British Council Launches New Climate Action Grants for the UK Alumni

• British Council launched new Climate Action Grants for the UK alumni

• Alumni UK Climate Action Grants support innovative ideas to create a sustainable impact in communities

• Alumni UK Climate Action Grants facilitate just transition to more sustainable economic practices

Muhammad Arif, Editor, Voice Of Water

Islamabad: British Council launched new Climate Action Grants for the UK alumni who are passionate about tackling climate change. If you have an innovative idea to create a sustainable impact in your community, then bring your climate solutions to life with the British Council’s new Climate Action Grants.

• What are the Alumni UK Climate Action Grants?

The Alumni UK Climate Action Grants provide financial support to UK Alumni worldwide who are running successful climate projects, inluding water sustainabaility,  and looking to test new ideas, innovate, or scale their impact.

• The grants will support:

Impact. Grants will go to projects that are already demonstrating impact on climate related issues,like water crisis, and the potential to grow that impact.

Innovation. The grant should bring something new to your project. It should enable you to implement or test new approaches, for example, to scale up your impact, bring a digital dimension, engage new stakeholders, etc.

Action on key themes. The projects should respond to one of the following themes:

Just Transition: Enabling communities, particularly marginalised communities, to have a voice and play an effective role in the just transition to more sustainable economic practices.

Skills for the Green Economy: Supporting skills, knowledge and capacity, particularly amongst economically marginalised or excluded groups, that strengthen employability within the low-carbon economy.

Community cohesion and cross-community climate action, including multi-stakeholder approaches, dialogue and collaboration.

Addressing gender and other equality related barriers, increasing access to and meaningful participation in quality climate change education and opportunities for individuals and groups, including in relation to decision making roles.

Projects that demonstrate the principles of being Climate and Gender sensitive, Inclusive and Diverse.

Why Apply?

• Receive funding of up to £5,000 to implement your climate action project
• Leverage your skills, networks, and expertise to create innovative solutions addressing climate change
• Join a global climate action network of change-makers
• Gain recognition for your work on the Alumni UK global platform

Who can apply?

• Each project must be led by an international graduate of a UK university (either in person as an international student, or in their home country remotely)
• The lead applicant must be a member of Alumni UK. Alumni UK is the global network for international graduates of UK universities. You can register for free here: https://alumniuk.britishcouncil.org/register
• Applicants must reside in an Alumni UK priority country: China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam and UAE.
• Where possible, team members will also be UK Alumni, although this is not mandatory.

• 

More information about eligibility criteria is available in the call guidance downloadable file that you can find below.

How to apply?

Either go to Start Your Application button at the top of the page or click here to complete the Grant Application Form online and submit along with:

1. A completed budget spreadsheet
2. CVs of the Lead Applicant and nominated team members
3. Proof of UK study (certificate or transcript)
4. A copy of the Lead Applicant’s passport or national ID
5. Notice for applicants from China and Germany only

If you are resident in China and Germany and unable to submit scanned copy of your passport or ID due to GDPR national regulations, please upload a word document instead with the following statement: “I confirm that I am resident in (add country – China or Germany) and due to local GDPR regulations am not required to upload a copy of my ID. I understand that if I am selected for a grant,  my ID check will be carried out by video.”

Key Dates

Applications must be submitted by 23:00pm GMT, 14 March 2025.

A Briefing session will be held from 09.00-10.00am GMT, 26 February 2025. This is an opportunity to ask questions related to the Grant. Please register your place in advance here: Climate Action Grant Briefing.

Successful projects are expected to run from May to December 2025.

British Council is a global network for people from around the world who have studied in or with the UK as an overseas student.