FemFocus Grant Program 2026–2030: Encouraging Women’s Entrepreneurship (Up to €27.4 Million)

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Applications are open FemFocus Grant Program 2026–2030. The FemFocus 2026–2030 program, administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, offers significant funding to civil society organisations (CSOs) that support women’s entrepreneurship in Africa. The scheme aims to enhance both the individual capacities of women entrepreneurs and the structural environments in which they operate.

FemFocus is part of the government’s ‘Focus’ policy framework. That policy framework aims to strengthen local civil society organisations, so that they can provide the necessary services and conduct dialogue to achieve the objectives of a total of 8 instruments. Local ownership is central to the policy framework. Funding models are simplified, with only a few layers: support partners (intermediaries) select, finance and strengthen in-country partners who design and implement activities in their own contexts.

FemFocus Grant Program Objectives and Priorities

The FemFocus programme adopts a two-track approach to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and promote gender equality within the business environment:

Individual Empowerment: Enhancing business skills, improving access to markets, networks, products, and financial services for women entrepreneurs.
Societal Transformation: Addressing socio-cultural and institutional barriers that restrict women’s participation in formal economies and leadership roles.

The ultimate goal is to create an enabling ecosystem where women can develop, expand, and sustain successful enterprises. Through targeted interventions, FemFocus seeks to accelerate women’s leadership, stimulate inclusive growth, and reinforce the role of women in advancing sustainable economic development.

Grant information

The total budget available for this call is €54,835,000, with grants ranging from a minimum of €18,260,055 to a maximum of €27,417,500. Projects are expected to last 60 months, commencing on 1 January 2026.
The estimated call budget stands at €39,880,000, with individual project grants between €18.26 million and €27.41 million.
While co-financing is not explicitly required, applicants are encouraged to leverage partnerships and additional resources to enhance project sustainability and impact.

Geographic Focus

Eligible projects must target at least two of the following African countries where the Netherlands maintains active trade and economic relationships:

Egypt, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Benin, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Tunisia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The programme emphasizes collaboration with local partners who have deep contextual understanding of the social, economic, and cultural dynamics in these regions.

Eligibility Criteria for FemFocus Grant Program

Applicants must be CSOs legally registered either in the Netherlands or in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) listed on the OECD-DAC.
The organization must demonstrate at least five years of experience in:
- Capacity strengthening of in-country partners in LMICs.
- Providing financial support for independently implemented activities.
The organization must also have a minimum of five years of expertise in women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship development, or related policy themes in the targeted countries.
In the period 2022–2024, at least 25% of total annual income must have come from non-Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources (except for small or specialist southern organizations).
The applicant must have a clear policy and system for selecting and monitoring in-country partners, applied within the past five years.
The gross annual remuneration for any management or governing body member may not exceed €226,000 (for applicants in the EU).
Applicants can be awarded only one grant under this framework.
Individual applicants must not already hold a doctoral degree or similar advanced research qualification.