The 2026 Carol Bellamy Leadership Award: Call for Applications

Date:14 April 2026

What is the Carol Bellamy Leadership Award?

1. Background

The Carol Bellamy Leadership Award (CBLA), launched by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) in 2022, supports women working at the intersection of women’s empowerment and the prevention of violent extremism (P/CVE).

The award aims to strengthen locally driven initiatives that respond to community needs, while promoting women’s leadership and active participation in preventing violent extremism.

For the 2026 edition, one award of USD 2,000 will be granted in Kosovo.

2. Who is eligible to receive a 2026 CBLA? ​

Any individual or organization working on or interested in initiatives at the intersection of women’s empowerment and P/CVE is eligible to apply.

One CBLA award will be available in each GCERF partner country with an active grant. Awardees will be selected from a shortlist of applicants in their respective country.

Applicants must:

• Be a woman (individual) or a women-led organization
• Be engaged or interested in women’s empowerment and/or P/CVE
• Be based in Kosovo and registered in Kosovo
  

Ineligible applicants:

• Current GCERF Principal or Sub-Recipients
• Previous CBLA awardees
  

3. Thematic Focus Areas

Proposed initiatives must align with at least one of the following pillars:

• Pillar 1: Organizational Strengthening: Support the development of small, women-led grassroots organizations (e.g. operational support, training, tools, infrastructure).
• Pillar 2: Women’s Leadership: Promote leadership skills and increase women’s participation in decision-making processes.
• Pillar 3: Community-Based Prevention: Support women from communities vulnerable to violent extremism to establish or expand initiatives.
  

4. Application Requirements

Applicants must submit their application in one of the following formats:

Option A – Written Application

• Cover page Download here
• Project proposal (maximum 2 pages) up to six months
  

The cover page must include:

• Applicant name (individual or organization)
• Project title
• Type of applicant (individual or organization)
• Contact details (email and phone number)
• Location (municipality/city)
• Relevant CBLA pillar(s)
• Short project summary (maximum 3–4 lines)
• Legal status
  

Option B – Video Application

• Video presentation (maximum 5 minutes)
  

Application Content:

All applications must clearly address:

• Background - Brief information about the applicant
• Proposed initiative -Description of the project
• Use of funds -Explanation of how the USD 2,000 will be used.
  CBLA funds may be used for project-related costs, including small equipment or tools, if directly linked to the initiative and clearly justified, and proportionate to the project’s objectives.
• Thematic alignment -Relevant CBLA pillar(s) and contribution
• Expected impact -Contribution to:
  • Women’s empowerment
  • Prevention of violent extremism
• Legal status -Please attach the organization’s registration certificate as an additional document to the application.
  

5. Selection Process

Applications will be:

• Reviewed through a transparent, merit-based selection process
• Assessed by CDF as GCERF Torchbearer
• Subject to due diligence and eligibility verification

The selected awardee will be confirmed and reported to GCERF in May 2026.

6. Implementation and Monitoring

The selected awardee will:

• Implement the initiative between June – October 2026 and they will provide
• At least one progress update
• One final report
• Submit supporting evidence (photos, outputs, results)

CDF will provide mentorship and monitor implementation.

7. Application Submission

All interested individuals and organizations are invited to contact us at [email protected],

to request the detailed application form or access it via our website: https://kcdf.org/procurement/. For any additional questions regarding this call for applications, please use the same email address no later than April 24, 2026. CDF will provide responses to all inquiries received by this deadline. Applicants must submit their complete proposals by email to [email protected] no later than April 27, 2026. The subject line of the email should be formatted as follows:

Subject: CBLA 2026 Application – [Applicant Name]

Applicants will receive further instructions and application materials upon request.

8. Additional Information

• Only complete applications submitted within the deadline will be considered.
• CDF reserves the right to request additional information during the evaluation process
• Due diligence procedures will apply prior to final selection