Open Call for proposals – Financial Support to Third Parties – Global Consortium for Death Penalty Abolition
FSTP

on 1 October 2026

In early 2024, 13 abolitionist organizations, including regional networks, grassroots organizations and international NGOs have come together to form the Global Consortium for Death Penalty Abolition. Co-funded by the European Union under a Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) and led by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, this civil society-led initiative aims to amplify the voice and influence of the abolitionist movement on a global scale.

As part of this second phase of the FFPA beginning in April 2026, the Consortium has committed to supporting civil society in target countries and providing financial support to third parties to move towards the universal abolition of the death penalty.

Scope

Between April 2026 and March 2028, financial support will be provided in 30 target countries across 4 regions, for activities to be implemented regionally and nationally. The countries and types of activities will be chosen strategically and be consistent with the strategic plans of the Consortium members and the intervention logic of the action. The strategic financial support will range from 200 € to 45,000€ and cover several thematic and geographical areas that can enhance and bring changes for abolition of the death penalty. This specific call range between 8,000 € to 15,000 €.

Priority countries for Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP):

Africa and South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region,

In addition, Financial Support is envisaged for regional activities, and for thematic activities with specific priorities.

(i) Objectives

Overall objective: To move towards the universal abolition of the death penalty.

Specific objectives:

1: In retentionist countries: contributing to reducing the use of capital punishment and encouraging more transparency regarding its application. This includes contributing to reducing the number of crimes punishable by death, abolition of the mandatory death penalty, banning death sentences and executions of juveniles, increasing respect of international human rights, achieving greater transparency, reducing cruel methods of executions, raising public awareness of the discriminatory nature of the death penalty, improving fair trial rights, and the independence of the judiciary, penal reform, increased use of pardons, clemency, and commutations of death sentences to reduce the number of people on death row and the number of people executed.

2: In abolitionist in practice countries, contributing to abolishing the death penalty in law while avoiding setbacks in countries which constitute levers for the international community to develop “new frontiers of abolition”. As specific objectives for these swing countries, it will also encourage positive votes for the UNGA moratorium resolution, legislative evolutions (drafting of abolitionist law proposals, reduction of the scope of application and/or reform of the penal code) and keeping a minimum of people on death row.

3: For abolitionist in law countries: contributing to ratifications of abolitionist treaties and preventing the reintroduction of the death penalty.

Outputs:

Increased influence of the abolitionist movement in relevant decision-making processes/decision-making spaces
Expanded and more diverse abolitionist ecosystem at global, regional and national level.

(ii) Activities

Different types of activities are eligible for financial support:

advocacy at the national level in favor of abolition including advocacy with abolitionist in practice countries and abolitionist in law countries to increase visibility of support for the anti-death penalty movement;
building the capacities and awareness of parliamentarians, government officials and capital-defense lawyers;
supporting civil society engagement with international human rights mechanisms;
improving the conditions of detention of people on death row;
supporting families of persons charged with capital offences and or of people on death row;
strengthening the capacities of judicial and administrative authorities;
research and data collection;
documentation and litigation support;
building the capacity of civil society, including governance practices and project management;
supporting exoneree-led activities and amplifying exoneree voices;
movement growth, innovation and coalition building;
supporting advocacy, monitoring and capacity building of target groups;
awareness, media and campaigns;
crisis response to quickly react to in-country developments and mobilise relevant actors;
mobilization of non-conventional stakeholders in the movement (eg. young people, private sector, cultural or sports sector) through actions including educational, technological, cultural activities;
advocacy to hold abolitionist countries to account for any adverse shifts in law, policy or practice. ;
activities aimed at making visible and combating the intersectional discrimination faced by women and/or LGBTQIA+ people in the judicial process leading to the death penalty.

(iii) Eligibility Criteria

One organization/entity may apply for several grants. To do so, please fill in several grant applications (one for each grant).

One organization/entity may be awarded several grants. The maximum amount of financial support that may be granted per organization or third party is EUR 60,000.

Types of entities/actors or categories of persons/entities/actors which may receive financial support:

civil society organizations (CSOs – for the purpose of this call for proposals, CSOs include all non-State, not-for-profit structures, non-partisan and non-violent, through which people organize to pursue shared objectives and ideals, whether political, cultural, social or economic); or
informal networks of people opposed to the death penalty

They should also:

be non-profit-making or social enterprises; and
have as part of their mandate the protection and promotion of human rights.

