Oilwatch International Small Grants Programme 2026 for Community-Led Action Projects Worldwide (Up to USD $5,000 Grant Funding)

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Applications are open Oilwatch International Small Grants Programme 2026. Oilwatch International invites grassroots organizations, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, youth groups, women-led organizations, and social movements to apply for small grants supporting community-driven action to defend territories, resist fossil fuel expansion, and advance just, community-centred energy futures.

For over three decades, Oilwatch has partnered with frontline communities across the Global South to halt fossil fuel extraction, strengthen peoples’ sovereignty, and advocate for an equitable transition beyond fossil fuels. This programme places Earth, Energy, and Equity at the centre of transformative, locally led action.

Grant Details

GRANT AMOUNT
- Up to USD $5,000
PROJECT DURATION
- 6–9 months

Oilwatch International Small Grants Programme Thematic Call Areas

Proposals must address one or more of the following five thematic areas, each rooted in Oilwatch’s core mission of keeping fossil fuels in the ground and building just alternatives:

Defending the Earth
- Protecting ecosystems and territories from extractive industries.
- Examples: resistance to oil/gas/coal expansion; forest, mangrove and wetland protection; community pollution monitoring; biodiversity conservation; legal/policy advocacy; campaigns against destructive projects.
Energy Justice and Energy Democracy
- People-centred renewable energy that replaces fossil fuels while respecting community rights.
- Examples: community-owned renewable energy; energy literacy; just-transition dialogues; women’s leadership in energy access; youth-led decentralized energy innovation; policy advocacy.
Equity and Climate Justice
- Advancing fairness, inclusion, and community rights in climate action.
- Examples: Indigenous territorial rights; gender justice in environmental governance; youth climate leadership; climate reparations advocacy; protection of environmental defenders; community participation in decision-making.
Keeping Fossil Fuels in the Ground
- Direct support for Oilwatch’s long-standing campaign against new fossil fuel extraction.
- Examples: campaigns against new oil and gas projects; community mobilization; research supporting fossil-fuel phase-out; documentation of extraction impacts; advocacy for non-proliferation.
Restoring Communities and Ecosystems
- Ecological restoration and community resilience.
- Examples: restoration of degraded ecosystems; community-led reforestation with native species; wetland restoration; sustainable livelihoods; agroecology; traditional ecological knowledge.

Alignment with Oilwatch Principles

All proposals must clearly demonstrate alignment with Oilwatch’s guiding principles:

Keeping fossil fuels in the ground. Environmental and climate justice. Respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Community self-determination. Energy democracy Gender equity and social inclusion. Ecological integrity. Solidarity among frontline communities. Opposition to false climate solutions, green colonialism, and extractivism. Respect for human rights and the rights of nature.
Not eligible: proposals promoting fossil gas, carbon offsets or carbon trading, large-scale geoengineering, industrial biofuels, or other false climate solutions will not be considered.

Who Can Apply for Oilwatch International Small Grants Programme

Applications are welcome from grassroots, Indigenous Peoples’, community-based, women’s, and youth-led organizations, environmental justice groups, small civil society organizations, social movements, and local advocacy networks that are active members or partners of Oilwatch and fully support the network’s objectives. Preference is given to organizations working directly with frontline communities affected by oil, gas, coal, mining, or other extractive industries. Funds are disbursed directly by GGF; all other processes are facilitated by Oilwatch.

Proposal Template

The Proposal Template should be organized into sections and will be scored based on the Proposal sections and their respective ratings as decided by the review team.

Sections Content:

Section 1: Basic Data
Section 2: Project Description
Section 3: Context and Policy Environment for the Proposed Project
Section 4: Project Implementation, Sustainability, and Budget

Proposal Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

The grants will be highly competitive and the best proposals that meet Oilwatch criteria will be funded by the Global Green Grants Fund (GGF). Please note that all disbursement of funds for all those eligible for the funds will be done by GGF directly but all other processes will be facilitated by Oilwatch.
Reviewers will prioritize proposals that: deliver cost-efficient, measurable activities responding to clearly identified community needs; advance Oilwatch’s cross-cutting priorities halting fossil fuel extraction, promoting renewable/alternative energy, building resilient environmental and climate-justice movements; respond to emergencies driven by fossil fuel exploration/exploitation or climate impacts; and are evidence-based, drawing on lessons learned with demonstrated implementation capacity.