Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development 2026: up to USD 300,000 for national NGO health projects
Verified by the editorial team 28 October 2026
Added to the catalogue Added to the catalogue from the 17 October GetGrant export, terms verified on the official AGFUND website (prize, nomination, procedures and FAQ pages)
Summary
This is a prize, not a grant: AGFUND rewards already implemented and evaluated human development projects each year, with a total fund of USD 1,000,000. The 2026 theme is Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3); national NGO projects compete for USD 300,000 and international and regional NGO projects for USD 400,000. Nominations are accepted until 15 February 2027 and must come from a third party.
About the call
The Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development is an annual award by the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), running since 1999. It does not fund new ideas: only completed projects with an evaluation of results, or ongoing projects with at least the first phase completed and evaluated, are considered. Each year the Prize Committee selects one of the Sustainable Development Goals as the theme, and for the 2026 Prize it is SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being. AGFUND pays particular attention to vulnerable groups, above all women and children.
The total prize fund is USD 1,000,000 split into four categories: USD 400,000 for projects by UN agencies and international and regional NGOs, USD 300,000 for projects by national NGOs, USD 200,000 for government bodies and social business enterprises, and USD 100,000 for projects by individuals. Winners also receive certificates and trophies. The prize money is not unrestricted: each winner signs a letter of intent with AGFUND on using the funds to expand, sustain or replicate the project. Self-nomination is not allowed: the nomination is made by a third party - another NGO, international organisation, government body, university, research centre, trade union or expert that was not involved in implementing or funding the project.
For Ukrainian organisations that already have completed and evaluated health projects - community healthcare, mental health, rehabilitation, support for mothers and children - this is an opportunity for international recognition and a significant sum for scaling up. Keep in mind that the prize targets projects in developing countries, all documents must be in English, and the nomination requires completion reports and an independent evaluation. A non-winning project can only be resubmitted after three years, so it is worth entering with your strongest case.
Who can apply
- Projects by national NGOs (second category, USD 300,000)
- Projects by UN agencies and international and regional NGOs (first category, USD 400,000)
- Projects by government bodies and social business enterprises (third category, USD 200,000, purely nationally designed and funded projects only)
- Projects initiated and implemented by individuals (fourth category, USD 100,000)
- Nominators can be UN bodies, international, regional and national NGOs, government agencies, universities, research centres, trade unions and experts not linked to the project
Who cannot apply
- Organisations nominating their own project (self-nomination is not allowed)
- Nominators involved in implementing or funding the project
- For-profit projects
- Projects outside the annual theme, and ideas or research not yet implemented and evaluated
- Projects that competed for the Prize less than three years ago
What the funds are for
- A prize for an already implemented and evaluated project on SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being
- Expansion, sustainability or replication of the winning project (under a letter of intent with AGFUND)
Documents required
Forms and templates are on the call page
- Online nomination form on the AGFUND website
- Official nomination letter from a third party with justification
- Official recommendation letter(s) from another third party
- Full project document with annexes (work plan, schedule, budget, financial information)
- Project budget and financial statements if not in the project document
- Project completion reports (for ongoing projects, of the first or other phases)
- Project evaluation report
- Latest annual report of the implementing organisation (if available)
- Materials on project activities: photos, videos, printed materials
How to apply
- 1Make sure the project is completed and evaluated (or at least its first phase) and fits the health and well-being theme
- 2Find a third-party nominator not involved in the project and a separate recommending body
- 3Prepare all documents in English: nomination letter, recommendations, project document, budget, completion and evaluation reports
- 4The nominator completes the online form on the AGFUND website and uploads the documents by 15 February 2027
- 5Files too large to upload can be sent to rewards@agfund.org
- 6Winners are selected by the Prize Committee after expert evaluation; the award ceremony is usually held in October of the following year
Timeline
Questions and answers
- Can an NGO submit its own project for the Prince Talal Prize?
- No. The project must be nominated by a third party: another NGO, an international organisation, a government agency, a university or an expert not involved in implementing or funding it.
- Which projects can be nominated for the 2026 Prize?
- Only completed and evaluated projects, or ongoing ones with at least the first phase completed and evaluated, on SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being. New ideas and unimplemented research are not considered.
Change history
- Added: Added to the catalogue from the 17 October GetGrant export, terms verified on the official AGFUND website (prize, nomination, procedures and FAQ pages)
Donor contacts
Email: rewards@agfund.org
Website: agfund.org
