation — Nature Conservation Scholarships for Students from Asia
The NEF Scholarship Scheme financially supports university students from Southeast Asia who study nature conservation (e.g., biology, botany, forestry, etc) at selected universities and institutes in Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Furthermore, scholarship recipients can attend the NEF Student International Workshop. Participants attend lectures, present their own research, visit research facilities, and practice research skills in the field related to nature conservation. Eligibility requirements vary by country, therefore, interested applicants are required to contact the NEF local counterpart representative in their country for application guidelines. There is no fixed application deadline. About this scholarship scheme
IUCN — Forest Investment Projects in Southeast Asia and the Pacific
The International Union for Conservation of Nature runs the SEAP Forests Investment & Technical Partners (SEAP FIT) Coalition under the GEF-8 Southeast Asia and the Pacific Forests Integrated Programme, and invites submissions to the Coalition’s first Call for Projects. The Coalition is a regional partnership platform working to mobilise forest financing, build investment-ready project pipelines, shape enabling forest policy, and strengthen regional capacity for primary forest protection and restoration, sustainable agriculture, and forest-positive commodity value chains. Eligible activities include avoiding deforestation and degradation (REDD+), afforestation and reforestation, improved forest management, agroforestry carbon projects, protected areas, blue carbon forestry, and community or jurisdictional programmes. Submissions are invited from Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Selected projects gain access to Technical Working Group meetings, connections with potential investors, and consideration for grant funding from Coalition members or country-level projects under the wider GEF-8 program. The deadline is 21 August 2026. Details here