Applications open: 18 September 2025
Deadline: 19 November 2025, 14:00 New York (ET)
Apply online: https://grants.untf.unwomen.org/

Meta (for your web team)

• Suggested SEO title (≤60 chars): UN Trust Fund 2025 Grants: End Violence Against Women

• Suggested meta description (≤155 chars): Apply by 19 Nov 2025. UN Trust Fund grants (US$150k–$800k) for CSOs to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.

• Suggested slug: un-trust-fund-2025-grants-end-violence-against-women

• Primary keywords: UN Trust Fund grants 2025, EVAWG funding, prevent violence against women, women’s rights grants, civil society funding

• Secondary keywords: flexible funding for CSOs, organizational resilience, OECD DAC eligible countries, women-led organizations, VAWG services and prevention

At-a-Glance: 2025 Call for Proposals — Resourcing Resilience

Why this call matters now

Civil society organizations working to end violence against women and girls face shrinking civic space, rising resistance, and widening funding gaps—even as demand for life-saving services and prevention is surging. The UN Trust Fund’s 2025 call delivers long-term (4 years), flexible resources and wraparound support so frontline organizations—especially those serving structurally marginalized women and girls—can sustain services, prevent VAWG, and drive systems change.

What the UN Trust Fund will fund (Strategic Outcomes)

Proposals should contribute to one or more of the outcomes below and align with UN Women’s EVAWG Programming Principles:

1. Access to services: Improve access to essential, specialist, safe, adequate, quality, multisectoral services for women and girls.

2. Prevention: Reduce VAWG through shifts in behaviors, practices, and attitudes.

3. Systems & accountability: Strengthen the effectiveness of laws, policies, national action plans, and accountability systems to prevent and end VAWG.

Priority focus: Interventions that address VAWG against structurally marginalized women and girls (e.g., adolescent girls, older women, women with disabilities, refugees/IDPs, Indigenous women, LBTIQ+ people, those affected by conflict, displacement, and climate crises).

What’s new in 2025

• One global call, two cohorts: Awards made in 2026 and 2027 to reduce repetitive applications.

• Adjusted ceiling: Max grant US$800,000 to back more organizations with long-term, flexible funding.

• Simplified flexible funding: One dedicated budget line — up to 18% (small) or 12% (large) — for staff, well-being, security, accessibility, operations, fundraising, and more (plus contingency and indirect costs).

• Better access for small orgs: The old “small grant ceiling” is removed; all small orgs can request added flexible funding regardless of total grant request.

• Clearer guidance & tools and a mid-September launch window to avoid year-end crunch.

Funding details & absorption capacity

• Amount: US$150,000–$800,000 over 4 years.

• Absorptive capacity rule of thumb: Don’t request >3× your org’s average annual budget (past 3 years).

• Total available: Up to US$20 million across both cohorts.

Who should apply (and who’s prioritized)

Eligible: Civil society organizations with specialized EVAWG experience (typically ≥5 years within the last 10), operating in OECD DAC ODA countries.

Strong priority to:

• Women’s rights organizations (WROs)

• Girls’ rights organizations

• Women-led organizations (≥51% women in leadership/board/senior management)

• Constituent-led organizations (led by and for marginalized women and girls)

• Small organizations (avg. annual budget < US$200,000 over 2022–2024)

• First-time UN Trust Fund applicants

INGOs: Eligible, but must show added value, equitable partnerships, shared decision-making, and that most resources flow to country-level work.

Previous grantees: Eligible if prior grant programmatically closes by 19 Nov 2025 and the new proposal builds on lessons, deepens impact, and/or innovates.

Single- & multi-country proposals

• Single-country or multi-country (up to 10 countries).

• Co-implementing partners: Up to 4, each may receive a portion of funds.

• Multi-country proposals must create cross-country value (e.g., strengthen feminist movements, build shared tools, foster joint advocacy/learning, mobilize cross-border allies).

Partnerships that strengthen impact

• Encouraged: Equitable partnerships with local, grassroots women’s and girls’ rights organizations (fair resources, shared decisions, meaningful participation during design → learning).

• Lead applicant is accountable for the entire grant, partner compliance, and results. MoUs are strongly recommended.

• Supporting partners (no direct funds) may offer technical, advocacy, or coordination support.

Invest in organizational resilience (what you can budget for)

Use the flexible funding line (up to 18% small / 12% large) for:

• Organizational risk & capacity assessments; contingency planning

• Staff well-being, self & collective care, psychosocial support

• Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptive management

• Peer learning, solidarity networks, movement strengthening

• Governance/systems development; operations (rent, utilities)

• Accessibility and inclusion measures

• Safety & security, including data protection

• Innovation, fundraising, partnership-building

Plus: Up to 1.5% contingency and standard 8% indirects (on direct activity costs).

Eligibility checklist (high-level)

Your lead organization must:

• Be legally registered (normally ≥5 years; in exceptional cases ≥3 years with justification).

• Implement in OECD DAC ODA countries (multi-country allowed).

• Demonstrate EVAWG expertise & track record (staff CVs, organigram, project list, briefs/evaluations, references).

• Show operational/financial capacity and upload certified financial statements for 2022, 2023, 2024.

• Have a minimum average annual budget of US$50,000 (past 3 years).

Ineligible: Government/UN agencies, private individuals/companies, orgs not focused on gender equality/EVAWG, orgs outside ODA list, applicants with multiple submissions (lead or co-implementer), or current UN Trust Fund grantees whose project hasn’t ended by 19 Nov 2025.

