Syria Social Cohesion Programme: Integrated Security Fund

Deadline: 11-Sep-2026

The UK Office for Syria is inviting Syrian not-for-profit and civil society organisations to apply for grants supporting projects focused on social cohesion, peacebuilding, transitional justice, and gender equality. Eligible organisations can seek up to £2 million in accountable grant funding for innovative and catalytic initiatives that strengthen community relationships, reduce tensions across conflict lines, and contribute to longer-term peace and stability in Syria. What Is the Syria Social Cohesion Programme? The Syria Social Cohesion Programme Integrated Security Fund is an initiative of the UK Office for Syria designed to support efforts toward long-term peace and stability in Syria. The programme recognises that sustainable peace requires more than addressing immediate conflict. It seeks to strengthen relationships between communities, reduce social tensions, support peacebuilding processes, and create conditions in which different groups can participate meaningfully in Syria’s future. The programme particularly values approaches that are: Community-informed. Innovative. Catalytic. Locally led. Based on Syrian experiences and perspectives. Focused on sustainable social change. Why Does Social Cohesion Matter in Syria? Years of conflict have contributed to divisions between communities and created complex social, political, and economic challenges. Social cohesion initiatives can help communities rebuild trust, address grievances, and develop mechanisms for peaceful engagement. The programme aims to support approaches that can: Whether women are represented among project leaders and partners. How gender-related outcomes will be measured. Gender equality should be connected to the project’s overall peacebuilding and social cohesion objectives. Common Mistakes to Avoid Applicants should avoid submitting proposals that are broad but lack a clear pathway to change.

Common weaknesses include:

Failing to demonstrate Syrian organisational leadership. Providing insufficient evidence of experience across governorates. Describing activities without explaining expected results. Submitting a weak or disconnected theory of change. Providing a budget that does not match the activities. Treating gender equality as a standalone activity. Ignoring conflict sensitivity. Providing limited risk analysis. Failing to explain community participation. Not clearly identifying target locations. Providing inconsistent information across application documents. Failing to demonstrate organisational capacity to manage accountable grant funding. Tips for a Strong Application Applicants can strengthen their proposal by: Clearly identifying the social cohesion problem. Using evidence and local knowledge to explain the context. Demonstrating genuine Syrian community participation. Connecting every activity to an expected result. Integrating gender equality throughout the project. Demonstrating experience across relevant governorates. Providing a realistic activity-based budget. Making the theory of change easy to understand. Including measurable indicators. Providing a credible risk mitigation plan. Demonstrating potential for replication or scale. Ensuring all application documents are internally consistent. Key Information at a Glance

Programme: Syria Social Cohesion Programme Integrated Security Fund

Funder: UK Office for Syria

Country: Syria

Primary applicants: Syrian not-for-profit and civil society organisations

Maximum grant: £2 million

Funding mechanism: Accountable grant

Main priorities: Social cohesion, peacebuilding, transitional justice, and gender equality

Approach: Innovative, catalytic and Syrian-informed

Geographic experience: Applicants should demonstrate operational experience across different governorates

Legal requirement: Organisation must be legally registered and compliant to operate in Syria

Consortium applications: Permitted

Application language: English

Required documents: Proposal form, activity-based budget, logical framework, theory of change, one-page summary and relevant consortium information

Additional requirements: Locations, methodology, outputs, results, risk mitigation, and monitoring and evaluation approach

Frequently Asked Questions What is the Syria Social Cohesion Programme Integrated Security Fund? It is a UK Office for Syria funding programme supporting Syrian civil society and not-for-profit organisations to implement projects focused on social cohesion, peacebuilding, transitional justice, and gender equality. How much funding is available? Eligible projects can receive up to £2 million through accountable grant funding. Who can apply for the Syria Social Cohesion Programme? Applicants must be Syrian not-for-profit or civil society organisations that are legally registered and compliant to operate in Syria and have relevant operational and technical experience. What types of projects are supported? The programme supports innovative and catalytic initiatives addressing social cohesion, peacebuilding, transitional justice, and gender equality, particularly projects informed by Syrian experiences and voices. Can organisations apply as a consortium? Yes. Consortium applications are possible, and applicants should provide a list of consortium partners and explain their respective roles where a consortium is proposed. What documents are required? Applications must include a completed project proposal form in English, activity-based budget, logical framework, theory of change, one-page summary, and consortium information where applicable. Applicants must also provide details on locations, methodology, outputs, results, risk mitigation, and monitoring and evaluation. What makes a project competitive? A competitive project should demonstrate strong Syrian ownership, clear community needs, relevant experience, conflict-sensitive programming, gender integration, measurable results, credible risk management, and potential for sustainable or scalable impact. Co