New environmental financing opportunities in January

Community development, endangered species protection, youth empowerment in environmental issues, research, initiatives to contribute to climate change mitigation and the implementation of climate technology and energy startups are some of the topics for which funding will be available in January 2026.

Discover opportunities that can boost conservation and sustainable development! 

• Future Conservationist 2026 Awards. The main objective of the 2026 Future Conservationist Awards is to fund and support early-stage conservationists through grants of up to $$15,000 USD and ongoing mentoring to advance projects that protect threatened or data-deficient IUCN Red List species and address critical issues such as climate impact, habitat restoration, indigenous community engagement, and environmental policy. Closing date: January 9 (Apply here)

• Gothenburg 2026 Win Win Sustainability Award. The primary goal of the MIT Climate and Energy Prize (MIT CEP) is to identify, advance and reward the most promising climate and energy technology startups led by undergraduate students from around the world, providing them with non-dilutive funding, world-class mentorship and visibility to transform their ideas into viable companies that contribute to the goal of zero net emissions. Closing date: January 11.  (Apply here.)

• MIT Energy and Climate Prize. The goal of this recognition is to highlight those actors who are driving real and tangible change by placing inclusion, dignity and equal opportunity at the center of their work. This includes both advocates who ensure fair laws and access to resources, as well as leaders who actively promote women's leadership in crucial areas such as climate action, economic development and community building. In doing so, these actors unleash the collective power needed to address today's greatest challenges. Closing date: January 11.  (Apply here.)

• Worldwide grant for research and conservation of birds of prey. The HawkWatch International Global Raptor Research and Conservation Grant supports projects that address global raptor priorities. Its vision is to close important knowledge gaps about the world's most threatened and least studied raptors, enabling science-based conservation led by local communities dedicated to their protection. Closing date: January 15.  (Apply here.)

• Keeling Curve Prize. The Keeling Curve Prize (KCP), named after the revolutionary Keeling Curve, recognizes and supports innovative climate solutions that seek to reduce the Keeling Curve, thereby lowering the concentration of atmospheric CO₂ and other greenhouse gases. Our award recognizes projects and initiatives from around the world that are making significant progress in combating climate change, promoting sustainability and driving decarbonization. Closing date: January 15 (Apply here)

• PADI Foundation 2026. The main objective of the PADI Foundation is to fund research and education projects that further scientific knowledge and protection of aquatic environments, focusing on three key areas: the understanding and conservation of underwater ecosystems, the study of the physics and physiology of sport diving to improve diver safety, and research into the impact of climate change on coastal and marine ecosystems, in order to promote more sustainable and safer human interaction with the ocean. Closing date: January 15 (Apply here)

• Volvo Environment Prize. The Volvo Environmental Prize aims to recognize and support scientific achievements of excellence that make a significant contribution to environmental management and sustainability, highlighting both the academic impact of the research and its relevance to decision making and public policy formulation. Closing date: January 20.  (Apply here)

• Update of the Ecosystem Profile for the Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot. Update the Ecosystem Profile (2026) of the Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot to guide the five-year investment strategy (2027-2031) of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), prioritizing Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) actions led by civil society in the four hotspot countries (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles). Closing date: January 26th.  (Apply here)

• Conflict Reduction and Economic Performance Improvement Program. The main objective of this second call of the Reducing Conflict and Improving Performance in the Economy (ReCIPE) program is to fund, with large research grants of up to £100,000, projects that deepen the understanding of the links between conflict, economic growth and public policy, prioritizing multidisciplinary, policy-relevant proposals in their Focus Countries and aligned with their core research themes, such as climate change, gender, institutions and peacebuilding. Closing date: January 27th (Apply here)

• Prince Talal International Prize. The Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development aims to recognize and promote innovative and successful projects that contribute to sustainable development and investment in people, disseminating their experiences to strengthen international cooperation and address factors that limit progress in developing countries, especially those affecting women, children, and vulnerable groups, such as poverty, social exclusion, education, and health. The theme of this year's Prize is "Clean and Affordable Energy," in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with the purpose of promoting initiatives that foster universal access to sustainable, secure, and environmentally friendly energy sources. Closing date: January 30.  (Apply here)

• Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, endowed with one million euros, helps accelerate proven climate actions that benefit people and the planet. Closing date: January 30 (Apply here)

• Enviromental Justice Foundation. The main objective of this call from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), funded by the EU, is to select one or more NGOs or civil society organizations in Latin America to act as regional coordinator(s) of the «Global Toolkit for Participatory Fisheries Governance» project, leading its implementation in between one and three countries in the region (low or middle income) with an allocated budget of up to 200,000 euros. Closing date: January 31 (Apply here)

• Slingshot Challenge. The goal of the Slingshot Challenge is to encourage young people between the ages of 13 and 18 to propose creative solutions to local environmental problems through 1-minute videos, providing them with specialized mentoring through Solution Design Labs and the opportunity to obtain funding of up to $10,000 USD to implement their ideas, in order to boost their role as agents of change in global conservation. Closing date: February 6 (Apply here)

• Through Southern Lenses Photography Award. Through Southern Lenses: Science in Focus is an international photography award that highlights the beauty, challenges and impact of science in the Global South. This international award celebrates the scientific achievements, challenges and human stories of the Global South through the power of photography. Closing date: February 15.  (Apply here)

• GEO Mountains Small Data Grants 2026-2027. To finance projects that improve the availability, quality and usefulness of data and information on environmental and socioeconomic systems in mountain regions, prioritizing five specific areas: Andes, Central Asia, East Africa, South Caucasus and Hindu Kush Himalaya. Closing date: February 20 (Apply here)

• Environmental Impact Fund for Climate Intervention. Fund field trials of climate interventions that include significant investments in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), predictive impact modeling and/or participation of potentially affected stakeholders. Closing date: May 1st. (Apply here)

• The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation. The Foundation for Conservation, Food, and Health is an organization whose primary mission is to protect the environment, ensure food security, and improve public health in developing regions of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East. To achieve this purpose, the Foundation specializes in funding innovative projects that offer practical solutions to local challenges, strengthen human capital, and develop institutional capacities in three strategic areas: ecosystem conservation, sustainable agriculture, and public health systems. As part of its intervention model, the Foundation prioritizes supporting pioneering initiatives through seed funding for applied research, demonstration projects, and training programs, with a particular focus on proposals located in areas with limited access to financial resources. Its ultimate goal is to serve as a catalyst for these projects to achieve sustainability and scale their impact with the support of other investors. Closing date: No closing date.  (Apply here)

• Reece Foundation Grant. Support local initiatives that help communities in Australia and abroad access clean water, sanitation, or food security through irrigation Closing date: No deadline.  (Apply here.)

• Rufford Grants Program. This grant program offers funding for nature conservation projects in the developing world. There are five consecutive funding schemes: the Rufford Small Grant, the 2nd Rufford Small Grant, the Booster Grant, the 2nd Booster Grant, and the Completion Grant. The primary requirement is that the work must be pragmatic in nature and have a substantial and lasting impact on the issue at hand (conservation). A significant human element is often present in a successful proposal, with community education and engagement being crucial. The Foundation has a broad scope of interest. In addition to the conservation of animals in their natural habitats, it also seeks to support conservation work focused on threatened habitats and other organisms such as plants, fungi, and insects. Closing date: No deadline.  (Apply here.)

• Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. The DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations that solve the world's biggest social and environmental problems through innovative and scalable approaches. Closing date: No deadline.  (Apply here.)

• Pure Earth Fund. The Pure Earth Opportunity Fund supports short-term strategic projects that promote common understanding of lead poisoning prevention, interventions and policy. It seeks to be a mechanism to rapidly address emerging problems or urgent data gaps related to lead poisoning in low- and middle-income countries. Closing date: No deadline. (Apply here.)

• Support from Rainforest Trust. The main objective must be the creation/expansion of a protected or conserved area. (The proposed area must be currently unprotected. It can be verified here: https://www.protectedplanet.net/en). Closing date: No deadline. (Apply here.)