Open Call 2024: EU Youth Empowerment Fund (YEF) Through The Global Youth Mobilization (Up to €5,000 in grant)

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The European Union, in partnership with the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) and the “Big Six” youth organizations, is excited to announce the launch of the Open Call for the EU Youth Empowerment Fund (YEF) through the Global Youth Mobilization. This initiative aims to empower young people to drive positive change in their communities by providing micro-grant funding for innovative, youth-led solutions that advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The initiative aims to increase the participation of under-represented young people, including those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, those facing gender equality issues or young people with a disability.

The EU Youth Empowerment Fund, part of the EU’s Youth Action Plan, supports youth-led initiatives globally, providing accessible funding to foster local solutions. The fund is implemented by GYM, an alliance of the world’s largest youth-serving organizations, and focuses on youth-led decision-making and solutions related to the SDGs.

The European Union’s Youth Action Plan guides this initiative, focusing on young people as essential partners in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. The Global Youth Mobilization (GYM), an initiative of the Big Six youth organizations, has supported over 640 youth-led projects and engaged more than 600,000 young people worldwide since its establishment in 2020.

Funding Details

Individual Young People and Informal Groups: €500 to €1,500
Registered Youth Organizations: €3,000 to €5,000

Eligibility Criteria for EU Youth Empowerment Fund

Young individuals aged 14 to 30 from eligible countries:

Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (People’s Republic of), India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen.
Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia.
Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.
Middle East:
Oceania: Nauru, Niue, Tokelau, Tuvalu.

What They Looking For?

Projects addressing global challenges aligned with the SDGs, especially those led by or for underrepresented young people, including those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, those facing gender equality issues, and individuals with disabilities. We are particularly interested in projects focusing on climate change and environmental sustainability.

Selection Process

A diverse panel of young individuals will review and score applications. Successful applicants will be notified within two months and will need to sign a grant agreement and submit their banking information. Unsuccessful applicants will receive feedback to help strengthen future submissions.

Capacity-Building Support

To assist applicants, we offer a series of capacity-strengthening webinars and resources, including sample application answers and FAQs. These are designed to help applicants submit the best possible projects.