Up to €170,000: REACT Grant for Women’s Environmental Peacebuilding in Rwanda

Deadline: 28 August 2026

The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, with support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), invites eligible Rwandan civil society organizations to apply for the REsearch and ACTion for Women’s Participation in Environmental Peacebuilding and Climate Change Prevention (REACT) Programme. This call offers up to €170,000 over two years (January 2027 – December 2028) to organizations working at the intersection of gender equality, climate action, and peacebuilding.

Why This Programme Matters

Rwanda, like its neighbors in the Great Lakes region, faces the harsh realities of climate change intersecting with conflict dynamics and gender inequality. Vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls, experience the most severe repercussions as they are often responsible for small-scale agriculture—livelihoods intricately tied to weather patterns and natural resources. While Rwanda has the world’s highest percentage of women in parliament, patriarchal structures still limit women’s meaningful participation in environmental and security decision-making.

The REACT project addresses this gap by promoting gender-responsive policies and supporting women’s leadership in climate action and peacebuilding across Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC. The initiative will directly reach an estimated 10,600 rights-holders, with approximately 64% women and 8% women with disabilities.

About the REACT Programme

The REACT project is a three-year initiative (2026–2028) implemented by Kvinna till Kvinna with support from ADA. The program aims to strengthen climate resilience, human security, and peace in conflict-affected areas through meaningful participation of women in climate action and peacebuilding.

The project focuses on three key outcomes:

1. Evidence-driven advocacy: Women’s rights and climate justice movements shape NDCs and WPS-climate agendas at local, national, and regional levels 
2. Strategic influence: Women’s rights and climate justice actors influence and monitor WPS and NDC policies 
3. Increased resilience: Women and communities build resilience through gender-transformative grassroots solutions 

Funding Lots Available

Applicants may apply under one funding lot or propose a project combining both:

Funding Lot 1: Advocacy (Up to €85,000)

This lot supports organizations to strategically influence and monitor Women, Peace and Security (WPS) National Action Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and related climate strategies/policies. Potential interventions include the following:

• Influencing WPS NAP commitments relating to environmental and climate change
• Promoting gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive climate policies
• Strengthening women’s leadership in environmental and natural resource governance
• Coalition building between women’s rights and climate change actors

Funding Lot 2: Grassroots Initiatives (Up to €85,000)

This lot supports civil society initiatives that address the interconnected challenges of gender inequality, climate change, and conflict. Projects should:

• Strengthen human security and resilience of women, girls, and marginalised communities
• Respond to local needs in districts affected by displacement, insecurity, or climate-related shocks
• Demonstrate gender-transformative approaches
• Pilot innovative approaches or scale proven interventions

Examples of interventions include climate adaptation, green economy solutions, circular economy initiatives, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction, and environmental peacebuilding.

Combined Funding Lots (Up to €170,000)

Organizations may apply to carry out both lots if they are well-suited to do so.

Eligibility Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Legally registered civil society organisation (NGO, CBO, association, or network) in Rwanda 
• Independent from political parties and religious institutions 
• Documented financial management systems and procedures 
• Demonstrated experience in promoting gender equality, women’s rights, or women’s empowerment 
• Expertise relevant to the selected funding lot 
• Presence in, or experience working in, conflict- and climate-change-affected regions 

Note: International NGOs, consultancy firms, and consortiums are not eligible.

Desired Partner Profile

• Women-led organisations (majority of leadership positions held by women) 
• Deep expertise and lived experience on women, peace and security, climate justice, and environmental peacebuilding 
• Active service to persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups 
• Experience or keen interest in cross-sector collaboration and coalition building 

Application Process

The application process involves four stages:

1. Submit online application form with proposal (Lot 1, Lot 2, or Combined) by 28 August 2026
2. Eligibility Screening (September 2026)
3. Organisational Assessment (October 2026) for shortlisted applicants, including financial management verification
4. Partner Selection & Final Proposal Refinement (November–December 2026)

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be assessed based on the following:

Key Principles and Values

Kvinna till Kvinna looks for partners who align with their core approaches:

• Human Rights-Based Approach: Shifting from viewing women as passive victims to rights-holders who are active agents 
• Intersectional Feminist Approach: Recognising that women experience discrimination differently based on disability, race, age, economic status, and other factors 
• Conflict-Sensitive Approach: Understanding the context and minimising negative impacts while maximising positive outcomes 
• Climate and Environmentally-Sensitive Approach: Addressing the structural causes of climate change that increase gender-based violence and affect women’s rights.

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📢 Need Support with Your Application?

At BDC Solutions, we support organizations with:

• 📊 Grant Writing – Crafting compelling proposals that align with donor priorities
• 📝 Proposal Development – Strategic planning and project design
• 📈 Budget Development – Creating realistic and justified budgets
• 🌐 Online Visibility – Branding and digital presence to strengthen your application

Let us help you position your organization for success in this competitive opportunity.

VIEW OUR SERVICES: https://bdcsolutions.online/

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