WHO/IBP Network SPARK Grants 2026: Up to $20,000 for Youth-Led, Women-Led and Indigenous-Led Community Organizations Worldwide
The WHO/IBP Network has launched a new funding opportunity for community-based organizations working to transform sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and rights through locally driven action.
The SPARK Grant Program — Shifting Power through Action and Reciprocal Knowledge Exchange — will provide between 5 and 10 grants of up to USD 20,000 each to youth-led, women-led and Indigenous-led community-based organizations. Selected projects will run for approximately one year and should demonstrate how communities can adapt, apply and improve the use of World Health Organization guidelines, tools and evidence in real-world settings.
Unlike funding calls that ask community organizations simply to implement externally designed programmes, SPARK is deliberately framed around community leadership, power shifting and reciprocal learning. The WHO/IBP Network wants applicants to demonstrate how communities themselves are influencing priorities, making decisions, adapting evidence and determining what effective sexual, reproductive and broader maternal and child health programming looks like in their own contexts.
The programme is particularly interested in approaches that connect sexual and reproductive health and rights with areas such as maternal health, climate, livelihoods and poverty reduction, education and faith-based initiatives.
Organizations from across the world may be considered. The programme states that it aims to support at least one organization from each of the six WHO regions: the African Region, Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region and Western Pacific Region.
Applications can be submitted in English, French or Spanish.
Application deadline: 9 October 2026
Grant amount: Up to USD 20,000 per organization
Number of anticipated grants: 5–10
Implementation period: One year
Apply here: SPARK Grant Application Form
About the WHO/IBP Network SPARK Grant Program
SPARK stands for:
Shifting Power through Action and Reciprocal Knowledge Exchange.
The programme has been developed by the WHO/IBP Network to place communities more directly at the centre of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and rights work.
Its central premise is that effective implementation of global health guidance should not operate only from the top down.
WHO develops guidelines, tools and evidence-based products, but their usefulness ultimately depends on how they are:
- Understood
- Adapted
- Applied
- Interpreted
- Improved
- Shared
within actual communities.
SPARK therefore seeks organizations that are already thinking critically about how international evidence can be translated into local action.
The programme asks community organizations not simply to demonstrate that they have used WHO materials, but to show how they are reshaping the use of those materials around community priorities, lived experience and local knowledge.
What Is the Main Purpose of SPARK?
The programme has several closely related objectives.
First, it seeks to support community-led implementation of WHO sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health guidance.
Second, it aims to strengthen approaches in which communities participate meaningfully in:
- Programme design
- Decision-making
- Implementation
- Monitoring
- Evaluation
- Learning
Third, it seeks to identify innovative local practices that can be shared across the wider IBP Network.
Fourth, SPARK is intended to generate learning that may help the WHO/IBP Network understand:
- How WHO guidance is being used in practice
- How local organizations adapt formal global guidance
- What implementation barriers remain
- Where evidence or guidance gaps exist
- How community leadership can improve programme relevance
The programme is therefore both a funding mechanism and a learning initiative.
SPARK Is About Shifting Power, Not Only Delivering Services
One of the most important elements of the call is its emphasis on power shifting.
Applicants are expected to go beyond describing community participation as outreach or consultation.
The programme wants to know how communities influence actual decisions.
For example, an organization might demonstrate that community members:
- Decide which health issues should be prioritized
- Help design interventions
- Determine culturally appropriate implementation approaches
- Participate in budget or activity decisions
- Define what success should look like
- Lead monitoring and evaluation
- Help interpret project results
- Determine how learning should be shared
The distinction is important.
SPARK is not merely asking whether communities are involved in delivering an organization’s programme.
It is asking whether communities are meaningfully shaping the programme itself.
Who Should Apply?
The programme strongly encourages applications from organizations that are:
- Youth-led
- Women-led
- Indigenous-led
- Community-based
- Working directly with the populations they serve
Applicants should also generally have been operating for at least:
Two years
and should have previous implementation experience using at least:
One WHO guideline, tool or product.
Organizations should therefore be able to demonstrate both community leadership and some practical familiarity with WHO evidence or implementation resources.
Priority for Organizations New to WHO and IBP Funding
The SPARK programme specifically states that priority will be given to organizations that are:
- New to WHO funding mechanisms
- New to IBP Network funding mechanisms
- Strongly accountable to their communities
- Demonstrably community-led
This could make the call especially important for smaller or locally rooted organizations that may have strong implementation experience but limited previous access to major international funding systems.
Being new to WHO or IBP funding is not described as an absolute eligibility requirement.
It is a priority factor.
