Overview
UN-OHRLLS provides grant funding to entrepreneurs, civil society organisations, government institutions, and community groups operating in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Our grants address structural barriers to growth and help build the local capacity needed to achieve lasting results.
Funding ranges from $53,000 to $2,000,000 per grant, depending on the programme category and scope of work. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis with a streamlined review process designed to reduce delays.
Grant Categories
Our funding spans 12 thematic areas aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the programmes of action for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS. Select a category below to learn more about eligibility, priorities, and typical grant sizes.
Crisis Response
Rapid-disbursement grants for organisations responding to humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters, conflict displacement, and public health crises in vulnerable countries. This funding stream prioritises speed: applications for crisis response grants are reviewed within 10 working days.
Typical Grant Size
$53,000 – $500,000
Eligible Applicants
NGOs, community-based organisations, local government agencies, and UN-registered implementing partners operating in affected areas.
Priority Areas
- Emergency shelter, water, and sanitation
- Post-disaster livelihood restoration
- Health system surge capacity
- Displaced population support and protection
- Early warning systems and preparedness planning
Climate Action & Resilience
Funding for projects that reduce climate vulnerability and strengthen the adaptive capacity of communities, ecosystems, and local economies. SIDS and coastal LDCs face disproportionate climate risks; this category directs resources where exposure is highest and institutional buffers are thinnest.
Typical Grant Size
$100,000 – $1,500,000
Eligible Applicants
Government ministries, research institutions, environmental NGOs, private enterprises with a climate mandate, and regional intergovernmental bodies.
Priority Areas
- Climate adaptation infrastructure (sea walls, drought-resistant agriculture, flood management)
- National adaptation plan development and implementation
- Community-based resilience programmes
- Carbon reduction and clean energy transition
- Ecosystem restoration (mangroves, coral reefs, forests)
Energy & Renewable Solutions
Grants targeting the energy access gap in LDCs and remote communities within LLDCs and SIDS. Over 600 million people in these countries lack reliable electricity. This category funds both grid-scale and off-grid solutions that can demonstrate measurable improvements in energy access within the grant period.
Typical Grant Size
$150,000 – $2,000,000
Eligible Applicants
Energy companies and cooperatives, technology developers, government energy agencies, and development finance institutions.
Priority Areas
- Solar mini-grids and home systems for rural electrification
- Wind, geothermal, and small-scale hydropower
- Clean cooking solutions and biogas systems
- Grid modernisation and energy storage
- Institutional energy efficiency programmes
Women's Empowerment
Dedicated funding for initiatives that advance gender equality, expand economic opportunities for women and girls, and dismantle the structural barriers that limit female participation in education, enterprise, and public life across LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.
Typical Grant Size
$53,000 – $750,000
Eligible Applicants
Women-led organisations, gender-focused NGOs, cooperatives, microfinance institutions, and government gender units.
Priority Areas
- Women's entrepreneurship and business development
- Access to finance and savings groups
- Girls' education and STEM training
- Maternal health and reproductive rights
- Women's political participation and leadership
Sustainable Development
Cross-cutting grants for projects that advance multiple Sustainable Development Goals simultaneously. This category favours integrated approaches: proposals that combine environmental sustainability with social inclusion and economic viability, rather than addressing one dimension in isolation.
Typical Grant Size
$100,000 – $1,200,000
Eligible Applicants
Government agencies, UN country teams, academic institutions, civil society coalitions, and private-sector partners with a demonstrated development track record.
Priority Areas
- National SDG localisation and implementation support
- Integrated rural development (livelihoods, health, education)
- Sustainable urbanisation in LDC cities
- Circular economy initiatives
- South-South cooperation and knowledge exchange
Food Security & Agriculture
Grants for projects that strengthen food production systems, improve nutrition, and build the agricultural resilience of farming communities. Nearly half of all people facing acute food insecurity live in LDCs; this funding addresses both immediate food access and longer-term productivity gains.
Typical Grant Size
$75,000 – $1,000,000
Eligible Applicants
Farmer cooperatives, agricultural research centres, food-system NGOs, government ministries of agriculture, and agribusiness enterprises.
Priority Areas
- Climate-smart agriculture and drought-resistant crops
- Post-harvest storage and cold chain infrastructure
- Smallholder market access and value chain development
- Nutrition programmes for children and mothers
- Fisheries management and aquaculture in SIDS
Youth Innovation
Grants for young entrepreneurs and youth-led organisations developing locally relevant solutions to development challenges. In most LDCs and SIDS, people under 30 make up over 60% of the population, yet they face the highest unemployment rates and the fewest pathways to formal enterprise.
