African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) Conservation Grants 2026-27

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Applications are open for African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) Conservation Grants 2026-27. The African World Heritage Fund provides conservation grants to African States Parties to support the implementation of projects and activities aimed at enhancing the sustainability and state of conservation of World Heritage properties.

The AWHF offers preparatory assistance to sites on national heritage lists, supporting their inclusion on Tentative Lists and the development of nominations for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Costs Covered

AWHF grant will only cover costs directly related to project activities.
Applicants should provide detailed budget in US$ for every activity to be implemented.
Applicants should indicate the contribution of the State Party as well as any other contributors to the project.

AWHF Conservation Grants Duration

The projects must be implemented between April 2026 and February 2027.

Eligibility Criteria

Projects activities are restricted to African World Heritage Sites as declared by UNESCO, and sites to be, or included on the National Tentative List.
Project proposals MUST address challenges affecting the State of Conservation of the selected World Heritage property. Projects addressing the conservation issues raised in the State of Conservation (SoC) reports and the decisions made by the World Heritage Committee have added advantage.
Projects focusing on entrepreneurship initiatives, youth development or addressing sustainability issues at African World Heritage properties.
Projects aiming at enhancing the legibility and accessibility of World Heritage properties through digital technologies.
This grant is for Government institutions involved in the management and protection of World Heritage Sites. Civil society organizations working in close cooperation (formal partnership) with responsible government institution are also eligible.
The application must be approved by the Head/Director of heritage institution/organization accompanied by a cover letter endorsing the project.

Evaluation Criteria for AWHF Conservation Grants

Relevance and contribution of the project to addressing conservation and sustainability challenges at the nominated African World Heritage property;
Quality of project design and use of innovative and cost-effective approaches;
Clearly articulated, realistic and measurable outcomes;
Level of stakeholders, involvement and participation;
Accurate and realistic budget.