The European Union has opened a major new call for proposals titled “No Child Left Behind: Inclusion and Protection for Children with Disabilities”, inviting eligible nonprofit organisations to develop projects that advance the rights, protection, participation and well-being of children with disabilities in Egypt.

Published under reference EuropeAid/186723/DD/ACT/EG, the opportunity is designed to strengthen the environments in which children with disabilities live, learn and participate. It combines a rights-based approach to disability with practical interventions around child protection, inclusive education, community participation, family support, accessibility, social protection and institutional capacity. The EU Delegation to Egypt has confirmed that eligible NGOs are invited to apply and that the deadline is 30 September 2026.

The call has three major priority areas:

1. Human rights and protection of children with disabilities
2. Social inclusion and participation
3. Family and enabling environments

Applicants must address at least one of these priority areas, although proposals integrating more than one priority will be viewed particularly favourably during evaluation.

Detailed call information reproduced by funding databases indicates an overall budget of approximately €3.9 million, with individual grants ranging from €650,000 to €1 million and projects generally lasting 24 to 36 months. Funding is reported to cover between 51% and 95% of eligible project costs, meaning most applicants will need to demonstrate an appropriate financing structure for the balance where the EU grant does not cover the full budget.

A particularly important feature of the call is its emphasis on strengthening local organisations. At least 60% of eligible action costs is reported to be intended for financial support to third parties, such as Egyptian civil society organisations, community-based organisations and organisations of persons with disabilities. The normal maximum amount of support per third-party recipient is reported as €60,000, unless a higher amount can be appropriately justified.

The deadline for submission is:

30 September 2026

Applicants should consult the official EU Funding & Tenders/EuropeAid documentation referenced by the EU Delegation to Egypt before submitting, since the full guidelines govern eligibility, partnership structure, budget rules, documentation and application procedure.

View the EU Medbridge opportunity page

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About the No Child Left Behind Call for Proposals

The programme responds to continuing gaps in the realisation of children’s rights in Egypt, particularly for children affected by overlapping disadvantages such as disability, poverty, social exclusion, geographic isolation and limited access to appropriate services.

Egypt ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, and its 2014 Constitution affirms the state’s commitment to protecting children. National policies have subsequently sought to improve education, health and child-protection outcomes. Nevertheless, children with disabilities continue to experience barriers that can affect their ability to participate fully in family, school and community life.

The call therefore moves beyond a narrow service-delivery model.

Its overall objective is to contribute to the full realisation of the:

• Rights
• Dignity
• Well-being
• Participation
• Equality

of children with disabilities in Egypt.

It aims to achieve this by supporting inclusive social environments, strengthening families and communities, and improving the institutional and systemic capacity needed to deliver accessible and equitable services.

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Why This Funding Opportunity Matters

Children with disabilities can experience disadvantages at several different levels simultaneously.

These can include:

• Discrimination within families or communities
• Exclusion from schools
• Violence or neglect
• Limited access to health and social services
• Stigma
• Inaccessible public spaces
• Limited participation in community activities
• Barriers to social protection
• Insufficient family support
• Lack of opportunities to express their views

The programme is therefore deliberately broad.

It recognizes that inclusion cannot be achieved by concentrating only on the child as an individual.

Effective disability inclusion also depends on:

• Parents
• Caregivers
• Schools
• Health workers
• Community organisations
• Religious and community leaders
• Government services
• Social-protection systems
• Accessible physical environments
• Public attitudes

The call is designed to support interventions capable of working across those interconnected levels.

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Global Objective of the Call

The programme’s global objective is to contribute to the:

Full realisation of the rights, dignity and well-being of children with disabilities in Egypt.

It intends to do so by:

• Promoting inclusive social environments
• Strengthening families
• Strengthening communities
• Improving institutional capacity
• Improving systemic capacity
• Expanding access to equitable services
• Expanding access to accessible services

This makes the call relevant to organisations working in both direct service delivery and systems change.

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Specific Objective 1: Protecting the Rights of Children With Disabilities

The first specific objective seeks to promote a:

Rights-based approach

to disability and child protection.

The programme aims to protect children with disabilities from:

• Discrimination
• Neglect
• Violence
• Abuse

while promoting equality.

This framing is important because disability programmes can sometimes treat beneficiaries only as recipients of care.