Organizations with previous relationships with WHO or IBP are therefore not explicitly excluded, but organizations with limited previous access may receive particular consideration.
What Types of Projects Is SPARK Looking For?
The programme is interested in organizations applying WHO guidelines and tools in ways that are:
- Innovative
- Locally grounded
- Community-led
- Responsive to real implementation challenges
- Capable of generating useful learning
Applicants should clearly explain how their project uses or adapts relevant WHO guidance.
This might involve a formal WHO guideline, implementation tool, technical product or another relevant WHO resource connected with sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child or adolescent health.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Projects may focus directly on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Relevant areas may include issues such as:
- Family planning
- Contraception
- Adolescent sexual and reproductive health
- Maternal health
- Reproductive health information
- Gender-responsive services
- Community engagement
- Access to evidence-based care
However, SPARK is especially interested in work that connects health programming with issues outside conventional health-sector boundaries.
Priority Intersection: Maternal Health
Maternal health is explicitly highlighted as one of the programme’s priority intersections.
Projects might explore how community-led implementation of WHO guidance can strengthen areas such as:
- Maternal health information
- Quality of care
- Community referral systems
- Birth preparedness
- Respectful care
- Community accountability
- Access to appropriate services
Applicants should still connect the project to relevant WHO guidance or tools.
Priority Intersection: Climate
SPARK is also interested in projects at the intersection of sexual and reproductive health and climate-related challenges.
Climate change can affect health through mechanisms such as:
- Displacement
- Drought
- Flooding
- Food insecurity
- Migration
- Health-system disruption
- Livelihood loss
Community-led organizations may be especially well positioned to explain how these pressures affect sexual, reproductive and maternal health differently across populations.
The programme provides space for organizations to develop solutions grounded in local realities rather than treating health and climate as separate policy areas.
Priority Intersection: Workforce, Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction
The programme also welcomes proposals integrating health with:
- Employment
- Livelihoods
- Workforce issues
- Economic security
- Poverty reduction
This recognizes that health outcomes are affected by economic circumstances.
For example, access to sexual and reproductive healthcare may be influenced by:
- Income
- Employment insecurity
- Transport costs
- Care responsibilities
- Workplace policies
- Economic dependence
Projects can therefore examine how WHO guidance might be implemented more effectively when economic and livelihood realities are considered.
Priority Intersection: Education
Education is another highlighted area.
Applicants might examine how sexual, reproductive, maternal or adolescent health work can be integrated with:
- Schools
- Universities
- Community education
- Youth learning spaces
- Informal education systems
Youth-led organizations may be particularly well placed to develop innovative models that connect evidence-based health guidance with education environments.
Priority Intersection: Faith-Based Initiatives
Faith is also explicitly included among the programme’s areas of interest.
Faith-based organizations and community actors can have substantial influence over:
- Social norms
- Community trust
- Health beliefs
- Family decision-making
- Gender expectations
- Health-seeking behaviour
SPARK therefore welcomes approaches that engage faith settings while remaining grounded in evidence-based WHO guidance and community leadership.
Other Areas May Also Be Considered
The programme’s list of intersections is not presented as completely exhaustive.
The concept-note requirements allow applicants to identify:
- Health
- Maternal health
- Climate
- Workforce
- Education
- Faith
- Other relevant sectors
Organizations with strong proposals outside the examples listed may therefore still be able to demonstrate alignment if their project is clearly connected with the programme’s overall objectives.
What Does SPARK Mean by Reciprocal Knowledge Exchange?
The phrase “reciprocal knowledge exchange” is central to the programme.
Traditional technical-assistance models sometimes assume that knowledge moves in one direction:
From international institutions to local organizations.
SPARK emphasizes a different relationship.
WHO guidance and evidence can inform community programmes, but community implementation also produces valuable knowledge that can inform institutions.
The flow of learning therefore works in both directions.
A community organization might learn from WHO evidence while simultaneously helping WHO and the IBP Network understand:
- Which recommendations are practical
- Which recommendations need adaptation
- What communities perceive differently
- Which implementation barriers are overlooked
- Which innovations are emerging locally
- Where global guidance remains incomplete
That reciprocal process is one of the programme’s most distinctive features.
Grant Amount
Selected organizations may receive up to:
USD 20,000 per grant.
Applicants may propose a budget below that amount where appropriate.
The concept note must include a proposed budget explaining how the requested funding would support the planned work.
The call does not state that every selected organization will automatically receive exactly USD 20,000.
The correct description is therefore:
Up to USD 20,000 per grant.
Number of Grants
The WHO/IBP Network anticipates awarding approximately:
5 to 10 grants.
Because the programme aims to support at least one organization from every WHO region, the final portfolio is expected to have broad geographic representation.
