Saiga Conservation Alliance

Registered charity 1135851 · since 2010saiga-conservation.org·China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Vietnam·Updated 31 October 2026

At a glance

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

If your work is focused on saiga conservation, fits one of the themes (field conservation, research, community engagement, education or communications), and your group is based in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan or a saiga consumer country, the Small Grants Programme is the main route to test.
Its awards go up to £5,000, so that is the most a request should aim for; the Young Conservation Leader Awards go up to £1,500 and the Excellence in Saiga Protection Award is £1,000.
Projects that do not contribute to saiga conservation should not apply, and neither should individuals or projects based in the Russian Federation.
Applications open in August and close in September, so plan around that window; the charity says it gives some preference to applicants who have not previously received funding, though repeat applications are allowed.
The annual report gives no grants total, so there is no basis here for judging how competitive a round will be.

Overview

Saiga Conservation Alliance is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1135851).

The Saiga Conservation Alliance is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1135851). It exists to restore the saiga antelope to its position as the flagship species of the Central Asian and pre-Caspian steppes, reflecting its cultural and economic value to local people and its fundamental role in the steppe ecosystem. It supports this in three ways: the Small Grants Programme, the Young Conservation Leader Awards and the Excellence in Saiga Protection Award.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Saiga Conservation Alliance directs its grants and awards towards saiga conservation. Its Small Grants Programme funds focused work that makes a clear difference to saiga conservation, with projects in field conservation, research, community engagement, education, communications and creative approaches. It is open to individuals, organisations and institutions, including applicants unaffiliated with the Alliance, and applicants must be based in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan or a saiga consumer country. The Alliance also backs young conservation leaders with project funding, mentoring and skills development, and recognises people and teams protecting saigas in the field. Its approach connects local conservation with research, education and international cooperation, rooted in long-term local partnerships and sound science.

Themes

Saiga conservation
Field conservation
Research
Community engagement
Education
Communications

Geographic Focus

Kazakhstan; Mongolia; Uzbekistan; China; Singapore; Vietnam; Malaysia.

What they don't fund

Small Grants Programme only:
- programmes implemented in the Russian Federation
- individuals based in the Russian Federation
- applicants not based in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, or a saiga consumer country, including China, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia
- projects that do not contribute to saiga conservation
Young Conservation Leader Awards only:
- applicants who are not aged 12–30
- applicants under 18 without a nominated adult to support their application
- individuals based in the Russian Federation
- applicants not based in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, or a saiga consumer country, including China, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia
- projects that do not contribute to saiga conservation
Excellence in Saiga Protection Award only:
- individuals or teams that have not demonstrated exceptional dedication and achievement in protecting saigas
- individuals or teams based in the Russian Federation
- nominees not based in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, or a saiga consumer country, including China, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia
- self-nominations

How to apply

For the Small Grants Programme, applicants submit an online form, follow its instructions and provide the requested information.

Deadlines: Each application round has a closing date.

Application windows:

Small Grants Programme: Applications open in August and close in September.
Young Conservation Leader Awards: Applications open in August and close in September.
Excellence in Saiga Protection Award: Nominations open in August and close in September.

Applying again: Small Grants Programme: Yes, you can apply again. However, we give some preference to applicants who have not previously received funding.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

The Small Grants Programme gives some preference to applicants who have not previously received funding.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

China
Kazakhstan
Malaysia
Mongolia
Singapore
Uzbekistan
Vietnam

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2020	£123,994	£69,995	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2020
year to 31 December 2021	£66,417	£99,418	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£123,084	£94,084	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£202,234	£156,815	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£210,879	£252,548	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.