The EU call instead emphasizes children with disabilities as rights-holders.

That approach can involve ensuring children and their families understand:

• Their legal rights
• Available services
• Social-protection entitlements
• Mechanisms for reporting abuse
• Available support systems

It also means institutions and communities should understand their responsibility to respect and uphold those rights.

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Specific Objective 2: Inclusion and Participation

The second objective is focused on ensuring that children with disabilities can participate meaningfully in:

• School
• Peer groups
• Community life

It also aims to challenge:

• Stigma
• Harmful social norms
• Discriminatory attitudes

that restrict children’s development, participation or voice.

Participation should therefore not be interpreted simply as physical presence.

A child may technically attend school but still be excluded from learning, friendships, recreation or decision-making.

Meaningful inclusion involves enabling children to:

• Participate
• Communicate
• Learn
• Play
• Build friendships
• Develop skills
• Express opinions
• Influence decisions affecting their lives

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Specific Objective 3: Strengthening Families and Caregivers

The third objective recognizes the critical role played by:

• Parents
• Caregivers
• Families
• Community actors

in enabling children with disabilities to thrive.

The programme seeks to strengthen their capacity while supporting family- and community-based environments that promote the child’s:

• Development
• Well-being
• Inclusion
• Participation

This can involve practical caregiving support as well as:

• Counselling
• Training
• Peer support
• Financial resilience
• Links to social protection
• Community rehabilitation

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Priority Area 1: Human Rights and Protection of Children With Disabilities

The first priority focuses on protecting children with disabilities from harm while ensuring equal treatment.

Eligible or relevant activities may include promoting:

Non-discrimination and equality

within:

• Families
• Schools
• Communities

This could potentially involve:

• Rights-awareness campaigns
• Community dialogue
• Training for teachers
• Child-protection mechanisms
• Referral systems
• Strengthening safeguarding practices

The call is not limited to these examples, but proposed activities should clearly contribute to the programme objectives.

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Preventing Violence, Neglect, Abuse and Exploitation

Projects under Priority Area 1 may work to prevent and respond to:

• Violence
• Neglect
• Abuse
• Exploitation

affecting children with disabilities.

The call specifically includes the promotion of:

Positive parenting and non-violent discipline

within families.

This can be particularly important because children with disabilities may face heightened protection risks while also experiencing barriers to reporting mistreatment.

Strong proposals might therefore combine:

• Prevention
• Awareness
• Identification
• Referral
• Response
• Family support

rather than focusing only on awareness campaigns.

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Building the Capacity of Frontline Community Actors

The call also highlights the importance of increasing awareness among frontline actors such as:

• Teachers
• Religious leaders
• Health workers
• Community volunteers

These groups frequently interact with children and families and can play a central role in recognizing:

• Abuse
• Exclusion
• Service needs
• Protection risks

Projects may therefore strengthen their ability to understand and uphold the rights of children with disabilities.

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Helping Families Access Integrated Service Cards

Another possible intervention is helping children with disabilities and their families obtain:

Integrated service cards

and understand the rights and entitlements associated with them.

This illustrates the practical nature of the call.

A rights-based programme is not only about advocacy at national level.

It can also help individual families navigate administrative systems and access benefits for which they are already eligible.

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Priority Area 2: Social Inclusion and Participation

The second priority addresses the barriers that keep children with disabilities from fully participating in school and community life.

Actions may support access to:

• Inclusive education
• Recreation
• Community activities
• School participation

Projects might work directly with schools, communities, local organisations or families to create environments in which children with disabilities can participate alongside their peers.

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Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is one of the clearest intervention areas under this priority.

Programmes could potentially focus on:

• School accessibility
• Teacher capacity
• Inclusive teaching
• Peer support
• Participation in school life
• Family-school collaboration
• Prevention of discrimination

The objective should be not only to increase attendance but to improve actual participation and educational inclusion.

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Addressing Stigma and Harmful Social Norms

The call explicitly encourages initiatives addressing:

Stigma and discriminatory social norms

through:

• Awareness
• Community engagement

Stigma can limit children even where formal rights exist.

For example, negative assumptions may lead communities to believe that children with disabilities:

• Cannot learn
• Should remain at home
• Cannot participate in sport
• Cannot make decisions
• Should be treated differently from peers

Projects addressing such attitudes should ideally go beyond one-directional awareness campaigns and promote sustained engagement with communities.

