Welcome to the Global Solidarity Fund
This online application portal is for the Global Solidarity Fund (GSF), a new Scottish Government fund supporting small organisations, community groups, and grassroots initiatives to take part in international development and global citizenship work.
From this page, you can access your account to begin an application or continue working on an existing application – see the panels at the bottom of this page. Please note you can only work on an application when the fund is open.
Key dates:
- Applications open: 1 June 2026. Currently OPEN.
- Application deadline: 23:59 (UK time / GMT+1), Monday 10 August 2026
- Expected decisions: from mid‑September 2026
- Expected grant start date: from 1 October 2026
The fund is expected to run for three annual funding rounds, launching in the first week of June each year.
What is the Global Solidarity Fund?
The Scottish Government’s Global Solidarity Fund aims to strengthen an informed, engaged and active global citizenship community in Scotland. It supports organisations and communities to work in partnership with counterparts in the Global South to address shared global challenges and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Global Solidarity Fund has a particular focus on strengthening the capacity and impact of smaller organisations and community groups. It is designed to support capacity development by empowering small Scottish‑based civil society organisations (CSOs), social enterprises and local groups that operate on a not‑for‑profit basis. By providing targeted, accessible funding, GSF enables these organisations to develop, build meaningful international partnerships, and engage people across Scotland in global issues.
The fund aims to achieve this through three grant types, as outlined below:
- Scottish Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Strengthening Grant
- Global Citizenship Engagement Grant
- Shifting the Power Grant
Who can apply?
To be eligible for the Global Solidarity Fund, applicants must:
- Scottish Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Strengthening Grant:
- Legally constituted SCIO or Scottish based company with charitable status with an annual income of less than £200k. Applicants must be working in a country with med/low development status (UN Human Development Index)
- Global Citizenship Engagement Grant:
- Legally constituted SCIO or Scottish based company with charitable status, social enterprise or unincorporated associations who operate on a not-for-profit basis, with an annual income of less than £200k.
- Shifting the Power Grant:
- Legally constituted SCIO or Scottish based company with charitable status with an annual income of less than £200k. Application must be submitted with partners in Malawi, Zambia or Rwanda.
Organisations do not need previous experience of Scottish Government funding to apply, and first‑time applicants are welcome.
Information Webinar
This webinar as an online information session for organisations interested in applying to the Global Solidarity Fund (GSF). It will provide an overview of the fund, explain who can apply, the key requirements and how to complete an application using the Flexi Grant website. There will also be the opportunity for participants to ask questions.
The session is aimed at small organisations, community groups, and diaspora led organisations, including those new to Scottish Government funding, and will be delivered in English. While live translations will not be available, a recording of the webinar will be shared here after the event, via YouTube. The recording will include automatic subtitles, which can be auto‑translated into the languages available on the platform.
Webinar registration details: