DFCD Origination Facility Grant
By Dutch Fund for Climate and Development
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Quick Answer
Grants plus expert help for established climate-adaptation companies in developing countries to get projects ready for large investment. The online form closed on 1 April 2026; no next round is announced.
- Funding amount
- Varies
- Funding type
- Grant
- Application deadline
- Closed
- Location
- International
Results & next round
Applications for this round closed on 1 April 2026. The organiser has not published a selection list that we can verify yet.
Selections for this programme are announced by Dutch Fund for Climate and Development. Official links are listed under Sources below.
We update this page when results are published, and when the next round opens.
About this grant
The Origination Facility application form of the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) is closed: the official page says the online form closed on 1 April 2026. It announces no next round or timeline, so check the DFCD site for any new window.
The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development was set up in 2019 by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is run by four Dutch organisations: the development bank FMO, Climate Fund Managers, WWF Netherlands and SNV. Its Origination Facility, managed by WWF-NL and SNV, finds promising climate projects in vulnerable countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and helps them become investable. It is not India-only: the fund works in any country on the OECD DAC list of aid recipients, which includes India.
What the program offers
A company can receive a grant together with technical assistance. The money and expert help can pay for feasibility studies, due diligence, environmental and social safeguard checks, pilots that prove the concept, and business-model development. The aim is that the project then raises large-scale money from the DFCD's own investment arms or other investors. The official page does not state grant amounts. Past grants listed on the fund's portfolio page ranged from €103,000 to €500,000 (about ₹1.12 crore to ₹5.45 crore); we could not re-check that range on the pages read. An Indian company, HumanKindGroup, which turns farm waste into biomass products, is listed among past grantees.
Who can apply
This is for established businesses, not early startups. The lead organisation must be a private-sector entity with total assets or annual turnover of at least €5 million (about ₹54.5 crore), and the initiative needs a long-term finance need of at least €5 million with potential to scale. Projects must be potentially commercially viable and financially sustainable, with a main goal of climate adaptation or mitigation. Sectors are forestry, agriculture, water and sanitation, and environmental protection. The initiative must be able to co-invest in cash or in kind, fit the host country's national development plans, benefit groups such as women and youth, and do no harm to biodiversity. Activities linked to deforestation, fossil fuels or nuclear energy are excluded.
It suits Indian agribusiness, water or land-use companies with real turnover that need a big investment round. It does not suit seed-stage startups.
How to apply
The application was an online form on the Origination Facility page, with factsheets in English, Spanish and French. A practical tip: prepare your turnover or asset figures, a description of the investment you need, and a plan for how your project helps climate adaptation or mitigation, since the criteria are about size, climate focus and commercial viability.
How applications are judged and what happens next
The page lists its eligibility points as the criteria: commercial viability, a main climate goal, alignment with the host country's plans, benefits for vulnerable groups, gender and social-inclusion impact, financial additionality, and no harm to biodiversity. It does not describe the review steps, timeline or results date.
About the DFCD
The DFCD takes a landscape approach, aligning projects with local context and needs, managing a strategic portfolio, and drawing on the expertise of its four partners. Landscape examples named by the fund include the Kafue Flats in Zambia and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. At least 25% of its funding goes to Least Developed Countries, and at least 25% to Dutch development-cooperation focus countries.
Things to check before you apply
- Confirm a new application window is open; none is announced.
- Check that your company meets the size and finance-need thresholds, which are high.
- Be ready to co-invest your own or outside money.
- Because the fund directs part of its money to Least Developed Countries and Dutch focus countries, an Indian project competes within those targets.
- Check tax and foreign-exchange treatment of foreign grants with an adviser.
Eligibility
See if you're eligible
Full eligibility criteria — entity type, stage, sector, founder profile and registration requirements — plus your fit for this program. Sign up to view.
Grant providers
Benefits & Funding
- Fund type
- Grant
- Equity
- Equity-free
- Repayment
- Non-repayable
What You Get
The Origination Facility gives a grant together with technical assistance. The money can pay for feasibility studies, due diligence, environmental and social safeguard checks, pilots to prove the concept, or help developing the business model. Past grants listed on the fund's portfolio page range from €103,000 to €500,000 (about ₹1.12 crore to ₹5.45 crore). Projects that become ready for investment can then seek large-scale funding from the DFCD's investment arms or other investors.
Timelines & Process
Selection Process
The official page lists its criteria but not the review steps or timeline. Projects are judged on commercial viability, a main goal of climate adaptation or mitigation, alignment with national development plans, benefits for vulnerable groups, financial additionality and no harm to biodiversity.
Application Process
- 1
Apply online
Submit the Origination Facility application form (closed since 1 April 2026).
You - 2
- 3
- 4
How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Draft your application
Answer the form inside the grant tracker — AI drafts each response using your past answers, so you're not starting from a blank page.
- 2
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 3
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Indian company apply to the DFCD Origination Facility?
India is on the OECD DAC list of aid recipients, which the fund says it can work in, and an Indian company is listed among past grantees. The online form, however, closed on 1 April 2026.
Is it for early-stage startups?
No. The lead organisation must be a private company with assets or annual turnover of at least €5 million, and the project needs long-term financing of at least €5 million.
How much is the grant?
The official page does not state an amount. Past grants listed on the fund's portfolio page ranged from €103,000 to €500,000 (about ₹1.12 crore to ₹5.45 crore), which we could not re-check.
What can the grant pay for?
Feasibility studies, due diligence, environmental and social safeguard checks, pilots that prove the concept, or help developing the business model.
Is the support a grant or equity?
The page describes a grant plus technical assistance. It does not say the fund takes equity in this facility, but it hopes to link projects to the DFCD's investment arms or other investors.
Is the 2026 application still open?
No. The online form closed on 1 April 2026. The page does not announce a next round.
Do we have to put in our own money?
Yes. The initiative must be able to co-invest, in cash or in kind, from its own or outside resources. The page does not give a percentage.
Which sectors are covered?
Forestry, agriculture, water and sanitation, and environmental protection. Projects linked to deforestation, fossil fuels or nuclear energy are excluded.
What documents are needed?
The page does not list documents. Expect to show your size, finance need and climate case; check the factsheet and the form when a new window opens.
When are results announced?
The official page does not say. It gives no timeline beyond the closing date.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
