Applications are open for the Mama Cash Spark Fund 2026, offering grants of between €5,000 and €12,000 to eligible self-led groups working to advance structural and systemic change in the Netherlands and the ABCSSS islands.
The Spark Fund supports communities of women, girls, trans and intersex people working on urgent and contested political issues. Funding can support projects for up to two years, with particular priority given to informal, newly established and volunteer-led groups, as well as organisations that have limited access to flexible funding.
Applications opened on 20 August 2026 and will close on 20 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CEST.
Eligible groups can apply through a written, video or audio application, giving applicants flexibility in how they present their work.
Mama Cash Spark Fund 2026 at a Glance
Fund: Mama Cash Spark Fund
Organisation: Mama Cash
Grant Value: €5,000–€12,000 per project
Funding Period: Up to two years
Applications Open: 20 August 2026
Application Deadline: 20 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CEST
Eligible Locations: The Netherlands and Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten
Application Formats: Written, video or audio
Priority: Informal, unregistered, newly established and volunteer-led groups, as well as organisations with limited access to flexible funding
What Is the Mama Cash Spark Fund?
The Spark Fund is a grantmaking initiative from Mama Cash designed to strengthen self-led groups working for structural and systemic change.
Through the fund, Mama Cash supports communities of women, girls, trans and intersex people in the Netherlands and on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten, collectively referred to in the programme information as the ABCSSS islands.
The programme reflects Mama Cash’s historical roots in the Dutch lesbian feminist activist movement.
Its central idea is that relatively small amounts of funding can help communities generate significant and radical change.
How Much Funding Is Available?
Successful Spark Fund applicants can receive grants ranging from:
€5,000 to €12,000 per project.
The funding can support eligible projects for a period of up to two years.
Unlike opportunities designed exclusively for large and formally established organisations, the Spark Fund can support formalised groups as well as groups that may not have formal, long-term organisational plans.
This makes the funding particularly relevant to grassroots and community-led initiatives that may struggle to access conventional institutional funding.
Who Can Apply for the Mama Cash Spark Fund?
The Spark Fund has specific eligibility criteria.
Applicants must be self-led by the women, girls, trans people and/or intersex people they serve.
Groups must also work from a:
- Feminist perspective
- Women’s rights perspective
- Girls’ rights perspective
- Trans rights perspective
- Intersex rights perspective
Eligible groups must work on urgent and contested political issues in the Netherlands or the eligible ABCSSS islands.
Their work must also seek to create structural and systemic change.
Applicants should review all of these requirements carefully before submitting an application.
Where Must Applicants Be Based?
The Spark Fund is geographically targeted.
Eligible work must take place in:
- The Netherlands
- Aruba
- Bonaire
- Curaçao
- Saba
- Sint Eustatius
- Sint Maarten
Groups operating outside these geographic areas should not assume that they are eligible for this particular Mama Cash funding round.
What Does “Self-Led” Mean for Applicants?
One of the most important eligibility requirements is that groups must be self-led by the communities they serve.
The Spark Fund is therefore not simply intended for organisations implementing projects on behalf of women, girls, trans or intersex communities.
Instead, leadership by people from the communities whose rights and interests the initiative seeks to advance is central to the funding approach.
Applicants should make this connection clear when presenting their group and proposed work.
What Types of Groups Receive Priority?
Mama Cash identifies several types of groups that will receive particular consideration during the selection process.
Priority is given to:
- Informal groups
- Unregistered groups
- Newly established groups
- Volunteer-led groups
- Organisations with limited access to flexible funding
- Groups with limited organisational resources
This priority structure makes the Spark Fund particularly noteworthy for grassroots groups that may not have the financial or organisational capacity of larger established NGOs.
Do Groups Need to Be Registered?
The information provided by Mama Cash specifically lists informal and unregistered groups among its priorities.
This means lack of formal registration does not automatically prevent a group from being considered under the Spark Fund.
Applicants should still carefully follow the application requirements and provide the information requested by Mama Cash.
What Type of Work Does the Spark Fund Support?
The Spark Fund is designed for initiatives working on urgent and contested political issues.
The work must also be rooted in feminist, women’s, girls’, trans rights and/or intersex rights perspectives and seek structural or systemic change.
This emphasis is important.
Applicants should be able to explain not only what activity they want to undertake but also how their work addresses wider structural issues affecting the communities they represent.
Why This Funding Opportunity Matters
Grassroots groups can play an important role in addressing inequality and advocating for social change, but smaller organisations frequently have fewer resources than established institutions.
The Spark Fund specifically prioritises groups that may have limited access to flexible funding.
Its approach also recognises informal and volunteer-led organising.
For qualifying groups, funding of between €5,000 and €12,000 could provide resources to strengthen existing work, develop initiatives and continue advocacy around urgent issues.
The programme’s participatory decision-making approach also gives activists a role in determining which initiatives receive support.
How to Apply for the Mama Cash Spark Fund 2026
Applicants have three different ways to submit their application.
Option 1: Written Application
Applicants can complete and submit the official written application form.
This option may be suitable for groups that prefer to explain their initiative, leadership and proposed activities in writing.
