Global Solidarity Fund — Shifting the Power Grant, Round 1 2026-

The Scottish Government's international development fund includes one stream — Shifting the Power — that explicitly requires partnership with organisations in Malawi, Zambia or Rwanda. Scotland has run a dedicated Malawi development programme for years, and this fund is one of its instruments. The lead applicant must be a Scottish-based organisation.

The named applicant for every stream must be a Scottish-based organisation — a legally constituted SCIO or Scottish company with charitable status, with annual income under £200,000. UNIMA cannot be the lead or sole applicant under any circumstances. The Shifting the Power stream requires the application to be submitted jointly with partners in Malawi, Zambia or Rwanda, so a UNIMA research centre can be the named Malawian partner, but only beneath a Scottish lead. The fund is designed for civil society rather than universities, though a university-hosted community partnership could plausibly serve as the Malawi-side partner.

International development and global citizenship partnership work, capacity-building, and engagement activities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Register and apply through Flexi-Grant . A separate application form applies to each grant type, and Section A of the form is an eligibility self-check. Guidance for Applicants, Guidance for Grantees, terms and conditions and an FAQ are all published on the portal. No referees and no embassy step — the Scottish lead organisation is the accountable body.

Timeline: Fund opened 1 June 2026 | Round 1 closes 10 August 2026, 23:59 BST