How to apply (Concept Note stage)

1. Prepare your documents (see checklist below).

2. Submit your Concept Note online (English, French, or Spanish) between 18 Sep–19 Nov 2025: https://grants.untf.unwomen.org/

3. Deadline: 19 November 2025, 14:00 New York (ET). Late submissions cannot be considered.

4. AI use: Content must reflect your organization’s work and context. Predominantly AI-written notes without meaningful human input or verification will be penalized and may be disqualified.

5. Confirmation: You’ll receive an email receipt after submitting. If not, contact untfgms@unwomen.org promptly.

6. Selection flow: Concept Notes → invite-only Full Proposal → due diligence. Outcomes shared in Q2 2026.

Required uploads (Concept Note)

• Legal registration documents

• Certified financial statements for 2022–2024

• Evidence that you are women’s/girls’ rights and/or women-led and/or constituent-led

• Evidence of specialized EVAWG expertise and track record

• At least 2 references attesting to EVAWG work

Tip: Don’t wait until the final week. Traffic is heavy; allow time for uploads and any troubleshooting.

Applicant support (info & grant writing sessions)

Live webinars (recorded; same content repeated; register via links):

• Spanish — Mon 6 Oct, 10:30–12:00 NY time
  https://unwomen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BT5_DCsSRNqfp3WdZXPq5w

• English — Tue 7 Oct, 08:00–09:30 NY time
  https://unwomen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HLJcsd9HTyqUEKk_lPV04A

• English — Wed 8 Oct, 03:00–04:30 NY time
  https://unwomen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7ANVM1mmQHWBREF9FSyeWg

• French — Wed 8 Oct, 08:00–09:30 NY time
  https://unwomen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tmeElv-ZRyCpYXO-Hg89jw

• English — Thu 9 Oct, 08:00–09:30 NY time
  https://unwomen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WTZ3bcqvTC-penTROmFC4w

Technical questions: untfgms@unwomen.org

FAQs (SEO-rich)

Who is most competitive for this funding?
Organizations with specialized EVAWG experience, women-/girls’-rights mandates, women-led or constituent-led governance, and strong context-grounded prevention or service models, especially those serving structurally marginalized women and girls.

What if my organization is small (<US$200k)?
You’re prioritized and can request any amount within US$150k–$800k, provided it matches your absorptive capacity. You may budget up to 18% for flexible/core funding.

What counts as flexible funding?
A single line for organizational resilience—staffing, self/collective care, security, accessibility, MEL, operations, innovation, partnership-building, fundraising, and more. This is in addition to indirect costs (8%) and contingency (up to 1.5%).

Can INGOs apply?
Yes, but they must demonstrate equitable partnerships, shared decision-making, and ensure most funds support country-level work, particularly local women’s rights groups.

Can I submit multiple applications?
No. Only one application per organization (whether as lead or co-implementer). Multiple submissions are disqualified.

When will results be announced?
Applicants are informed of outcomes in Q2 2026. Awards are conditional on a satisfactory Full Proposal and capacity assessment.

What if our current UN Trust Fund grant ends after the deadline?
You’re ineligible if your current grant hasn’t programmatically closed (project ended) by 19 Nov 2025.

What countries are eligible?
Initiatives must operate in OECD DAC ODA-eligible countries (single or multi-country). See the DAC list for details.

About the UN Trust Fund

For nearly 30 years, the UN Trust Fund—administered by UN Women—has been the only global grant-making mechanism dedicated solely to ending all forms of violence against women and girls, supporting 725 initiatives across 140 countries/territories and awarding US$253 million to date. Beyond grants, it provides technical support, advocacy, capacity development, and movement connections to help partners achieve lasting change.

Action checklist (for applicants)

• Confirm eligibility (registration history, EVAWG experience, ODA geography, budget threshold).

• Validate absorptive capacity (≤3× average annual org budget).

• Draft a context-grounded concept aligned to one or more of the three outcomes.

• Budget for flexible funding (18% small / 12% large), contingency (≤1.5%), indirects (8%).

• Assemble documents (registration, 2022–2024 certified financials, evidence of mandate/governance, references).

• Submit before 19 Nov 2025, 14:00 ET via the GMS portal.

Smart proposal tips (to boost competitiveness)

• Lead with context: Name the backlash/shrinking space dynamics and their concrete impacts on target groups and your operations.

• Be specific on who you reach: Define structurally marginalized groups and the forms of violence addressed.

• Show your edge: Why you? Cite evidence, partnerships, trusted access, prior results.

• Design for resilience: Include organizational resilience measures (well-being, security, MEL for adaptive learning).

• Demonstrate prevention logic: Use recognized theories of change and implementation essentials (dosage, fidelity, safe disclosure, survivor-centred approaches).

• Plan for accountability: Outline safeguarding/SEAH protocols, risk management, and data protection.

• Think movement-building: If multi-country, show clear cross-country synergies and shared outcomes.

Important compliance notes

• Safeguarding (SEA/SH): Zero tolerance. Applicants must have preventive measures, investigation, and corrective actions in place.

• AI use: Submissions predominantly written by AI without meaningful human input, contextual accuracy, or alignment with your org’s work will be penalized/disqualified.

APPLY NOW

Online application (Concept Note): https://grants.untf.unwomen.org/
Deadline: 19 November 2025, 14:00 New York (ET)
Support: untfgms@unwomen.org+

The Call is open from 18 September 2025 to 19 November 2025 (2:00 PM – New York Time – EST). All applications need to be submitted in the Grants Management System.

View the Call for Proposals (PDF): عربى | 中文 | English | Français | русский | Español

View the Call for Proposals (Word): عربى | 中文 | English | Français | русский | Español

View the Application package (PDF): English | Français | Español 

View the Application package (Word): English | Français | Español 

Check out our FAQs:

• English (PDF) | English (Word)
• French (PDF) | French (Word)
• Spanish (PDF) | Spanish (Word)

Check if you are eligible here.