FemFocus 2026–2030: How the Application Process Works

The FemFocus grant programme (2026–2030) is part of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Focus framework for cooperation with civil society organisations. The programme supports local civil society organisations in low- and middle-income countries via intermediary “support partners” on three themes:

• Women’s entrepreneurship
• Combating violence against women and supporting women human rights defenders
• Women, Peace and Security 

Applications could be submitted between 16 October 2025 and 7 January 2026 (23:59 CET).

Step 1 – Threshold assessment (by 18 February 2026)

All applications are first checked against formal threshold criteria. This includes, among others:

• Type of organisation and legal status
• Financial independence
• Track record in relevant themes and countries
• Compliance with thematic and geographic scope
• Grant size and duration
  Only applications that pass this threshold assessment proceed to the next stage.

Step 2 – ORIA / Partos & auditor’s statement

Applicants that pass the threshold assessment are invited to submit:

• ORIA documentation (or a valid Partos certificate)

Applicants have four weeks to provide these documents. These are assessed in parallel with the substantive review of the proposal 

Step 3 – Substantive assessment and ranking

Eligible applications are scored on quality, including:

• Track record
• Quality of the proposal and budget
• Alignment with policy principles (e.g. gender, conflict sensitivity)

Applications are ranked per instrument. Grants are awarded in order of quality ranking until the available budget per instrument is exhausted.

Final decision

The Ministry aims to communicate final grant decisions by 6 May 2026 at the latest. Applicants receive a formal decision indicating whether the application is awarded, partially awarded, or rejected.