Celebrating Our 7th Anniversary with Strategic Community Investment
Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda is pleased to announce the launch of our Small Grants Program 2025, a significant milestone as we celebrate seven years of dedicated advocacy and service to transgender and gender diverse communities across Uganda. This comprehensive funding initiative represents our continued commitment to building sustainable, community-led solutions that address the most pressing health and rights challenges facing our constituencies.
Program Overview
The Small Grants Program 2025 operates as an integral component of our three-year Capacity Improvement and Advocacy Strengthening (CIASP) Project, spanning 2024-2026. This strategic initiative receives generous funding from the Gender Equality Fund (GEF), an initiative of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, implemented in partnership with GSK and ViiV Healthcare. Through this collaboration, we are positioned to make meaningful investments in organizations that serve as the backbone of transgender and gender diverse advocacy and service delivery throughout Uganda.
Our program will award between seven and ten grants, each ranging from UGX 10,000,000 to UGX 15,000,000, supporting project implementation periods of six to eight months. These investments are designed to strengthen organizational capacity, expand service delivery, enhance advocacy effectiveness, and build sustainable systems that will continue serving communities long after individual project completion.
Strategic Focus Areas
Access to Quality Healthcare Services
We prioritize proposals that increase access to stigma-free, non-discriminatory, and quality health care services for transgender and gender diverse individuals. This includes initiatives that ensure healthcare providers are trained in culturally competent care, facilities implement inclusive policies, and service delivery models respect the dignity and specific needs of our communities. Organizations may focus on direct service facilitation, provider training, policy advocacy, or system-level interventions that remove barriers to healthcare access.
Health Justice and Accountability
Building robust advocacy capacity represents a cornerstone of sustainable change. We seek projects that empower transgender and gender diverse individuals and organizations to advocate for gender-transformative approaches to health policy and practice. This encompasses initiatives that strengthen advocacy voices, develop policy expertise, build coalitions for systemic change, and ensure accountability mechanisms that protect community interests and promote equitable health outcomes.
Grassroots Health System Strengthening
Recognizing that effective healthcare delivery requires robust infrastructure, we support initiatives that strengthen grassroots healthcare systems serving transgender and gender diverse communities. This includes projects that enhance coordination between healthcare providers, improve referral networks, develop community health worker programs, and create innovative service delivery models that reach underserved populations effectively.
Organizational Capacity Development
The sustainability of our movement depends on strong, well-resourced organizations capable of achieving their missions effectively. We invest in projects that address internal capacity gaps, strengthen governance structures, enhance financial management systems, develop technical expertise, and build organizational resilience. This includes support for strategic planning, resource development, staff development, technology adoption, and partnership building.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
Organizational Requirements
This funding opportunity is open to all transgender and gender diverse-led civil society organizations operating throughout Uganda. While we welcome applications from organizations across the country, priority consideration will be given to the twenty CIASP-eligible project partners who have been actively engaged in our broader capacity strengthening initiative.
Eligible organizations must demonstrate a clear focus on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and reproductive health services within their programming. Applicants should show evidence of commitment to serving transgender and gender diverse communities through their mission statements, programming history, and organizational structure. Organizations must possess the administrative capacity to receive wire transfers and manage grant funds according to professional standards.
Project Specifications
Proposed projects must align with our strategic focus areas and demonstrate clear potential for meaningful impact within transgender and gender diverse communities. Projects should be designed for implementation between November 2025 and July 30, 2026, with all activities completed by the specified deadline. Budget requests should not exceed UGX 15,000,000 and must be submitted in Ugandan shillings with detailed justification for all proposed expenditures.
Application Process and Requirements
Documentation Requirements
Successful applications require comprehensive documentation demonstrating organizational capacity, project viability, and alignment with program objectives. Required submissions include a completed Small Grants Application Form, a detailed Project Risk and Mitigation Plan, a comprehensive Budget Summary, a Project Framework and Implementation Plan, a complete Implementation Work-plan, a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, two professional references, and a current registration certificate.
