While many other countries have similar needs, the fund has limited resourcing capability. These countries were selected on the basis of common threads including population, diversity of sectors, the rise of more precarious forms of work and huge vulnerabilities to climate and other economic and social transitions.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted in late November and invited to participate in a 30 minute video interview with the FORGE team covering their proposed activities and approach. They will also be asked for a more detailed budget plan.

We understand that AI can help to reduce the administrative burden of the application process and make it more accessible. However, we caution applicants that any information provided in funding applications must be truthful and precise.

FORGE staff are working with a Fund Advisory Committee made up of five experts with topical and contextual expertise and lived experience. We will not be publishing their information in order to mitigate the risk of them being lobbied by applicants.

Existing partners of the Democracy at Work Fund, regardless of their geographic location are invited to apply to this round of funding.

Partners will be requested to provide a maximum of two financial and narrative reports within the 18 month period. A short check-in call with FORGE staff every six months will also be required.

The Democracy at Work Fund does not fund the following types of groups, initiatives, or activities:

• Groups based in the Global Minority that are executing programmes in or are leading partnerships with groups based in the Global Majority

• Groups that are led by, or are structurally dependent on, political parties, government agencies, or religious institutions;

• Businesses

• Individual Activists are not supported through the Fund

• Academic research or scholarships

• Humanitarian aid

• Direct service provision such as health care provision unconnected to worker organizing and movement building.