Gulf Strategy Fund, UAE: call for bids 2025 to 2026
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-24)

The British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates is pleased to announce a call for bids for the Gulf Strategy Fund in the UAE for financial year 2025 to 2026.

The British Embassy in the UAE invites applications for projects to support UK leadership and/or strengthen UK-UAE links in the following areas:
- nature and biodiversity
- clean water and sanitation
- clean hydrogen
- carbon capture, utilisation or storage
- artificial intelligence - with clean energy, climate or nature applications
Projects may be in the range of £80,000 to £150,000, should last for three to nine months and must be completed by March 2026. Applications for smaller projects will also be considered.

Eligible organisations should:
- be structured as not for profit organisations
- have strong existing links to the UAE, and ideally a physical footprint in the UAE
- be able to demonstrate how the proposed project will benefit the UK, and/or strengthen links between the UK and the UAE
Please familiarise yourself with the FCDO’s Standard Grant Agreement Templates which are available for download below.

Contact the Programme Manager at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) if you have any questions.

How to apply

We encourage interested organisations to submit an initial concept note, in the format of your choice, to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) by 8 May 2025.

We will aim to provide feedback within five working days of concept note submission. You will then need to complete the full project proposal form (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6810adf766f9750e984d6238/Project_Proposal_Form_-_GSF_UAE.odt) (ODT, 60.1 KB) and Activity Based Budget template (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6810af33bb145081834d623d/PrOF_Template_Activity_Based_Budget_Template.ods) (ODS, 9.75 KB) and submit to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) by 22 May.

We strongly encourage submitting bids as soon as possible to allow time for feedback and guidance.

The Activity Based Budget must clearly indicate the planned expenditure, including itemised delivery, administrative and staffing costs.

See also:
- accountable grant arrangement (bids over £100k) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6810b12cfd5a4ef590e041e6/Accountable_Grant_Arrangement__bids_over__100k_.odt) (ODT, 293 KB)
- accountable grant arrangement (bids under £100k) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6810b101d521737e2f0f4a5a/Accountable_Grant_Arrangement__Bids_under__100k_.odt) (ODT, 240 KB)
Timeline

25 April: call for bids opens

7 May (4:30pm UAE, 1:30pm UK): Information webinar (follow link to register (https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1f15ab08-c73a-4483-9db2-2cbbe74b0851@d3a2d0d3-7cc8-4f52-bbf9-85bd43d94279))

8 May: (Optional) Concept note submission deadline

22 May: Full proposal submission deadline

w/c 2 June: Communication of funding decisions

How proposals will be assessed

Bids will be assessed and evaluated against the following criteria:
- value for money
- strategic fit
- evidence of local demand or need
- evidence of strong existing links to the UAE
- project viability, including capacity of implementing organisation(s) and feasibility to deliver the proposed outcomes within the project time period
- project design, including clear achievable impact
- risk and stakeholder management
Contact

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)