Mongolia’s civic space remains comparatively open, but evidence indicates a narrowing environment, including increasing constraints on civil society actors. These challenges are more pronounced outside Ulaanbaatar, where civil society capacity and representation are more limited.
At the same time, recent electoral cycles have seen declining voter turnout, particularly among young and first-time voters. Strengthening rural civic engagement and improving access to non-partisan, reliable information are therefore important priorities ahead of upcoming elections.
Scope of the call
The embassy invites proposals under one or both of the following areas
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Expanding civic space and strengthening civic participation projects will empower rural and local civil society organisations (CSOs) beyond Ulaanbaatar with capacity, networks, and tools to monitor elections and follow up on promises. Total available budget for this component is up to £40,000, which may be allocated across one or more projects depending on the scale and quality of proposals received. Activities should aim to start by October 2026 and finish by the end of December 2027.
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Youth-centred voter education and debates projects will support youth-led and youth-focused organisations to design and deliver accessible voter education and public debate initiatives tailored to young and rural audiences. The total available budget for this component is up to £35,000, which may similarly be awarded to one or more projects. Activities should aim to start by October 2026 and finish by the end of December 2027.
Eligibility
This call is open to registered non-profit organisations and consortia led by not-for-profit entities. Applicants should demonstrate relevant experience and the capacity to deliver activities across Mongolia, including in rural areas.
How to apply
Applicants should submit a proposal in English, with completed attachments
Proposals must set out clear objectives, relevant activities, and a coherent delivery approach, supported by achievable and measurable outputs and outcomes. All costs may be presented in Mongolian Tugrik (MNT) but must also include the equivalent value in pounds sterling (GBP).
Proposals should be emailed to Enquiries.Mongolia@fcdo.gov.uk by 11.59pm Ulaanbaatar time on 29 July 2026, with the subject line ‘Call for Bids [Name of your organisation]’.
Bidding is competitive and only selected projects will receive funding. The embassy reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids without obligation to provide detailed feedback. Due to the expected volume of applications, feedback will not be provided to unsuccessful applicants.
Selection process and scoring criteria
Proposals will be assessed competitively against following criteria
- relevance the extent to which the proposal aligns with the objectives and priorities of the call. The proposal should clearly state how it is seeking to address the objectives and how it will measure whether the activity is contributing to the goal
- local knowledge and previous experience evidence of the project team’s understanding the context, socio-political challenges, previous experience of implementing similar activities/related fields with evidenced results, ability to manage and deliver a successful project. Evidence of how the project will learn from tested experiences, respond to opportunities and changing political circumstances
- innovation and impact the degree to which the proposed approach is innovative and likely to deliver sustainable and lasting impact
- ability for the project to engage and leverage relationships with all societal tracks (including but not limited to local authorities, civil society actors, academia, law enforcement agencies, the private sector and media)
- value for money the extent to which the proposed activities represent an efficient and cost-effective use of resources
- risk management identification of key risks, including maintaining non-partisanship, and the robustness of mitigation measures
Due diligence and grant arrangement
It is expected the successful applicant will sign the low value grant arrangement on completion of a due diligence assessment. Download .
