UK Aid Direct

Now closed, UK Aid Direct supported small and medium sized civil society organisations, based in the UK and overseas, to achieve sustained poverty reduction and the Global Goals.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 22 December 2015
• Last updated: 29 March 2023 — See all updates

• Funds: Closed
• Countries: Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, The, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
• Sector: Agriculture, Climate change, Disabilities, Education, Empowerment and accountability, Environment, Girls and women, Health, Humanitarian emergencies/disasters, Livelihoods, Peace and access to justice, Water and sanitation
• Eligible organisations: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), UK-based non-profit organisations, UK-based small and diaspora organisations, Humanitarian relief organisations
• Value of funding: £10,001 to £100,000, £100,001 to £500,000, £500,001 to £1,000,000, More than £1,000,000

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is considering its future approach to central funding for civil society (including funding for small and medium-sized CSOs working in partnership with local actors).

Ongoing engagement with our partners will be key to shaping this and will begin in due course. Further information on existing UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding opportunities

Overview

UK Aid Direct is the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s main centrally managed funding mechanism for small and medium sized civil society organisations, based in the UK and overseas, who are working to achieve the Global Goals.

Formerly known as the Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF), the fund was relaunched in 2014 as UK Aid Direct. Since 2010, the FCDO awarded 374 grants to 265 organisations delivering across 46 countries (this includes Small Charities Challenge Fund grants).

From September 2015 the Fund Manager for UK Aid Direct has been MannionDaniels, working in consortium with Oxford Policy Management (OPM), Education Development Trust, Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) and Royal Tropical Institute (KIT).

As a flexible fund, UK Aid Direct is adaptive and demand-led, responding to UK government priorities.

Published 22 December 2015
Last updated 29 March 2023 + show all updates

1. 28 March 2023

   Fund now closed

2. 18 January 2019

   Details in overview section amended.

3. 6 March 2018

   Jo Cox Memorial Grants launched

4. 4 November 2016

   The UK Aid Direct funding round has been launched and applications can be submitted online from 14 November 2016.

5. 22 December 2015

   Update to fund status.