Typical Grant Size
$53,000 – $500,000
Eligible Applicants
Youth-led startups and social enterprises, innovation hubs, university incubators, youth cooperatives, and mentorship organisations.
Priority Areas
- Youth-led startups solving local problems
- Digital skills and coding academies
- Innovation hubs and co-working spaces
- Youth employment and apprenticeship schemes
- Civic engagement and youth policy advocacy
Technology & Innovation
Funding for projects that deploy technology to overcome the structural disadvantages of geography, remoteness, and thin institutional capacity. This category supports both the adoption of proven technologies and the development of new tools tailored to the operating conditions in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.
Typical Grant Size
$100,000 – $1,500,000
Eligible Applicants
Technology firms, research institutions, telecoms, e-government agencies, fintech companies, and digital-inclusion NGOs.
Priority Areas
- E-government and digital public services
- Mobile money and financial technology platforms
- Telemedicine and remote health diagnostics
- Precision agriculture and satellite monitoring
- Open data platforms for development planning
Capacity Building & Skills Development
Grants for institutions and organisations that build human capital through training, education reform, and institutional strengthening. Thin workforces and under-resourced public services remain a binding constraint in most LDCs; this funding addresses the gap at its root.
Typical Grant Size
$75,000 – $800,000
Eligible Applicants
Training institutes, universities, government capacity-building units, professional associations, and technical assistance providers.
Priority Areas
- Public administration and governance training
- Technical and vocational education (TVET)
- Statistical capacity and data systems
- Trade negotiation and WTO accession support
- Institutional reform and regulatory modernisation
Partnership Development
Funding to catalyse multi-stakeholder partnerships that bring together governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society around shared development objectives. This category recognises that the scale of challenges facing LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS exceeds what any single actor can address alone.
Typical Grant Size
$100,000 – $1,000,000
Eligible Applicants
Consortia of at least two partner types (government, private sector, NGO, or academic), regional economic communities, and South-South cooperation platforms.
Priority Areas
- Public-private partnerships for infrastructure and services
- South-South and triangular cooperation programmes
- Multi-country research and knowledge-sharing networks
- Diaspora engagement and remittance channel development
- Joint venture facilitation for LDC/LLDC enterprises
Infrastructure & Connectivity
Grants for projects that close the infrastructure gap holding back trade, mobility, and service delivery. Landlocked developing countries face transport costs two to three times higher than coastal peers; island states contend with vast ocean distances and ageing port facilities. This category funds both hard infrastructure and the regulatory frameworks that make it function.
Typical Grant Size
$200,000 – $2,000,000
Eligible Applicants
Government transport and public works agencies, port authorities, telecoms, engineering firms, and regional corridor authorities.
Priority Areas
- Cross-border road and rail corridor development
- Port modernisation and maritime connectivity
- Broadband and telecommunications expansion
- Trade facilitation and customs modernisation
- Airport and air-route development for remote SIDS
Economic Development & Poverty Reduction
Broad-spectrum grants for initiatives that directly reduce poverty, diversify national economies away from narrow commodity dependence, and create the conditions for sustained and inclusive growth. This is the largest and most flexible category, open to proposals that do not fit neatly into a single thematic stream.
Typical Grant Size
$100,000 – $2,000,000
Eligible Applicants
Government development agencies, chambers of commerce, microfinance institutions, export promotion bodies, industrial zones, and community development organisations.
Priority Areas
- Economic diversification and industrial policy support
- Micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) development
- Social protection systems and safety nets
- Trade capacity and market access for LDC exports
- Productive employment creation and labour market programmes
How to Apply
All grant applications are submitted by email. Prepare the documents listed below and send them to the relevant programme mailbox. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Review Eligibility
Confirm that your organisation operates in an eligible LDC, LLDC, or SIDS and that your project falls within one of the 12 grant categories above.
Prepare Your Application
Submit a project proposal (max 10 pages), a detailed budget, proof of legal registration, and at least two references from previous funders or partners.
Submit by Email
Send your complete application to grants@ohrlls.org with the grant category in the subject line. For general questions, contact info@ohrlls.org.
Review & Decision
Applications are assessed on a rolling basis. Standard review takes 4–6 weeks; crisis response applications are fast-tracked to 10 working days. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Need help? For application guidance, eligibility questions, or partnership enquiries, email info@ohrlls.org or visit our Contact page.