However, the call describes this regional distribution as an aim, rather than an absolute guarantee that a grant will be made in every region regardless of application quality.
Duration
Projects are expected to run for:
One year.
Applicants should therefore propose activities and milestones that can realistically be completed during a 12-month implementation period.
Geographic Reach
The programme has a global scope.
The WHO/IBP Network aims to fund organizations across all six WHO regions:
- African Region
- Region of the Americas
- South-East Asia Region
- European Region
- Eastern Mediterranean Region
- Western Pacific Region
This means the opportunity is not limited to Africa, Asia or any single group of developing countries.
Eligible organizations may potentially come from countries throughout the world, provided they satisfy the substantive requirements of the call.
What Will Selected Organizations Receive?
The SPARK programme offers more than grant funding.
Successful grantees are expected to receive a combination of:
- Flexible financial support
- Technical assistance
- Peer learning
- Global networking
- Visibility opportunities
Direct and Flexible Funding
Selected organizations will receive direct grant funding to implement their approved activities.
The call specifically describes the funding as:
Flexible grant funding.
This is particularly relevant for community-based organizations because rigid funding structures can make it difficult to adapt implementation to changing local circumstances.
Technical Support From WHO and the IBP Network
Grantees will receive technical support from the:
WHO/IBP Network
and access to relevant WHO sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health guidelines and tools.
This means organizations can receive technical engagement alongside financial support.
Access to Global Communities of Practice
SPARK grantees will also connect to the IBP Network’s global Communities of Practice.
The call identifies several networks, including:
- WHO Guidelines Community of Practice
- Adolescent Community of Practice
- Women’s Health Community of Practice
- Powershifting Community of Practice
These networks can allow organizations to:
- Share experiences
- Learn from peers
- Discuss implementation challenges
- Exchange adaptations
- Build relationships across countries and regions
Opportunities to Showcase Community Work
Grantees may also have opportunities to document and present their work to a global audience working on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.
This visibility can help organizations share:
- Implementation lessons
- Community innovations
- Challenges
- Adaptations
- Evidence gaps
- Approaches to shifting power
The programme therefore places significant emphasis on documentation and learning.
Initial Application: 500-Word Concept Note
The first stage of the application is deliberately concise.
Applicants must submit a:
Concept note of no more than 500 words.
This means organizations need to communicate their proposal clearly and efficiently.
The concept note should contain six major elements.
1. Organizational Overview
Applicants should explain:
- Who the organization is
- How long it has operated
- Which communities it serves
- Its implementation experience
- Its experience using WHO guidelines or tools
- Its leadership structure
The leadership structure should clearly demonstrate whether the organization is:
- Youth-led
- Women-led
- Indigenous-led
or falls within more than one of these categories.
2. Proposed Activity
Applicants should explain what they intend to do.
The description should identify:
- Main activities
- Target community
- Problem being addressed
- WHO guideline, tool or product being used
- How the WHO resource will be applied or adapted
- Relevant sector of integration
The proposal should therefore connect the project directly to concrete WHO resources rather than referring vaguely to global health guidance.
3. Power-Shifting Approach
Applicants need to explain how community members will influence the project.
This section should address:
- Community leadership
- Decision-making
- Programme design
- Accountability
- Evaluation
- Ownership
Applicants should avoid describing community members only as beneficiaries.
The call clearly values proposals where communities exercise meaningful influence.
4. Budget
Applicants should provide a proposed budget of:
Up to USD 20,000.
Even at the concept-note stage, the budget should logically correspond with the proposed activities.
Applicants should make sure the requested amount is proportionate to:
- Project scale
- Implementation period
- Activities
- Staffing needs
- Community participation
- Documentation requirements
5. Implementation Timeline
Applicants should provide a timeline identifying:
- Major activities
- Key milestones
- Implementation sequence
The full project should fit within the programme’s one-year duration.
6. Documentation and Learning Plan
This section is particularly important because SPARK emphasizes reciprocal knowledge exchange.
Applicants should explain how they will:
- Record implementation experience
- Capture community learning
- Identify challenges
- Document adaptations
- Share findings locally
- Share findings with the IBP Network
The documentation process should ideally be useful both to the community and to wider global health practitioners.
What Happens After the Concept Note?
The initial 500-word submission is only the first stage.
Shortlisted applicants may be invited to submit a more formal proposal.
That later stage may require additional documentation, including:
- Financial statements
- One letter of support
- Information required under WHO procedures for engagement with non-state actors
Organizations should therefore make sure their institutional documentation is reasonably organized before applying.
