New opportunity for Caribbean climate transition networks

Express your interest in the KIN Network Funding Caribbean!

Are you working with your network on a climate transition in the Caribbean, or do you have a great idea for getting your network off to a good start or to professionalize it? Then the KIN Network Funding Caribbean might be a match for you!

In addition to the KIN Pact Network Grant – with which we have supported 19 networks so far and which is now open for a third round – KIN now also intends to make additional funding available specifically for transdisciplinary climate networks based in the Caribbean. The expected KIN Network Funding Caribbean is intended to support transdisciplinary networks that work towards accelerating climate transitions in the Caribbean. Through this, we aim to promote and support the professionalization of collaboration between various stakeholders and disciplines, as well as the application of knowledge on different climate transitions, in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

For the KIN Network Funding Caribbean, we intend to make a maximum of €30.000 (excl. tax) available per network, and a maximum of €120.000 in total.

If you’re interested, please follow these steps:

  • Express your interest by sending an email to KINglobal@nwo.nl, with the subject line: Interest KIN Network Funding Caribbean.
  • In this email, please share with us briefly (in 250-500 words): who is involved in your network, which climate transition you are working on, how you would like to use the network funding, and how you safeguard Caribbean ownership in your network. We are also curious about whether your network would like to join the KIN Pact, and why.
  • Deadline: Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 09:00:00 GMT-4 / 14:00:00 CET

Who can submit an expression of interest?

The expected KIN Network Funding Caribbean is being specifically developed for transdisciplinary climate networks that are established in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. For this reason, we are particularly interested in receiving expressions of interest from climate networks:

  • with a lead contact person based in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Expressions of interest are submitted by a single contact person on behalf of an existing or yet-to-be-established network. Only employees of legal entities established in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (i.e., on Sint Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) may act as contact person.
  • that are transdisciplinary, or where experts from different disciplines, stakeholder groups and organization types collaborate within one network. In other words, networks must consist of more than one discipline and more than one type of organization (knowledge institution, civil society organization, government, businesses, etc.). The funding is explicitly not intended for networks with a focus on a single area of expertise (monodisciplinary) or exclusively on conducting research.
  • with a contact person of at least one knowledge institution (organizations that conduct research, such as universities, universities of applied sciences, (TO2) research institutions, national knowledge institutions, and academic hospitals) and one civil society organization. By civil society organizations, we mean all organizations that are not knowledge institutions and have a societal objective.

What are we interested in?

The expected KIN Network Funding Caribbean is being developed to support transdisciplinary Caribbean climate networks in their efforts to accelerate Caribbean climate transitions. For this reason, and in line with the mission and goals of KIN, we are particularly interested in receiving expressions of interests from Caribbean climate networks that:

  • · contribute to accelerating climate-related system transitions in the Caribbean;
  • · are focused on diverse target groups, including for example businesses, governments, civil society organizations, citizens, communities, and knowledge institutions;
  • · can play a (long term) role in the Caribbean knowledge landscape by working together over a longer period and by sharing knowledge outside of their network;
  • · safeguard inclusivity, justice, and cultural sensitivity; and
  • · align well with the Caribbean context and local priorities.

What could the funding be used for?

The expected KIN Network Funding Caribbean is intended for establishing or professionalizing Caribbean transdisciplinary networks, and to support activities that contribute to KIN’s mission and goals. Various activities could be eligible for the KIN Network Funding Caribbean. We would strongly encourage creative and non-traditional activities that contribute to the goals of KIN and align well with the Caribbean context. Additionally, you could consider, for example:

  • Organizing or co-hosting events, gatherings, or meetings to bring people together (e.g., venue rental; hiring a moderator, guest speakers, and other experts);
  • Developing products or services aimed at providing a course of action, or ‘knowledge brokering’ (translation between disciplines/sectors);
  • Developing communication materials (e.g. website, podcast, e-learning, online platform) to make knowledge more accessible;
  • Organizing activities regarding community engagement (e.g. educational events and participatory workshops; arts and culture initiatives such as knowledge sharing and/or demand-driven approaches through exhibitions, theatre, mixed media, or other collaborations with the arts and creative sector);
  • Building capacity (e.g. field trips, training, and workshops to promote the development of transition skills; developing mentorship programs);
  • Conducting system bottleneck analyses that hinder the effectiveness of the network (and its participants); and
  • Organizational or digital support for the network.

Do you have any questions?

You can find more information about the expected KIN Network Funding Caribbean in the list with FAQ below. Do you have any remaining questions? We would love to think along with you.

For questions, for example if language is a barrier for you, please reach out to Danick Trouwloon (in Papiamento/u, English, or Dutch) via d.trouwloon@nwo.nl.

Join our information session

We are also organizing an information morning on Wednesday October 7 2026, at 10:00 GMT-4 / 16:00 CET. During this session, we will share information about the expected network funding, but are also very interested in your feedback. We are particularly interested in hearing your opinion on how the funding could align better with the Caribbean context and what is needed for a just climate transition on the islands. In addition, there will be an opportunity to network with other interested parties, or to get acquainted with new and existing networks.

You can register for the information morning by sending an email to KINglobal@nwo.nl no later than Wednesday, September 30 2026.

Remark: This is a market orientation. No rights may be derived from this call for expressions of interest. A response to this call for expression of interest is a condition for eligibility for the expected KIN Network Funding Caribbean.

Frequently Asked Questions

To make the Kingdom of the Netherlands climate-neutral and climate-resilient, systemic change is necessary. Governments, businesses, civil society organizations, and knowledge institutions feel the urgency of change but often lack the right knowledge and the course of action to bring about real transformation. KIN – the Dutch Climate Research Initiative – was established to change that.

Systemic transitions cannot be researched from a single discipline. Society as a whole holds the puzzle pieces needed to bring about systemic change. Accelerating systemic climate transitions therefore requires transdisciplinary collaborations. The KIN Pact is a Kingdom-wide network in which companies, governments, civil society organizations, citizens, and knowledge institutions collaborate to accelerate system transitions.

The KIN Pact Network Grant was launched in December 2024 to support and accelerate the formation of transdisciplinary networks focused on climate transitions. In addition to the regular KIN Pact Network Grant, KIN is now exploring making additional funding available specifically for transdisciplinary climate networks based in the Caribbean: the KIN Network Funding Caribbean. With this, KIN aims to promote and professionalize collaboration between various stakeholders and disciplines, as well as the application of knowledge on various themes in the climate transition, throughout the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands.

All legal entities established in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including parties from the Caribbean, can apply for the expected KIN Pact Network Grant. In practice, we notice that proposals regarding the Caribbean are often submitted by and awarded to parties from the European Netherlands, not from the Caribbean itself. In the context of the existing unequal competition between knowledge actors in the European Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, this undermines the sustainable development of the Caribbean climate knowledge landscape.

As KIN, we believe that strengthening the climate knowledge landscape in the Caribbean is a crucial component of a just climate transition in the Caribbean. Therefore, through the expected KIN Network Funding Caribbean, we have the ambition to make additional budget available to support transdisciplinary networks that contribute to a just climate transition in the Caribbean. This funding would only be available for proposals where the lead contact person is based in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The following activities would not be eligible for the expected funding:

  • The development or publication of scientific articles;
  • The development or publication of scientific products or services;
  • Hiring additional academic staff for research purposes (however, replacing academic staff for the development of the network is permitted);
  • Giving a substantive lecture primarily aimed at an academic audience;
  • Activities for which funding is already received (from KIN or elsewhere);
  • Basic facilities within the institution (e.g. laptop, office furniture, etc.);
  • Maintenance and insurance costs.