Call for Proposals: Application Guidelines

Email: grants@kcdf.or.ke

Reference No.: KCDF/SStC-RT/RFP/AUG/2026

1. About KCDF

Since its establishment in 1997, Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) has built a solid basis for community-driven development approaches and is unique in Kenya as a pioneer of public foundations. KCDF works through strategic and carefully selected partnerships in Kenya, both at the national and community level. It strongly believes in the ability of communities to identify and prioritise their needs and, with a little external support, pursue their own solutions to these needs.

With a focus on marginalised communities in Kenya as the primary target group, KCDF’s work is premised on the principle that systemic and enduring change is possible when communities can initiate and drive their development agenda, work with governments and other stakeholders to access basic rights and services, as well as harness and grow their resources.

Under the Sowing the Seeds of Change programme, KCDF is responsible for the implementation of the Roots Track in Kenya, working with youth-led organisations and young environmental champions to advance community-led biodiversity Protection.

 

2. About the Programme – Sowing the Seeds of Change: Youth-led biodiversity protection.

Kenya faces mounting environmental pressures: land degradation across its territory, intensifying droughts and floods, declining forest cover, and biodiversity loss from habitat fragmentation and land conversion. While government policies exist, implementation gaps in funding, enforcement, and community engagement persist. Youth-led conservation efforts are emerging as a powerful response but need stronger institutional support to scale.

This project, implemented by the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), supports young environmental champions aged 17–29 in higher learning institutions and community groups to lead biodiversity conservation. Through an open call, competitive selection, capacity-strengthening training, and matched funding for grassroots fundraising, youth gain resources, skills, and a stronger voice in conservation policy building on the legacy of initiatives like the Wangari Maathai.

3. Who Is Eligible?

Only youth-led organisations and young environmental champions based in Kenya are eligible to apply, with priority given to higher learning institutions and community-based groups. An applicant is considered youth-led where the organisation’s leadership (board, management committee, or steering committee) is composed of at least 70% individuals aged 29 years and below.

In addition, applicants should be working on, or be committed to working on:

  • Biodiversity protection and conservation;
  • Sustainable natural resource management; and/or
  • Community-based environmental action.

In addition to the above, successful applicants should:

  1. Be legally and locally registered with relevant authorities (or, in the case of informal community/student groups, be affiliated with a recognised institution or community structure) and demonstrate good governance and accountable leadership.
  2. Demonstrate a good understanding of the local environmental context and need.
  3. Demonstrate that the proposed idea is in line with government policy on environment and natural resource management.
  4. Show that local people/communities have been consulted and will be involved in the work.
  5. Have a balanced approach, addressing both immediate environmental needs and the community’s longer-term rights to a healthy environment.
  6. Demonstrate they are not working in isolation but are collaborating with existing youth networks, environmental clubs, community structures, or relevant government departments.
  7. Help build local people’s and organisations’ skills, confidence, and capacity in fundraising, advocacy, and conservation.
  8. Offer useful lessons for future interventions and show how the applicant will gather information and learn from it.

4. What Is the Background of This Grant/Fund?

This is a competitive grant scheme, under the Roots Track of the Sowing the Seeds of Change programme, for youth-led organisations and young environmental champions to implement community-led environmental conservation interventions. Local partners propose their projects and are supported to mobilise part of their contribution towards the total project budget from within Kenya, alongside receiving structured capacity strengthening from KCDF.

This is a new call for proposals. All applicants who have previously and unsuccessfully applied for similar grants at KCDF may resubmit a previous application or submit a new one. See the eligibility criteria above for further guidance.

5. Rationale for the Fund

The Roots Track aims to unlock the potential of young people, represented by youth-led organisations, higher learning institutions, and community-based groups, to drive community-led environmental conservation through local philanthropy, mobilising support, and advocacy.

Thematic Focus

Proposed projects should focus on addressing community environmental needs and should be realistic in their ability to mobilise local support/funding towards the required match contribution, i.e., from community members, local businesses, professionals, and corporate sector players.

KCDF is therefore open to receiving applications that address Biodiversity Conservation, which supports youth-led action to protect ecosystems and manage natural resources sustainably. The application should demonstrate:

  1. Some of the Local Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation initiatives that will be taken to mobilise more diverse local resources in kind and cash for environmental conservation.

  2. Some of the Advocacy issues and Policy Engagement initiatives which will strengthen participation in environmental governance and policy dialogue.

 

6. Capacity Strengthening – CtGA Green

Beyond the matching grant, all onboarded participants will receive structured capacity strengthening through the Change the Game Academy (CtGA) program, comprising:

  • Training in local fundraising and resource mobilisation;
  • Training in mobilising support and advocacy;
  • Coaching and mentorship to support project design, implementation, and campaign development; and

7. Other Key Conditions (Cash vs In-Kind Contribution)

Successful applicants to this grant will be required to contribute 50% of the total project cost. This contribution can be made as (i) a cash contribution, or (ii) a combination of cash and in-kind contribution, as follows:

  1. Cash Contribution: Some partners can propose to raise all the 50% share as cash. the Minimum threshold for cash contribution is 25% of the project budget
  2. InKind Contribution: where partners choose to also raise in-kind contribution, the maximum threshold for in kind contribution is 25% of the project budget

Note: when it is a combination of Cash and In-kind Contribution: The in-kind portion should be less than or equal to the cash portion and must be quantified in monetary terms (e.g., volunteer labour, materials, or venue contributions valued in KES).