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Peer Interaction and Life Skills

The programme also identifies:

• Peer interaction
• Life-skills development
• Self-advocacy

as possible areas of action.

This recognizes the importance of children developing:

• Confidence
• Communication
• Social relationships
• Independence
• Agency

Projects may therefore directly support children with disabilities to become active participants rather than passive beneficiaries.

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Meaningful Participation in Decisions

Children with disabilities should also have opportunities to participate in:

Decisions affecting them.

This may include decisions concerning:

• Education
• Services
• Community activities
• Programme design
• Family support

The strongest projects may therefore involve children in programme planning, implementation or feedback processes in age- and disability-appropriate ways.

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Culture, Sport and Social Activities

The call additionally identifies:

• Cultural activities
• Sports
• Social activities

as important spaces for inclusion.

These areas are sometimes overlooked in disability programming even though they are essential for:

• Friendship
• Confidence
• Belonging
• Personal development
• Community participation

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Priority Area 3: Family and Enabling Environment

The third priority recognizes that children’s well-being depends heavily on the environments surrounding them.

Projects can strengthen:

• Families
• Caregivers
• Communities
• Local services
• Social-protection connections

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Caregiver Training

Actions may provide families with training on:

Inclusive caregiving.

This could include practical knowledge concerning:

• Supporting children’s development
• Communication
• Participation
• Independence
• Positive discipline
• Rights

The precise content should reflect the needs of participating children and caregivers.

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Counselling and Peer Support Networks

The call also identifies:

• Counselling
• Peer support

as possible interventions.

Caregivers can experience:

• Isolation
• Stress
• Financial pressure
• Limited access to information

Peer groups can help families:

• Exchange information
• Share strategies
• Access emotional support
• Connect with services
• Advocate collectively

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Community-Based Support and Rehabilitation

Eligible activities may include:

• Practical care assistance
• Community-rooted rehabilitation

This can help ensure children receive support within their families and communities rather than becoming unnecessarily isolated from everyday community life.

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Improving Accessibility

Another major intervention area is the:

Physical and social accessibility of community spaces and services.

Projects may therefore work on barriers affecting access to:

• Community centres
• Schools
• Health facilities
• Public services
• Recreation
• Social activities

Accessibility should be understood broadly.

It may involve:

• Physical design
• Communication
• Attitudes
• Procedures
• Information formats

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Connecting Families With Social Protection

The programme specifically refers to strengthening connections with existing Egyptian social-protection schemes, including:

• Takaful & Karama supplementary payments for households including persons with disabilities
• Public health insurance
• Other available entitlements

This makes social-protection navigation an important possible component of a broader disability-inclusion project.

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Supporting the Economic Resilience of Caregivers

The call also permits caregiver economic resilience to be addressed through activities such as:

• Livelihood programmes
• Community-based savings groups

provided these are integrated into a broader intervention supporting the care and inclusion of children with disabilities.

In other words, a standalone livelihood programme would not necessarily meet the programme purpose.

Economic resilience should be linked clearly to improved outcomes for:

• Children
• Families
• Inclusion
• Caregiving

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Projects Addressing Several Priorities Are Encouraged

A proposal is required to address at least:

One priority area.

However, integrated projects addressing more than one are considered particularly favourably.

For example, a project might combine:

• Child-protection training
• Inclusive education
• Parent peer-support groups
• Social-protection access
• Local NGO funding

Such a model could potentially address all three priority areas in an integrated way.

Applicants should nevertheless avoid adding activities simply to appear comprehensive.

Every activity should contribute logically to:

• The problem analysis
• Objectives
• Outputs
• Outcomes

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Funding Available

Detailed call summaries report a total budget of:

€3,900,000

for the programme.

Individual grants are reported to range from:

€650,000 to €1,000,000

per project.

These are substantial multi-year grants.

Applicants should therefore be capable of managing:

• Large budgets
• Partnerships
• Monitoring
• Reporting
• Sub-granting
• Safeguarding
• Compliance

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EU Funding Percentage

The detailed call information reports that an EU grant may cover between:

51% and 95% of total eligible costs.

Where the grant does not cover 100% of project costs, applicants will need to identify appropriate additional financing in accordance with the official rules.

Prospective applicants should consult the official guidelines for:

• Co-financing rules
• Eligible sources
• Budget format
• Ineligible costs

before finalising their financial plan.

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Project Duration

Proposed actions are reported to run for:

24 to 36 months.

This makes the programme suitable for interventions requiring enough time to:

• Build local partnerships
• Test approaches
• Strengthen organisations
• Work with communities
• Measure changes
• Institutionalize effective practices

Applicants should propose a duration that matches the complexity of their intervention.

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At Least 60% of Eligible Costs for Financial Support to Third Parties

One of the most distinctive elements of the programme is the requirement that a substantial share of funding be passed to smaller or local organisations.

Detailed summaries report that at least:

60% of the total eligible costs of the action

must be used for:

Financial support to third parties.

This means the lead applicant is not intended simply to implement a €1 million project itself.

A central purpose is to strengthen and resource local actors.

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Who Could Receive Third-Party Support?

Potential third-party recipients may include:

• Civil society organisations
• Community-based organisations
• Organisations of persons with disabilities
• Other eligible Egyptian nonprofit organisations

Detailed call summaries indicate that third-party beneficiaries should be legally established in Egypt and have relevant experience working with or for:

• Children
• Children with disabilities
• Families
• Communities

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Maximum Third-Party Grant

The normal maximum support to an individual third-party organisation is reported as:

€60,000

unless a larger amount is specifically justified.

Applicants should therefore think carefully about the structure of their proposed sub-granting mechanism.

This may include:

• Selection criteria
• Application procedures
• Due diligence
• Capacity assessment
• Grant agreements
• Monitoring
• Reporting
• Safeguarding
• Technical support

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Who Can Apply?

According to detailed call summaries, eligible lead applicants must be:

Nonprofit legal persons

established in:

• Egypt
• A European Union Member State
• A contracting party to the European Economic Area Agreement

This means the programme is primarily aimed at organisations such as:

• NGOs
• Civil society organisations
• Eligible nonprofit institutions

rather than individual applicants.

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Requirement for an Egyptian Partner

Where the lead applicant is not established in Egypt, detailed call information indicates that it must apply with at least:

One co-applicant established in Egypt.

This partnership requirement reinforces the programme’s emphasis on:

• Local ownership
• Egyptian institutional capacity
• Contextual knowledge
• Sustainability

International organisations should therefore avoid approaching the project as an externally designed intervention delivered in Egypt without meaningful local partnership.

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Can Individuals Apply?

No.

This is an organisational call for proposals.

It is not intended for:

• Individual researchers
• Individual social workers
• Students
• Children
• Parents
• Individual consultants

Individuals may participate in or benefit from funded projects, but they are not the direct grant applicants.

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Can For-Profit Companies Apply?

The detailed eligibility information identifies lead applicants as:

Nonprofit legal entities.

Therefore, ordinary commercial companies should not be presented as eligible lead applicants unless the full official guidelines provide a specific exception.

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Geographic Scope

All proposed action is intended to take place in:

Egypt.

This is not a multi-country Middle East or Mediterranean grant.

Projects should primarily benefit children with disabilities, families and communities in Egypt.

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Application Reference

The official EU Delegation announcement identifies the call reference as:

EuropeAid/186723/DD/ACT/EG.

Applicants should use this reference when searching the EU Funding & Tenders/EuropeAid system.

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Application Deadline

The official closing date is:

30 September 2026.

Funding databases indicate that this stage concerns the initial concept-note/application stage of the EuropeAid process. Applicants should verify the exact submission time, platform instructions and two-stage procedure against the official call documents before submitting.

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How to Apply

Applicants should begin by reviewing the full official call documentation referenced by the EU Delegation to Egypt.

The official announcement confirms that the:

• Full guidelines
• Eligibility rules
• Application documents

are available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

SUBMIT HERE

Applicants should search using:

EuropeAid/186723/DD/ACT/EG

and ensure they are working from the final official documentation rather than summaries circulated on social media.

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What a Strong Proposal Should Demonstrate

1. A Clear Rights-Based Approach

The proposal should treat children with disabilities as:

Rights-holders

rather than only service recipients.

Explain how the intervention will promote:

• Equality
• Agency
• Participation
• Protection
• Dignity

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2. Genuine Participation of Children With Disabilities

Applicants should consider how children themselves can help shape:

• Project activities
• Feedback systems
• Monitoring
• Decisions affecting them

Participation mechanisms should be:

• Safe
• Accessible
• Age appropriate
• Disability inclusive

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3. Strong Safeguarding Systems

Projects involving children need robust safeguarding.

