UNESCO Participation Programme 2026-2027

Eligible applicants are UNESCO Member States submitting requests through their National Commission for UNESCO, or through a designated government channel where no National Commission exists. Each Member State can submit up to seven requests for the 2026 to 2027 biennium, ranked from 1 to 7, and changes to ranking require an official letter before evaluation starts. At least one project among the top three priorities should contribute to gender equality. NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO may submit up to two requests for subregional, regional or interregional projects, and each NGO request must be supported by at least the Member State where the project will be implemented and another Member State concerned by the request. Note that many National Commissions set earlier internal deadlines than UNESCO’s global deadline.

Maximum assistance per request is not in excess of US$26,000 for a national project, US$28,000 for a subregional or interregional project, and US$38,000 for a regional project. Emergency assistance under the Participation Programme is separate and can be provided in exceptional circumstances and cannot exceed US$50,000.

The UNESCO Participation Programme complements UNESCO’s regular programme by supporting the implementation of projects and action plans submitted by Member States, and by NGOs that are in official partnership with UNESCO. For the 2026 to 2027 biennium, Member States are invited via a Circular Letter to submit their requests online through the Participation Programme process. Requests must relate directly to UNESCO’s fields of competence and priorities, including work supporting Africa, least developed countries, developing countries, small island developing states, youth and women, and the activities of National Commissions for UNESCO. Member States may submit up to seven requests, ranked in priority order, and at least one of the top three priorities should contribute to gender equality. The programme supports several forms of assistance such as consultants, study grants and fellowships, publications and translation, supplies and equipment excluding vehicles, conferences and meetings costs excluding UNESCO staff travel, and seminars and training courses. Regional projects may be submitted as separate regional requests with support from at least three Member States in the same region.