2026 UN-Nutrition Catalytic Funding for UN Country Offices
Opportunity for 2026 UN-Nutrition Catalytic Funding
Catalytic funding is a small financial support to country teams aiming at promoting new and innovative ways of working together to enable UN country teams to embed nutrition as a cross-cutting priority in their national development agendas. It is limited to a six-month igniting phase and is not intended to finance direct service delivery or technical programmes.
Eligible Countries for Catalytic Funding
The UN country teams within the countries listed below are eligible for 2026 UN-Nutrition catalytic funding. The countries have been identified based on two criteria: alignment with past and current Irish Aid priority countries.
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Niger
- Palestine
- Sierra Leone
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Funding Allocation and Duration
UN country teams in five countries will be selected following the application process, each receiving USD 120,000 to implement activities between 1 January and 30 June 2026, or the agreed upon timeline. The grant duration will be maximum 6 months.
Deadline to Submit Expression of Interest:
December 1, 2025.
This catalytic funding initiative is made possible through the generous support of Irish Aid, the resource partner for this project. Irish Aid’s partnership has been instrumental in shaping the strategic direction, eligibility criteria, and implementation modalities for catalytic funding, ensuring coherence with previous phases and other Irish Aid-supported initiatives.
Application Process
Funding Requirements
Expression of Interest
Selection Criteria & Review Process
Application Process
Country teams are expected to work jointly across agencies in preparing the expressions of interest and, if selected, their full Concept Notes, both endorsed by at least two UN agencies and the Resident Coordinator Office.
The expression of interest provides an initial outline of intent and strategic direction, while the Concept Note offers a detailed plan of activities, timelines, budget, and sustainability measures. Please complete the Expression of Interest form no later than December 1, 2025.
Following a technical review, only five countries will be invited to develop a full Concept Note, with technical support provided during this stage.
The application process follows a two-stage approach:
- Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI) - Deadline to submit: December 1, 2025.
Stage 2: Concept Note - The 5 selected countries will be asked to complete a application including activities, timelines, budget, and sustainability measures. Deadline to submit: December 22, 2025
Please don't hesitate to reach out to unnutrition@fao.org if you have any questions regarding the application process.
What Catalytic Funding Supports
Catalytic funding may be used for a broad range of activities that strengthen collaboration, partnership, and coordination, including but not limited to those listed here, provided they contribute to the defined objective:
- Joint Diagnostics and Analysis: Coordinated nutrition analyses, diagnostics, and stakeholder/platform mapping to identify gaps, opportunities, and inform joint strategies.
- Strengthening Coordination Mechanisms: Establishing or enhancing national and sub-national nutrition coordination platforms, multi-stakeholder partnerships, joint planning sessions, and governance structures.
- Collaborative Planning and Policy Support: Facilitating workshops and dialogues to co-design joint strategies and programmes aligned with government priorities and United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs).
- Capacity Building and Peer Learning: Strengthening the skills of government staff, UN agency personnel, and partners through training, mentoring, and exchanges that foster peer-to-peer learning and south-south cooperation.
Advocacy and Resource Mobilization: Designing and piloting joint advocacy initiatives, developing investment cases, and mobilizing innovative domestic and external resources for nutrition.
UN Country Teams Eligible for Catalytic Funding
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to unnutrition@fao.org if you have any questions regarding the eligibility requirements.
Expression of Interest Requirements
The Expression of Interest is required for the catalytic funding application. It specifies the sections to be completed, the key information to include under each section, and strict word limits that applicants are required to respect.
Deadline to submit: December 1, 2025.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to unnutrition@fao.org if you have any questions regarding the EOI.
Selection Criteria, and Review Process
Expression of interests for catalytic funding will be evaluated against a set of key criteria to ensure they are strategic, feasible, and have the potential for lasting impact.
Reviewers will assess each expression of interest against the following criteria:
- Strategic Intent and Alignment: Does the EOI clearly articulate why catalytic funding is needed and how it aligns with national priorities and UN system coherence?
- Focus Areas and Added Value: Are the proposed focus areas relevant and likely to strengthen multi-agency collaboration? Does the EOI explain how the approach adds value beyond routine coordination?
- Multi-Agency Commitment: Is their endorsement from at least two UN agencies and the Resident Coordinator Office?
- Endorsement from the government: Does the project falls within the already agreed on agreement with the government, or will this need to be approved before project implementation
- Sustainability Orientation: Does the EOI indicate how initial efforts could lead to sustained coordination beyond the funding period?