EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization Launch Open Call to Empower Young People to Drive the SDG Agenda
Microgranting Opportunity for Young Individuals and Youth-led organisations
The European Union and the Big Six Youth Organisations are proud to announce the launch of the OPEN CALL for applications to the EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization, a joint initiative aimed at empowering young people to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) locally within their communities.
The first cycle of the Open Call offers micro-grants to support innovative, youth-led projects addressing local challenges. Targeting vulnerable youth, including those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and those facing gender equality issues or disabilities, the initiative provides funding to enable impactful solutions. Young Individuals and Informal groups can receive between 500-1500 EUR, while registered organisations may obtain 3000-5000 EUR.
The launch is part of a broader effort by the European Union and the Big Six Youth Organisations to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to empower young people to play a more active role in their communities. It is part of the €10 million EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization Initiative, announced in Kenya on the first anniversary of the Youth Action Plan for EU External Action in 2023. The Fund provides resources for young people globally to advance the objectives of Agenda 2030 in line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said: “The EU Youth Empowerment Fund is there to help young people get their ideas off the ground and contribute to sustainable development in their community. These concrete opportunities that we are delivering to young change-makers around the world in partnership with the Big Six and the Global Youth Mobilization are exactly what our first-ever EU Youth Action Plan is about: engage, empower, connect.”
YOUTH TAKES THE LEAD
The Open Call invites young individuals and youth groups to develop and implement innovative project ideas that address challenges within their local communities. Projects must contribute significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through youth creativity and leadership in vulnerable settings.
What really excites me about this initiative is its commitment to putting young people in the driving seat at every level – from governance, to making decisions about funding, to project implementation and advocacy. (…) Over the next three years, together we will see that young people can, and will, make a huge impact on the SDGs to create a more positive future for us all.
Helga Mutasingwa, WAGGGS World Board Member and Former GYM Youth Board Representative
As part of the partnership’s joint pledge and strategy, the Open Call will provide mentoring and coaching opportunities, along with capacity-building to enhance the resilience and empowerment of young people.
Youth are actively involved through the Global Youth Mobilization at all levels, taking charge of selecting grant recipients, serving on the initiative’s Board, and participating in the design and implementation of community projects.
The selection process will be ‘by youth, for youth’ involving Youth Panellists from a wide diversity of backgrounds selected from around the world. During the selection process, applications will be reviewed, scored, and discussed in youth panel meetings. Successful applications will be awarded funding, either unconditionally or with conditions requiring additional information or recommendations. Unsuccessful applicants will also receive feedback to improve their ideas or strengthen future submissions.
Application details
Who can apply:
Young people aged 14 to 30 from countries eligible for Official Development Assistance
Who should apply:
– Young individuals
– Informal groups
– Registered youth-led organisations
Focus areas:
Projects addressing global challenges aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Encouraged applicants:
– Individuals from diverse backgrounds
– Underrepresented groups, including young people in challenging circumstances, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and individuals facing barriers related to gender or disability
For more information about the Open Call, please visit the GYM website.
BACKGROUND
The EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization is a partnership between the European Union and the Big Six Youth Organisations.
The European Union’s initiatives for and with youth globally are directed by the Youth Action Plan (YAP) in EU External Action for 2022-2027. This plan, the first of its kind, establishes a strategic partnership framework with young people worldwide. It highlights the importance of youth as catalysts for change and essential partners in realising the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international commitments such as the Paris Agreement on climate change. The YAP aims to ensure that EU External Action contributes to youth empowerment politically, socially, and economically while facilitating their meaningful involvement in decision-making and policy formulation around the globe. The EU Youth Empowerment Fund is one of the key actions that support young people
The Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) was launched by the Big Six youth organisations in 2020. From 2020 to 2022, GYM invested over US$ 5 million in 640 youth-led projects, engaging more than 600,000 young people and impacting over 3.6 million people in more than 125 countries. Through the funding of the European Union’s Youth Empowerment Fund, the Global Youth Mobilization will continue to support young people globally.
The Big Six Youth Organizations, formed in 1996, is an alliance of leading international youth-serving organisations. The alliance includes the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), the World Alliance of Young Men’s Christian Associations (World YMCA), the World Alliance of Young Women’s Christian Associations (World YWCA), the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (The Award).
Collectively, the Big Six engage over 250 million young people, contributing to the empowerment of more than one billion young individuals over the last century.
Interested to apply? Find more information here
FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT
Global Youth Mobilization: EU-YEF@globalyouthmobilization.org