SEWA Grants 2026 for Early Warning Projects in Africa 2026

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts runs the Strengthening Early Warning in Africa programme, known as SEWA. Under this call it funds regional pilots on impact-based forecast tools and services that support early warning on the continent.

Who can apply

The call is organised as four separate regional lots covering West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa together with the Indian Ocean islands. Applicants are organisations rather than individuals: only the organisation coordinating the preparation of a proposal registers on the submission portal. No academic level is specified, so meteorological services, research institutes and non-governmental organisations can all take part.

What the grant supports

Funded work centres on impact-based forecasting, meaning products that tell communities and authorities what the weather will do to them rather than only what it will be. Projects are expected to be regional in scope and to strengthen services that national agencies already provide.

Deadline and how to apply

Applications opened in July and close on 30 September 2026 at 14:00 CEST. Proposals go through the ECMWF submission portal, and the coordinating organisation must register there before the call closes; registration is free of charge. Applicants select the relevant procurement category so that they receive notifications about SEWA grant opportunities. The call package, which includes the guidelines for applicants, the grant agreement template and the online questionnaire, becomes available once an applicant registers interest, and that step does not commit anyone to submitting a proposal.

Before you start

Read the guidelines for applicants in full before drafting anything. Registering interest early is sensible, because access to the questionnaire and the supporting documents runs through the portal and account approval is not instant.