  • Only funds raised in-country (within Kenya) from local sources, individual givers, businesses, or corporates, will be matched. After contracting, but before disbursement, KCDF will require a post-fundraising brief outlining how funds were raised.
  1. Organisations can only apply to work in one County. All 47 Counties are eligible geographical zones for implementation.

KCDF SHALL NOT award grants to support the following, or components of the following:

  • Political processes;
  • Individuals (outside the young environmental champions track described in Section 3);
  • Participation in international conferences;
  • Running costs, i.e., a project that seeks to pay staff salaries as its sole purpose. Running costs should form part of administrative costs, not the sole purpose of the project.

8. Grant Size and Duration

Project Duration: this project consists of training, coaching and grants. Projects must be completed by February 2028 and implementation will begin after training to be done between October 2026 and March 2027.

Total Grant Size: KCDF will contribute up to KES 183,000 per successful applicant(With possibility of increasing based on funding availability), awarded on a 50:50 grant-matching model. Applicants are therefore expected to mobilise a matching contribution of KES 183,000, bringing the total project budget to KES 366,000.

NB:Applicants who are in a position to raise more resources (More than Kes 183,000) for the project are encouraged to apply so long as there is a clear demonstration of milestones assigned to the different contributions.

9. How to Apply?

Kindly click the link below to apply for this call:

Application form: https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/7Jw0fIOR

Once the form is fully filled and attachments uploaded, applicants will find the submit button at the end of the form. The grant application forms, workplan, and project budget are to be filled out and submitted to KCDF through the Kobo Collect online platform.

This application guideline has been developed to assist applicants in filling out the application form and should be read and understood before completing the application form or template.

The following steps are guides for submitting your application:

  1. Access and complete the relevant grant application form and budget template using the link provided above. Applications can be submitted in English/Swahili. If unable to submit using the link, reach out to KCDF through grants@kcdf.or.ke cc info@kcdf.or.ke or call 0722 168 480 to discuss possible options
  2. A complete application submitted through the link will include the following Documents:
    1. Proposal
    2. Budget
    3. Copy of registration certificate (or letter of affiliation for informal community/student groups)
    4. A copy of the organisational constitution or Articles of Association where applicable
    5. A list of ordinary/committee/board members, and the most recent financial report for organisations with budgets above KES 8 Million (must be from a certified auditor if applying organisation is an NGO, CBO, FBO, Trust, Company Limited by Guarantee, or foundation).

10. How Are Applications/Proposals Selected?

In addition to the earlier indicated principles, submitted applications will be assessed on:

  1. Relevance of the action: How relevant is the proposed project to biodiversity conservation needs of the target community.
  2. Youth leadership: Demonstrated leadership and active decision-making role of young people (29 years and below) within the applying organisation.
  3. Financial and operational capacity: The applying entity must demonstrate ability to implement the project and raise its own matching contribution.
  4. Co-funding/leverage on local resources: Applicants must demonstrate a plan to mobilise their required matching contribution.
  5. Sustainability: The environmental impact of the project should be able to continue beyond the funding period.
  6. Results and measurability: All projects must have well-defined, tangible, and quantifiable biodiversity protection and conservation targets.
  7. Partnerships: The potential to build alliances with youth networks, environmental clubs, local authorities, and other stakeholders.
  8. Promotion of gender equity: inclusion and active participation of young women and men.
  9. Positive environmental impact: The proposed project should demonstrably contribute to biodiversity protection and conservation.
  10. Timely submission: All applications must be received within the stated deadline for consideration.

11. Timeline for Applications

Applicants are requested to keep these dates in mind:

  • Call for Applications Release Date: 17th August 2026
  • Deadline for Submission of Proposals: 15th September 2026
  • Screening: 16th – 25th September 2026
  • Peer Review & Pre-GAP: 28th September – 20th October 2026
  • POCA Process: 21st October – 10th November 2026
  • Notification of Awards: 20th November 2026
  • CtGA Leaders Meeting: 1st – 2nd December 2026

All applicants that are shortlisted will undergo an assessment visit. These initial visits are part of the assessment, proposal evaluation, and final approval process, and do not in any way amount to or confirm approval. KCDF reserves the right to ask for additional information at any stage of the selection process. KCDF does not require applicants to pay any application fees/monies.

12. Additional Information

If in need of more information, applicants are advised to send their inquiries via email to grants@kcdf.or.ke with a copy to info@kcdf.or.ke, indicating Ref No. KCDF/SStC-RT/RFP/AUG/2026 on the subject line. Feedback and any other communication regarding the outcome will be shared through either of the two email addresses above.

NB:

  • Only applications sent by the 15th of September 2026.
  • Any form of canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.