Call for Applications: Young Global Changers Recoupling Awards 2025 (€2,500 Prize)

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The Global Solutions Initiative Foundation has launched the Young Global Changers Recoupling Awards to identify, recognize and reward young changemakers from all over the world who contribute actively towards a better alignment – a “recoupling” – of economic prosperity with environmental sustainability and the needs and demands of societies, communities and individuals.

The award seeks to recognize concrete practices and impactful youth-led projects and initiatives that drive change on the ground, while also serving as examples and inspiration beyond their immediate impact. Projects can be social enterprises as well as youth-led nonprofit initiatives.

The awards offers the chance to join the Young Global Changers Extended Circle, Young Global Changers Community, or the opportunity to receive a full scholarship to join the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin where you can present your project to a jury and global audience.

Young Global Changers Recoupling Awards Categories

Reimagine Business
- Business and commercial activities can drive economic growth, provide employment opportunities, and spark innovation. At the same time, many current business practices lead to excessive waste production, contribute to the depletion of natural resources, exacerbate climate degradation, and perpetuate poor working conditions.
- They are looking for businesses and social enterprises that have implemented a business model that fosters social prosperity and environmental goals.
Reimagine Social and Climate Action
- Many individuals, and disadvantaged groups around the world face significant challenges in accessing basic services like healthcare, food, housing, or education. At the same time environmental crises like climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss are accelerating – threatening the natural environment and exacerbating social imbalances.
- They are looking for projects that directly support societies impacted by systemic inequities or climate degradation.
Reimagine Civic Engagement
- Around the world, citizens’ trust in government, administration, and public institutions is declining – populism and nationalism are on the rise. At the same time, they are witnessing a lack of transparency and accountability for decision makers and a lack of opportunities for citizens and civil society to engage and participate actively in important decisions that affect their lives.
- They are looking for projects directly supporting the powershifting towards citizens to engage in the civic space.

Award Information

Applicants who qualify receive the following recognitions based on their respective eligibility.

All Eligible Applicants join the Young Global Changers Extended Circle where they receive invitations to Global Solutions events, workshops and more.
The Top 45 Applicants will become the new members of the Young Global Changers community. Projects will be presented on the Global Solutions Initiative website.
The Top 15 Applicants will receive a full scholarship to join the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin, where they present their projects to a jury and a global audience. The scholarship includes the following:
- Two full days of preparation, workshops and coaching sessions (May 3-4, 2025)
- Free admission to the Global Solutions Summit 2024 (May 5-6, 2025)
- Your chance to present your project in front of an international jury and a global audience.
- Networking opportunities with great minds from academia, business, politics & civil society
- Hotel accommodation for the time of the Summit and Prep-Days (May 2-7, 2025)
- Travel expenses to and from Berlin
After the Summit: Possibilities for further engagement as part of the global network of Young Global Changers.
The Category Winners: The winner of each category will receive a €2,500 prize and additional support for their project.

Eligibility Criteria for Young Global Changers Recoupling Awards

The following criteria need to be fulfilled by all applicants to be eligible, independent from the category in which they apply.

Individuals Only: Only individual people can apply. You cannot apply as an organization, only as its representative.
Leading Role: Participants should have a leading position in the project or initiative they are applying with. (This can be the founder, co-founder, project-lead, initiator or a similar role.)
Strong English: Participants must have a command of the English language strong enough to present their work in front of a jury and an audience, and to participate in group conversations.
Age: The Young Global Changers program aims to empower youth. Applicants should preferably be between the ages of 18 and 35.
Motivation: The applicants should show motivation to become active members of a global network which aims at bringing about lasting global change.

Eligibility Criteria for all Projects

The following criteria need to be fulfilled by all projects to be eligible, independent from the category in which they apply.

Recoupling: The project, business, or initiative with which you apply needs to aim at recoupling, i.e., a better alignment of economic or political activities with social well-being and environmental sustainability. This means putting the needs of people and environmental sustainability at the center of economic and/or political activities.
Organizational Stage: The project or initiative must be beyond the idea stage. It should be currently active and running.