Core Funding for Environmental Organisations

Strengthening the capacity of organisations working to conserve nature and biodiversity.

Date

Start date23 Jul 2026 / 08:00
End date07 Sep 2026 / 17:00

Lisbon time


Documents

In Portugal, more than half of all habitats are in decline. Civil society organisations working in nature conservation play a vital role in protecting biodiversity through the conservation, management and restoration of ecosystems. However, these organisations face significant funding and capacity challenges that limit the continuity and long-term impact of their work.

To help address these challenges, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation launched the first edition of this programme in 2025, awarding core funding to eight environmental organisations. The programme demonstrated the value of core funding in strengthening organisations’ stability, independence and capacity to deliver lasting impact.

With this second edition, the Foundation is renewing its commitment to supporting organisations that play an essential role in protecting the environment and safeguarding Portugal’s natural heritage. By complementing traditional project-based grants, core funding gives organisations the flexibility to strengthen their capacity and pursue their mission in a more sustainable and effective way.


Conditions

  • Financial support will only be awarded to legally established entities registered in Portugal;
  • The amount of each grant will be determined during the final selection process and will not exceed €50,000.

Eligibility

Applications are open to organisations officially recognised as environmental organisations under the National Register, or equivalent organisations, as well as organisations working in the field of nature conservation whose activities align with the objectives of this call and which meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Call Conditions.


How to Apply

  • Only applications submitted online will be accepted;
  • Register at  MyGulbenkian;
  • Before submitting your application form, check all the eligibility criteria and be sure to read the Call Conditions (available in the documents section);
  • Applications may only be submitted once all the mandatory fields of the form have been completed and the documents required under the Call Conditions have been uploaded;
  • Don’t forget to click “submit application”. Try not to submit your application in the last few days leading up to the deadline to avoid any unforeseen last minute problems.

Contacts

Questions about this call should be sent to: [email protected].

Updated on 23 july 2026

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