The ACT Foundation 2026 Grant Application is now open, offering a major funding opportunity for organizations working to deliver sustainable, high-impact solutions to Africa’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. In the first year of the 2026 grant cycle, the ACT Foundation continues its mission of strengthening communities across the continent through strategic grant funding, partnerships, and capacity-building support.

The ACT Foundation 2026 Grant focuses on empowering organizations whose work aligns with priority areas such as health, entrepreneurship, climate action, and sustainable livelihoods. Through this funding opportunity, the Foundation seeks to support scalable interventions that can reverse negative development trends and create long-term, systems-level change across African communities.

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About the ACT Foundation 2026 Grant Opportunity

The ACT Foundation is committed to promoting broad-based participation and collaboration with civil society organizations, institutions, and donor partners. Through its annual grant cycles, the Foundation provides funding and hands-on guidance to ensure that grantees are not isolated during implementation.

The 2026 ACT Foundation Grant is designed to support organizations delivering innovative, community-driven solutions that address critical development gaps. A strong emphasis is placed on sustainability, scalability, and inclusion, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable populations such as women, rural youth, children, and persons with disabilities.

Rather than one-off interventions, the ACT Foundation prioritizes programs that leverage technology, partnerships, and community mobilization to drive long-term impact and measurable outcomes.

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Focus Areas of the ACT Foundation 2026 Grant

1. Health

Africa continues to face a dual burden of disease, combining persistent maternal and child health challenges with a rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Under the 2026 grant cycle, the ACT Foundation will support health interventions that improve access to care and strengthen health literacy among underserved populations.

Supported interventions include:

• Community Health Screenings: Large-scale screening and referral programs for hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis, cancers, eye health, and other NCDs, implemented in partnership with health institutions.
• Maternal and Child Health Initiatives: Community education campaigns, provision of safe delivery kits, malaria prevention during pregnancy, and interventions addressing pregnancy-induced conditions.

These programs should demonstrate potential for scale and community ownership.

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2. Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment

With Africa’s youth population rapidly growing, unemployment remains a major challenge. The ACT Foundation 2026 Grant aims to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and financial inclusion, particularly among youth-led and female-led enterprises.

Priority interventions include:

• Support for Young and Female Entrepreneurs: Digital and vocational skills training linked to entrepreneurship pathways, seed funding for social enterprises, and access-to-finance initiatives combined with capacity building.
• Financial Literacy Campaigns: Programs leveraging radio, digital platforms, and social media to improve financial awareness and responsible money management.
• Climate and Renewable Energy Enterprises: Training youth and women to operate recycling businesses, waste-to-wealth initiatives, and climate-focused enterprises.
• Micro-Farming and Sustainable Agriculture: Community-based interventions promoting sustainable agriculture and food security.

These entrepreneurship-focused programs should demonstrate clear economic impact, community benefit, and sustainability.

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Eligibility Criteria: Who Can Apply for the ACT Foundation 2026 Grant?

The ACT Foundation 2026 Grant is open to organizations whose work aligns with the Foundation’s priority areas. While the Foundation does not restrict applications by country in the provided information, the focus remains on Africa-based or Africa-focused initiatives.

Key eligibility considerations include:

• Applicants must be organizations or institutions capable of implementing community-based development programs.
• Proposed projects must align with one or more of the ACT Foundation’s focus areas (Health or Entrepreneurship).
• Programs must demonstrate scalability, sustainability, and inclusion of marginalized groups such as women, rural youth, children, and persons with disabilities.
• Collaboration with partners and use of technology to achieve scale are strongly encouraged.

Applicants are advised to be intentional about designing interventions that address systemic challenges rather than short-term outcomes.

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Program Details: Structure, Duration, and Funding

• Grant Cycle: 2026
• Application Window: 19 January 2026 – 30 January 2026
• Closing Time: 11:59 pm (WAT)
• Funding Type: Grant funding for program implementation
• Support Structure: Financial grants combined with guidance and partnership support throughout implementation

The ACT Foundation emphasizes partnership-based implementation, ensuring that grantees receive not only funding but also strategic support during the grant lifecycle.

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How to Apply for the ACT Foundation 2026 Grant

Organizations interested in the ACT Foundation 2026 Grant must complete their application within the stated deadline. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the Foundation’s priorities and design proposals that clearly demonstrate impact, sustainability, and inclusion.

Applications are submitted online via the ACT Foundation’s official platform.

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Important Dates and Deadline

• Application Opens: 19 January 2026
• Application Closes: 30 January 2026
• Deadline Time: 11:59 pm (WAT)

Late applications will not be considered.

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Application Portal

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 ACT Foundation 2026 Grant for Sustainable African Development

The ACT Foundation 2026 Grant represents a significant opportunity for organizations committed to health improvement, entrepreneurship, and sustainable community development in Africa. By prioritizing scalable, inclusive, and innovative programs, the ACT Foundation continues to play a critical role in supporting interventions that can transform lives and strengthen systems across the continent.

Organizations with bold ideas, strong partnerships, and a commitment to long-term impact are encouraged to apply and become part of a growing network of change-makers driving Africa’s development forward.

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For more opportunities visit Opportunities for youth.