All application materials must be submitted in English and reflect the organization’s authentic work, knowledge, and contextual understanding. Applications that rely heavily on artificial intelligence-generated content without meaningful human input or contextual adaptation will not be considered for funding.
Timeline and Deadlines
The application period opens on October 15, 2025, when all required forms and guidance materials become available for download through our website. Organizations have until November 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM East Africa Time to submit complete applications to [email protected]. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Results will be communicated to all applicants by November 15, 2025, and successful organizations will begin the grant contracting process on November 20, 2025. Project implementation officially commences on December 1, 2025, allowing organizations adequate time for final preparations and planning.
Evaluation and Selection Process
Comprehensive Review Framework
Our evaluation process employs a rigorous three-tier review system designed to ensure fairness, transparency, and alignment with program objectives. This systematic approach guarantees that funded projects meet high standards of professional excellence while addressing genuine community needs and organizational capacity requirements.
Administrative Review
All submitted applications undergo initial administrative screening for compliance with submission requirements, completeness of documentation, feasibility of proposed timelines, and alignment with basic eligibility criteria. Applications that do not meet these fundamental requirements will not advance to technical review, ensuring efficient use of reviewer time and resources.
Technical Evaluation
Applications passing administrative review proceed to evaluation by a panel of external experts selected for their experience in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programming, as well as their demonstrated commitment to transgender and gender diverse advocacy and service delivery. Technical reviewers assess proposals against eight predetermined criteria: project significance to transgender and gender diverse movements, feasibility within national and local contexts, methodology appropriateness, potential impact on Uganda’s health sector development, alignment with TYI-Uganda’s project objectives, relevance to current community health needs, innovation and conceptual strength, and economic viability of proposed budgets.
Final Board Approval
The TYI-Uganda Board of Directors conducts final review and approval of technically recommended proposals, considering strategic alignment, funding priorities, geographic distribution, and overall program coherence. Board decisions are final and may include full funding, partial funding with modified terms, or project rejection with detailed feedback.
Support and Capacity Building
Implementation Support
Selected organizations receive comprehensive support throughout project implementation, including regular technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation guidance, capacity building opportunities, and mentorship from experienced practitioners. Our support framework is designed to enhance project effectiveness while building long-term organizational capacity for sustained impact.
Professional Development
Beyond individual project support, grantees participate in collective learning opportunities, peer networking events, and professional development workshops that strengthen the broader transgender and gender diverse organizational ecosystem. These activities foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and movement building that extends far beyond individual project outcomes.
Financial Management and Reporting
All grantees receive detailed guidance on financial management requirements, reporting protocols, and compliance expectations. We provide templates, training, and ongoing support to ensure organizations can meet their fiduciary responsibilities while focusing on program implementation and community service.
Information Session and Support
We will conduct a mandatory information session on October 21, 2025, providing comprehensive guidance on application requirements, evaluation criteria, and program expectations. Organizations planning to attend should confirm their participation by emailing [email protected]. This session represents an invaluable opportunity to receive clarification on program details and connect with our grants management team.
Contact Information and Resources
For inquiries regarding application requirements, program details, or technical assistance, please get in touch with our Grants Management Team at [email protected] Comprehensive program documentation, including detailed application guidelines and required forms, is available for download here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I2No_miXpwkYGYmWYt4WmsjUnG9kjHIZ/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=105800819133031570774&rtpof=true&sd=true
Additional program information and frequently asked questions can be accessed at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zaUGaxKGV0lQh1cVJEMNWJI_wZThNM96/view?usp=share_link
This Small Grants Program embodies our commitment to building sustainable infrastructure for transgender and gender diverse health equity across Uganda. Through strategic investments in community-led organizations, we are working toward a future where every transgender and gender diverse individual can access quality, affirming healthcare and participate fully in society.
We look forward to partnering with organizations that share our vision of health equity, human dignity, and social justice. Together, we will continue building the movement for transgender and gender diverse rights and health equity that our communities deserve.
Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda has been serving transgender and gender diverse communities across Uganda since 2018, focusing on health equity, advocacy, and organizational capacity building. Our work addresses the urgent need for culturally competent healthcare, policy reform, and community empowerment within marginalized populations.
