About this opportunity
Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) has opened the 12th round of its Movement Grants programme, and this cycle the funder is being deliberately specific about what it will and will not support. Africa is named as the emerging markets focus region for the round, alongside Asia, which opens a real door for advocacy groups on the continent working for animals.
ACE is reshaping its grantmaking around the parts of the movement that other funders tend to miss. That means work for aquatic animals, insects and other invertebrates, wild animals whose suffering intersects with human activity, and the capacity building that helps young organisations grow. For this round applications are only being sought from groups that are under three years old, run a budget below $500,000, incubate other groups, or are requesting funding for monitoring, evaluation and learning with an external consultant.
African applicants are pointed towards work that creates lasting welfare improvements, such as policy and standards work, outreach that works directly with farmers and producers, arguments for animals grounded in local ethical and cultural traditions, and programmes that grow the people and organisations inside the movement. Grants fund projects and general support alike, and ACE may ask follow-up questions or consult external experts before deciding.
The call closes on 18 October 2026 at 5 pm Pacific Time. Decisions land between late October and early November, due diligence runs through November and December, and successful grants are disbursed within two weeks of a signed agreement. If ACE already holds your expression of interest or an earlier application, you do not need to submit anything again.
What you receive
- Grant funding for projects or general organisational support
- Priority attention for applicants working in Africa, the named emerging markets focus region this round
- Funding for talent development, operational scaling, collaborations and strategic movement gatherings
- Support for research and evaluation work that is designed to change real decisions
- Exit and pivot grants for people and organisations redirecting towards more impactful work
Who can apply
- Open to organisations whose work fits the stated scope of the round
- ACE is only seeking applications from groups that are under three years old, have a budget below $500,000, incubate other groups, or are applying for monitoring, evaluation and learning funding using an external consultant
- Africa and Asia are the priority regions, with interest in policy work, farmer outreach, locally grounded advocacy and movement capacity building
- Applicants must be able to legally receive funds from ACE and keep reliable financial records
- Organisations cannot be led by people who have financially supported ACE in the past three years
Who should not apply
- Diet change and meat reduction programme work, and standalone corporate campaigns, in any region
- Alternative proteins work, except government and policy outreach
- Direct care such as sanctuaries, rescues and veterinary services
- Podcasts, documentaries and public awareness work without a defined audience that will act on it
- Animal protection justified mainly by biodiversity, conservation or ecosystem outcomes
- Research that does not name who will use the findings and what decisions they will change
- Organisations more than three years old unless they do incubation work or run budgets under $500,000
Documents to prepare
- A completed application through the Granti form covering the project or general support request
- Financial information showing the organisation can receive funds and track grant spending
- For research proposals, a clear statement of who will use the findings and what they will do differently
How to apply
- Read the will fund and will not fund lists on the ACE programme page before you invest time in an application
- Confirm your organisation matches at least one of the four profiles ACE is seeking this round
- Open the Granti application form and complete it for either project specific or general support funding
- Submit before 18 October 2026 at 5 pm Pacific Time
- If your scope changed significantly since an earlier expression of interest, email grants@animalcharityevaluators.org to explain rather than sending a duplicate
Selection process
- ACE reviews applications in late October and early November and may ask follow-up questions or consult external experts
- Final decisions arrive between late October and early November 2026
- Due diligence checks run through November and December
- Funds are disbursed within two weeks of a signed grant agreement
- ACE does not give individual feedback on proposals declined for falling in the will not fund list
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
When do applications close?
The round closes on 18 October 2026 at 5 pm Pacific Time.
I already sent an expression of interest. Do I apply again?
No. If your submission is still under review you do not need to do anything, and ACE will contact you either way.
Is there a geographic focus?
Yes. ACE is especially interested in applications from Africa, its emerging markets focus this round, and from Asia.
How large are the grants?
ACE does not publish a fixed award size for this round. The funder sets each amount after reviewing the application.
Can a university group or individual apply?
This round is limited to organisations that are under three years old, run budgets under $500,000, incubate other groups, or seek monitoring, evaluation and learning funding with an external consultant.
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