Option 2: Video Application
Mama Cash also provides a video recording application form.
Applicants who prefer presenting their work verbally and visually can consider this format.
Option 3: Audio Application
A third option is the audio recording application form.
This provides another alternative for applicants who may prefer speaking about their initiative rather than completing a conventional written application.
Applicants should select the format that allows them to communicate their work most clearly while following Mama Cash’s application requirements.
Application Deadline
Applications for the Spark Fund opened on:
20 August 2026
The deadline is:
20 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CEST
Applicants should pay particular attention to the stated CEST time zone when planning their submission.
Submitting early can also provide additional time to address technical problems or missing information before the deadline.
How Are Applications Selected?
Mama Cash describes itself as a fully participatory grantmaker.
After applications have been reviewed against the Spark Fund’s criteria, members of the Mama Cash Advisory Network make the final funding decision.
This approach is intended to place decision-making power in the hands of activists.
Applicants should therefore make sure their submissions clearly demonstrate how their work satisfies the programme’s eligibility criteria and priorities.
What Should Applicants Emphasise?
Based on the published selection criteria, a strong application should clearly explain the relationship between the group and the community it serves.
Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate:
- Who leads the group
- Which community the group serves
- How the initiative is self-led
- The rights-based or feminist perspective informing the work
- The urgent or contested issue being addressed
- Where the work takes place
- How the work seeks structural or systemic change
- Why funding is needed
Groups that fall within Mama Cash’s priority categories should also clearly describe their circumstances where appropriate.
Documents and Information You May Need
Mama Cash’s supplied Spark Fund page does not provide a complete list of required supporting documents in the information available here.
Applicants should therefore avoid assuming that standard grant documents are automatically required.
Instead, review the official application form for the specific information and supporting materials requested for the 2026 round.
Preparing information about the group’s leadership, activities, community, location, proposed work and funding needs in advance may make the application process easier.
Application Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should carefully check the eligibility requirements before applying.
Potential mistakes include:
- Applying from an ineligible geographic location
- Failing to demonstrate that the initiative is self-led
- Not explaining the community the group serves
- Failing to connect the work to a feminist or relevant rights-based perspective
- Proposing work that does not address structural or systemic change
- Failing to explain the urgent or contested political issue being addressed
- Missing the application deadline
- Miscalculating the deadline because of the CEST time zone
- Submitting incomplete information
- Waiting until the final minutes to submit
Applicants should rely on the official Mama Cash application materials when preparing their final submission.
How Competitive Is the Mama Cash Spark Fund?
Mama Cash does not provide an acceptance rate or the number of grants available in the information supplied for this funding round.
It is therefore not possible to accurately state how competitive the 2026 Spark Fund will be.
Applicants can strengthen their submissions by concentrating on the published eligibility criteria and explaining clearly why their group and work fit the fund’s priorities.
Who Should Consider Applying?
This opportunity may be particularly relevant to qualifying:
- Feminist grassroots groups
- Women’s rights groups
- Girls’ rights groups
- Trans rights groups
- Intersex rights groups
- Informal activist collectives
- Newly established groups
- Volunteer-led organisations
- Community-led initiatives
- Groups with limited organisational resources
- Organisations with limited access to flexible funding
Geographic and self-led eligibility requirements still apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mama Cash Spark Fund?
The Spark Fund is a Mama Cash grant programme supporting self-led communities of women, girls, trans and intersex people working on urgent and contested issues and seeking structural and systemic change.
How much funding is available?
Grants range from €5,000 to €12,000 per project.
How long can the funding last?
Spark Fund grants can support projects for up to two years.
When do applications close?
Applications close on 20 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CEST.
When did applications open?
Applications opened on 20 August 2026.
Can unregistered groups apply?
The programme specifically lists informal and unregistered groups among the groups given priority consideration.
Can newly established groups apply?
Yes. Newly established groups are also included among the programme’s priorities.
Can volunteer-led groups apply?
Yes. Mama Cash identifies volunteer-led groups as a priority.
Can organisations outside the Netherlands apply?
The fund also covers eligible groups working on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten.
Can groups anywhere in the world apply?
No. This particular fund is geographically focused on the Netherlands and the specified ABCSSS islands.
How can applications be submitted?
Applicants can choose between written, video and audio application formats.
Who makes the final funding decision?
After applications are reviewed against the programme criteria, members of the Mama Cash Advisory Network make the final decision.
Final Thoughts
The Mama Cash Spark Fund 2026 provides a targeted funding opportunity for grassroots and self-led groups seeking structural and systemic change in the Netherlands and the ABCSSS islands.
With grants ranging from €5,000 to €12,000 for projects lasting up to two years, the programme could provide valuable support to groups that traditionally face barriers to flexible funding.
The explicit priority given to informal, unregistered, newly established and volunteer-led groups is particularly significant.
However, this is not a general international grant opportunity. Applicants need to satisfy the fund’s geographic requirements and demonstrate that their initiatives are self-led by the women, girls, trans and/or intersex people they serve.
Interested groups should review the official selection criteria and submit their written, video or audio application no later than 20 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CEST.
Keywords
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