Luena Scholars Education Grant 2026

About the opportunity

The Luena Scholars Education Grant funds modest, community-designed education actions that remove concrete barriers to learning for children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The call is intended for small locally led organizations, not large education programmes, research, policy work, or institutional initiatives.

Luena Foundation lists this opportunity for Small community-based organizations, Education & Social Sciences, Africa.

This listing is written for researchers, students, universities, NGOs, research teams, policy professionals and academic institutions searching for Education & Social Sciences grants, fellowships, scholarships, conferences, workshops and funding opportunities in Africa contexts.

Eligibility

Applicants must be registered nonprofit, community-based, grassroots, or formally recognized community organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Organizations must be locally led, independent, directly responsible for project design and implementation, and have annual revenue of USD 50,000 or less.

Applicants must contribute at least 25% of total project costs through cash, materials, labour, or other in-kind support.

Funding and benefits

Microgrants are USD 1,000 to USD 1,500 for projects lasting up to 12 months. Final funding decisions are expected in October 2026, with project starts from November 2026.

Themes and supported activities

Projects may improve access to early childhood, primary, or secondary education for children in low-income or rural communities.

Examples include learning materials, uniforms, desks, textbook support, safe transport, reading clubs, community learning spaces, classroom repairs, and practical parent or caregiver involvement.

Projects should be modest, specific, realistic within a short timeframe, and able to create tangible improvements in school attendance, learning safety, or access to educational resources.

Deadline and timeline

Application deadline: Application deadline: May 31, 2026.

Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.

How to apply

Review the full Luena Foundation call page and submit through the official application form by 31 May 2026.

Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.