Applicants should be ready to demonstrate policies and systems concerning:

• Child protection
• Reporting
• Referral
• Staff conduct
• Prevention of exploitation and abuse
• Protection of personal data

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4. Meaningful Engagement With Organisations of Persons With Disabilities

Disability inclusion programmes are stronger when people with disabilities and their representative organisations participate in:

• Design
• Implementation
• Governance
• Monitoring

Rather than being consulted only after a project has already been developed.

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5. Strong Local Partnerships

Since at least 60% of eligible costs is reportedly intended for third-party support, applicants need a credible strategy for working with local organisations.

Explain:

• Which types of organisations will be supported
• How they will be selected
• How grants will be managed
• What capacity support they will receive
• How sustainability will be strengthened

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6. Integration Across the Three Priorities

Projects addressing more than one priority may be viewed particularly favourably.

A strong integrated intervention could connect:

Protection → inclusion → family support

instead of treating each problem separately.

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7. Sustainability

A 24–36 month grant will eventually end.

Applicants should explain what remains after EU funding stops.

Possible sustainability mechanisms can include:

• Strengthened local organisations
• Institutionalised procedures
• Trained frontline workers
• Parent networks
• Better referral mechanisms
• Stronger government-CSO coordination
• Sustainable social-protection access

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8. Accessibility

Accessibility should not be an afterthought.

Applicants should think about:

• Physical accessibility
• Accessible communication
• Digital accessibility
• Accessible events
• Accessible information formats
• Participation accommodations

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Key Details at a Glance

Call title: No Child Left Behind: Inclusion and Protection for Children with Disabilities

Reference: EuropeAid/186723/DD/ACT/EG

Funder: European Union / European Commission

Country of implementation: Egypt

Overall objective: Advance the rights, dignity and well-being of children with disabilities

Priority 1: Human Rights and Protection

Priority 2: Social Inclusion and Participation

Priority 3: Family and Enabling Environment

Total reported budget: €3.9 million

Reported grant size: €650,000–€1 million

Reported EU contribution: 51%–95% of eligible costs

Reported project duration: 24–36 months

Financial support to third parties: At least 60% of eligible action costs, according to detailed call summaries

Normal reported maximum per third party: €60,000 unless otherwise justified

Lead applicant: Nonprofit legal entity

Lead applicant location: Egypt, EU Member State or EEA contracting party, according to detailed call information

Egyptian co-applicant: Required where the lead applicant is not established in Egypt

Application deadline: 30 September 2026

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Conclusion

The EU No Child Left Behind: Inclusion and Protection for Children with Disabilities call for proposals 2026 represents a substantial funding opportunity for nonprofit organisations working at the intersection of:

• Disability inclusion
• Child protection
• Inclusive education
• Human rights
• Family support
• Social protection
• Community development

in Egypt.

The call aims to move beyond isolated disability services by promoting a broader rights-based model in which children with disabilities are protected from discrimination and abuse, participate meaningfully in education and community life, and grow up in families and communities equipped to support their well-being.

Three interconnected priorities structure the programme: human rights and protection, social inclusion and participation, and family and enabling environments. Proposals must address at least one, while integrated approaches addressing several priorities will be considered particularly positively.

Detailed call information reports a €3.9 million overall budget, individual grants of approximately €650,000 to €1 million, implementation periods of 24 to 36 months, and EU support covering approximately 51% to 95% of eligible costs.

A particularly significant component is the reported requirement to direct at least 60% of eligible project costs toward financial support to third parties, helping ensure that community organisations, local CSOs and organisations of persons with disabilities receive resources and capacity support rather than being treated solely as downstream implementing partners.

Eligible lead organisations are reported to be nonprofit legal entities established in Egypt, an EU Member State or an EEA contracting country. A non-Egyptian lead applicant must work with at least one Egyptian co-applicant. All supported action is focused on Egypt.

The deadline is:

30 September 2026.

Organisations considering an application should review the official guidelines under reference EuropeAid/186723/DD/ACT/EG carefully before preparing a submission.

To know more about this opportunity, VISIT HERE.

To explore more global grant opportunities, VISIT HERE.