(iv) Evaluation Criteria

The applications will be reviewed by the Consortium Board, in consultation with the Independent Advisory Panel, according to the following criteria:

Activities are well explained and realistic
Activities are in line with the selected objective(s). The design of the proposal is coherent, the proposal indicates the expected results to be achieved and the rationale to achieve these results through the activities
Activities are relevant for the target audience and objectives, targets are clearly defined and strategically chosen. Their needs and constraints have been clearly defined and the proposal addresses them appropriately. Additional value for projects that target duty-bearers.
Planning is realistic
Budget is realistic
Budget is in line with the activitie(s)
Budget is cost efficient
Projects that are gender and intersectional sensitive and meaningfully include exonerees and youth voices and humanize people on death row will be valued
Projects that collaborate with new allies and/or create cross-generational, cross-regional, cross-industry alliances will be valued
Projects that are in synergy with other activities within the Consortium and beyond the Consortium will also be valued
Projects with an activity for World Day against the Death Penalty to reach out to new allies will be valued
Projects that are innovative will be valued
Projects that foster information exchange/debunk myths or misinformation/fill in information gaps will be valued
Projects that have potential for replication and sustainability will be valued

True to the spirit of the Consortium, the selection process will be collective and transparent. Consortium members will use the same evaluation grid to assess all applications. Shortlisted applications will undergo a review process with the Independent Advisory Panel. The final selection decisions will be made by the Consortium Board. After the selection, model contracts and consistent reporting mechanisms will be used by all selected FSTP grantees to ensure transparency and equitable processes.

(v) Indicative Budget and maximum amount

For this call, the strategic financial support ranges from 200€ to 45,000€ and cover several thematic and geographical areas that can enhance and bring changes for abolition of the death penalty:

AFRICA

Grant Africa Protocol :

1 grants of 8 000 € on average for the Africa region to implement regional advocacy. Applications supporting advocacy, awareness-raising, coalition-building, and mobilization efforts to advance the adoption of the draft Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights will be prioritized. Activities may focus on national support processes, regional mobilization, or both

To be managed by the World Coalition

AFRICA & SWANA

Grant FFPA workshop :

This call is only open to organizations in the SWANA region and Africa. Applications from outside these regions will not be considered.

1 grant of maximum 15,000 EUR to support the organization and host a 2 days FFPA workshop in June 2027. The WCADP is responsible for the content, but suggestions for workshops and panelists are highly welcome. Please note that for the purposes of pooling resources, it is likely that a general assembly or a steering committee meeting will be organized alongside the workshop. Activities may also include advocacy at the national level, building the capacity of civil society, movement growth, innovation and coalition building.

To be managed by the World Coalition

How to apply?

Your project proposal should be sent in English or French and composed of:

the application form for the Workshop Grant (in Word format) or the application form for the Protocol Grant (in Word format);
the budget for the Workshop application or the budget for the Protocol application in Excel format;
your organization’s By-laws/constitution/written document of creation of an informal entity as a civil society organization or informal network of people opposed to the death penalty (bearing in mind that you have to be non-profit-making or social enterprise; and have as part of your mandate the protection and promotion of human rights.);
your organization’s most recent activity and financial report or any other documentation to showcase your past experience.

Before sending the application by email in word format, please make sure to have in subject line: [name of the grant] and the organization’s name.

Please submit your application by email to :

For the grants managed by the World Coalition : fstp[@]worldcoalition.org (if you need a secure email box, please send a message on Signal to +33 6 01 78 53 15).

Submission Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by November 1st 2026, 23h59 in your country. Submissions will be reviewed from November 2nd onward.

Indicative Timetable:

1 October : Launch of the Open Call and direct invitation
1 November: Deadline for submission of proposals
2-13 Nov : Internal pre-assessment
16-20 Nov : Independent Advisory Panel assessment
30 Nov : Final decision by the Consortium Board on the selection of Third Parties
December 2026: Signature of the grant agreements and transfer of funds
December 2027: The maximum deadline for the end of all activities and final reports.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

This FAQ is based on the questions asked during the previous online sessions.

Where to find the forms in Word for the technical proposal and in Excel for the budget?

You may download the forms here:

Can current Consortium members or affiliates apply for a grant under this Open Call?

No. The EU has a strict policy to avoid double funding under the same EU contract. Consortium members and affiliates cannot apply for FSTP grants. They also cannot apply for a grant to fund specific activities (e.g., World Day activities) that are not otherwise funded by the EU under their budget as affiliate or consortium member.

Can an organization that already receives funding from another EU funding (outside of the FFPA for the Global Consortium for the Death Penalty Abolition) receive funding under this call?

Yes, but the activities must be different to avoid double funding. The organization must clearly demonstrate the distinction between activities funded by the other EU grant and those proposed under the FSTP (e.g., through precise time and project tracking). FSTP funding can support activities that require financing but are not covered by the other EU grant, provided they meet the Open Call criteria.

Can Consortium members and affiliates work with other organizations that are not funded by the FFPA?

Yes. Collaboration is encouraged. Organizations that are not Consortium members or affiliates may apply separately under this call. It is also possible to work with organizations active in a different regional perimeter than your own.

Can organizations that are not members of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty apply for this Open Call?

Yes, this Open call is open to non-member organizations.

Can an organization apply to several grants under the same open call?

Yes, organizations may apply to different grants, provided the proposed activities are different. A single project divided into several parts cannot be submitted as multiple applications.

What should be the timeline for funded activities?

Activities may run until March 2028. They may be shorter but cannot extend beyond March 2028.

What is the deadline for applying?

Complete applications must be submitted by email before 1 November at 11:59 p.m., local time.

Open Call for proposals – Financial Support to Third Parties – Global Consortium for Death Penalty AbolitionFSTP on 1 October 2026