After a strategic lift Global Focus´ former Fund for Capacity Development is now re-opened for applications. With a slight change of name: ´The Fund for Joint Capacity Development´, the fund is now tied closer to Global Focus’ work with challenging and shifting power (im)balances. Danish civil society organisations and their partner(s) in the global majority can now apply for projects between 50.000-400.000 DKK aimed at strengthening equitable partnerships through joint learning and capacity development.

Civil society organisations in Denmark and internationally are increasingly faced with a number of challenges, changes and opportunities that relate to power (im)balances, as the conversation around power has rapidly reemerged in recent years at the very core of the geopolitical arena. Discussions and demands for Shifting the Power, localisation, local leadership and decolonisation have rightly echoed across civil society, but quick-fix and one-size-fits-all solutions are hard to come by amid increased political hostility, funding cuts, and shrinking civic space. On the other hand, we cannot allow the current political climate to become an excuse to continue with the status quo.

A collaborative space for exploring, testing, and addressing power imbalances 

Funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by Global Focus, the Fund for Joint Capacity Development offers an opportunity for Danish organisations and their global majority partners to create a collaborative space to jointly explore, test and address power imbalances and shape new common understandings and frameworks for their collaboration.

Global Focus´ Fund for Joint Capacity Development builds on years of dialogue, learning, and knowledge exchange within the civil society sector. The new strategic lift of the fund means that the fund now will reflect the growing recognition that meaningful change requires more than technical capacity — it demands a shift in mindset, in structures, and in the way we understand and talk about power. It requires listening more deeply, acting collaboratively, creating space for leadership from the global majority, and thinking outside the box for solutions and ways forward that might serve as inspiration for international development and humanitarian engagement overall. 

This approach is already bearing fruit. Previous recipients of the fund have used it to co-create feminist learning spaces, develop joint monitoring frameworks, and explore new models of governance that center local voices. These projects demonstrate that when power is shared, innovation flourishes — and so does impact. 

”The fund is not (just) about traditional capacity development. It’s about creating a space for innovation, for trying out new things, for having difficult conversations, and for exchanging experiences and ideas and finding ways forward between partners. For creating solidarity and shared ambition about the Shifting the Power agenda and for enabling equitable processes to discuss it”, says Nina Falkesgaard Sørensen, the Fund Manager at Global Focus.  

Ready to apply?  

The Fund is open for applications until Monday, November 3rd, at 12 pm CET.  

You can apply for two different types of grants:  

1. Large grants between DKK 100,000 and 400,000, requiring a joint application from a Danish civil society organisation and an existing partner in the global majority.
2. Small grants up to DKK 50,000, available to Danish organisations with activities in or with partners from the global majority. 

Everything you need to know before applying, including guidelines and application formats, can be found on this dedicated page for the Fund.  An online information session about the Fund will be held on 8 October from 11:00–12:30 CEST. You can sign up and write any questions you might have to Nina Falkesgaard Sørensen at Denne e-mail adresse bliver beskyttet mod spambots. Du skal have JavaScript aktiveret for at vise den.. Individual meetings are also offered upon request to provide guidance on your application.

APPLY THE FUND FOR JOINT CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT NOW