Application Languages
Applications may be submitted in:
- English
- French
- Spanish
This broadens accessibility for organizations across multiple WHO regions.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the official online application form.
Application form:
Submit a SPARK Grant Concept Note
Before starting, organizations should prepare:
- A concise organizational description.
- Evidence of at least two years of operation.
- Details showing youth, women and/or Indigenous leadership.
- Evidence of previous use of a WHO guideline, tool or product.
- A clearly defined project idea.
- The relevant WHO resource to be used or adapted.
- A power-shifting approach.
- A budget of no more than USD 20,000.
- A one-year implementation plan.
- A documentation and learning approach.
Application Deadline
The final deadline is:
9 October 2026
Organizations should submit before the deadline and allow sufficient time for internal review of the 500-word concept note.
Questions about the programme can be directed to:
How to Develop a Strong SPARK Concept Note
Because applicants have only 500 words, clarity will matter considerably.
Make Community Leadership Visible
Do not simply state:
“Our organization works with young people.”
Explain who leads.
For example:
- What proportion of leadership roles are held by young people?
- Who makes strategic decisions?
- How does the target community influence priorities?
- How is accountability maintained?
Name the WHO Guidance You Use
The programme asks specifically for applicants with previous experience implementing at least one WHO guideline, tool or product.
A stronger proposal should clearly identify:
- The exact WHO resource
- How the organization previously used it
- How it will be used or adapted under SPARK
Avoid vague statements such as:
“We follow WHO guidance.”
Explain the Innovation
Innovation does not necessarily require new technology.
Innovation might mean:
- Applying WHO guidance in a new setting
- Integrating health and livelihoods
- Connecting reproductive health and climate adaptation
- Working through faith networks
- Giving adolescents formal decision-making authority
- Adapting guidance through Indigenous knowledge systems
- Developing new community accountability mechanisms
Explain what is different and why it matters.
Demonstrate Real Power Shifting
This is one of the most important elements of the call.
Applicants should explain how the community moves from being:
Recipient → participant → decision-maker.
A strong proposal will show who has authority and how that authority operates in practice.
Keep the Project Realistic
The maximum award is USD 20,000 and the project period is one year.
The strongest proposals are likely to present focused, achievable work rather than overly ambitious national programmes requiring far greater resources.
Include Learning, Not Only Activities
SPARK specifically wants knowledge that can benefit other organizations and inform how WHO guidance is implemented.
Applicants should therefore think about:
- What will you learn?
- How will you know?
- Who will document it?
- How will the community use the findings?
- How will the IBP Network learn from it?
Key Information at a Glance
Programme: SPARK — Shifting Power through Action and Reciprocal Knowledge Exchange
Organizer: WHO/IBP Network
Published: 17 September 2026
Primary focus: Community-led sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and rights
Target organizations: Youth-led, women-led and Indigenous-led community-based organizations
Minimum operating history: At least two years
WHO experience: Previous implementation experience using at least one WHO guideline, tool or product
Grant amount: Up to USD 20,000
Number of grants: 5–10
Duration: One year
Geographic scope: Global, across all six WHO regions
Priority sectors: Maternal health, climate, livelihoods/poverty reduction, education, faith-based initiatives and related areas
Application stage: Initial concept note of no more than 500 words
Application languages: English, French or Spanish
Deadline: 9 October 2026
Application: Official SPARK Application Form
Contact: ibpnetwork@who.int
Conclusion
The WHO/IBP Network SPARK Grant Program 2026 offers a distinctive funding opportunity for community-based organizations seeking to strengthen sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health through locally led implementation.
With 5–10 grants of up to USD 20,000 each, the programme is intentionally focused on organizations led by the communities most directly affected by health policies and programmes, particularly youth-led, women-led and Indigenous-led organizations.
SPARK’s central emphasis is not simply service delivery. It is about changing who holds influence over programme design and implementation.
Applicants are expected to demonstrate how they use WHO evidence while also generating knowledge that can travel back into global health systems. Communities are therefore positioned not merely as recipients of WHO guidance, but as sources of expertise whose experiences can improve how guidance is interpreted and used.
The programme is especially interested in projects linking sexual and reproductive health and rights with maternal health, climate, livelihoods, poverty reduction, education and faith-based action.
Successful organizations will receive not only flexible funding, but also technical support, access to IBP Communities of Practice and opportunities to share their work with global sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health audiences.
Organizations should begin by developing a focused 500-word concept note covering their organizational background, proposed activities, relevant WHO guidance, approach to shifting power, budget, timeline and learning plan.
Applications close on 9 October 2026.
To know more about this opportunities, CLICK HERE.
To discover more global grant opportunities, VISIT HERE.
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