Call for Expression of Interest 2024: Africa-Europe Foundation Awards Scheme

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Applications are now open for Africa-Europe Foundation Awards Scheme. The 2024 Awards Scheme is being launched in the context of a demand for a renewed partnership between local youth organizations across Africa and Europe.

Africa-Europe Foundation invites youth led organizations, cities/local authorities, think-tanks, civil society platforms and NGOs inspiring, empowering, and connecting local youth actors through dialogue to help shape a strong, mutually beneficial partnership between Africa and Europe to tackle contemporary challenges, to take part in this year’s scheme.

This Call is underpinned by the ”State of Africa-Europe Report 2024″, produced by the Africa-Europe Foundation and focused on the implementation of policy/financial commitments of the EU-AU Partnership.

The Call aims to provide a platform for youth organizations and local actors to lead dialogues and actions on the core themes and analysis of the Report, from ‘Climate Change and Economic Development’ nexus to ‘Sustainable Finance’ and ‘Education, Culture and Science. The applicants should propose the type of action/micro-projects they wish to implement in their application.

Africa-Europe Foundation Focus

AEF invites youth organization to deep dive into 3 priority chapters of the Report through their proposed projects:

Climate and Development.
Science, Education, and Culture.

iii. Sustainable Finance.

Africa-Europe Foundation Award Scheme Lots

This Call is organized in two lots:

Local Impact Awards (Lot 1):

Local impact awards support initiatives developed and delivered in one of the Member States of the African Union or European Union.
Examples of ‘local initiatives’ include Townhall-style debates, youth expert convenings, series of podcast interviews, community projects, etc…;
‘Local initiatives’ should have a short timeline for implementation and take place, from start to finish, between July 2024 and October 2025. Expecting most awarded projects to be short-timed, from few days to few weeks of implementation.
Direct beneficiaries of the ‘Local initiatives’ should include local communities focusing on local youth. Indirect beneficiaries are the citizens of Africa and Europe.

Cross-Network Awards (Lot 2):

Cross-continental initiatives should be implemented on the basis of working across the two continents with either in-person or remote participation from at least two Members States, one each from the AU and EU.
Examples of cross-continental initiatives include youth hackathons, dialogues, gatherings, creative collaborative projects, etc….
Cross-continental initiatives should have a short timeline for implementation that take place, from start to finish, between July 2024 and October 2025. Expecting most awards to focus on projects with a limited number of weeks of implementation.
Direct beneficiaries of the ‘cross- continental projects’ should include local and international communities focusing on youth. Indirect beneficiaries are the citizens of Africa and Europe.

Topics for the ‘Local Impact Awards’ (Lot 1) as well as the ‘Cross-Network Awards’ (Lot 2) should be clearly linked to the Report with a focus on identifying and/or implementing solutions to the problems and underlying issues grappling Africa-Europe relations and implementation of regional and global development strategies (Agenda 2030, Agenda 2063) with an aim to drive the Africa-Europe Partnership forward.

Funding Details

The initial overall budget for this Call is 150,000.00 euros with individual awards valued at a maximum of 5,000.00 euros or a maximum of 10,000.00 euros.
Up to 25 micro and small grants with a budget of a maximum of 5,000.00 euros or a maximum of 10,000.00 euros with indicative allocation of 20 micro-grants for Lot 1 and 5 small-grants for Lot 2.
Awarded grants can either fully fund a new activity proposed in a grant application or contribute, through co-financing, to a larger activity that is funded through other sources but which objectives and implementation aligned to the objectives and scope of this Call.

Eligibility criteria

The Call is intended for a variety of youth organizations that are registered in any one of the Member States of the AU or EU.
For Lot 1, eligible organizations include grassroot youth organizations, local youth networks, regional and international youth organizations and associations that work at local community level, civil society platforms, NGOs, local authorities, city councils and departments, and local community associations.
For Lot 2, eligible organizations are national, regional and international youth organizations and associations, as well as civil society platforms, NGOs, and local authority platforms that work across Africa and EU and focus on youth engagement and dialogue.

How to Apply?

To apply, applicants are required to submit a duly completed proposal (Annex A: Concept Note and Budget) providing all requested details in the application template, including details of the proposed activity, intended impact, timeline for implementation, and summary budget.
Applicants must use only the Concept Note and Budget form provided to prepare their application, as only this model form will be assessed. It is therefore of utmost importance that this document contains ALL relevant information concerning the proposed project.
Applications must be written in English.
A single application is permitted per organization per Lot.
The applications need to be submitted by email sent to the address: [email protected] no later than by 23rd May 2024 (16.00 Brussels, 18.00 Addis Ababa)
Download the Africa-Europe Foundation Awards Scheme Call for Expression of Interest 2024 Guidelines for Applicants form here.
For more information visit: Africa-Europe Foundation Awards Scheme