The establishment of the State Grant Management Agency was a token gesture intended to somewhat soften the image of the unprecedented restrictions placed on foreign funding, Nona Kurdovanidze, former chairperson of the Young Lawyers' Association, writes on social media.

According to her, the agency funded 17 projects with a total budget of 1,657,775 GEL through a small-grant competition announced in July 2025; the recipients included organizations—some established shortly before the competition—that appear to have been registered specifically for this purpose."

"It was revealed today that the State Grant Management Agency will close by the end of the year. As a reminder, Georgian Dream established this agency in April 2025, alongside the adoption of repressive laws. At the time, they claimed the agency's goal was for civil society organizations to receive funding from the state budget rather than from foreign donors." According to currently publicly available information, the agency funded 17 projects with a total budget of 1,657,775 GEL through the small grants competition announced in July 2025. Funding was awarded to organizations—some of which had been established only shortly before the competition—that appear to have been registered specifically for this purpose.

The establishment of this agency was a token gesture at the time, intended to somewhat soften the image of the unprecedented scale of restrictions on foreign funding. It seems there is no longer a need for that," writes Kurdovanidze.

For context, the government is closing the Grant Management Agency. As Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists, "The agency is in the process of winding down operations and will be closed by the end of the year."