Deadline: 30-Nov-2025
The Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA) by People Powered is offering a chance for civil society organizations and public institutions to design and scale participatory democracy initiatives that meaningfully involve young people in policymaking and governance.
The program is focused on Europe and the Horizon Europe associated countries, inviting participants to build projects that deepen democratic engagement through innovation and collaboration.
Over a six-month period, selected participants will receive mentorship, training, tools, and peer learning opportunities to develop an action plan for a participatory project. During this time, they will be guided to design programs that bring youth into decision-making processes—whether in schools, communities, or local governments. After the training phase, participants have a full year to implement their action plans in real contexts with support.
DIA will support around 40 organizations from eligible countries, including EU member states and associated regions such as Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Iceland, and others. The initiative emphasizes equal access, encouraging even those new to participatory practices to apply and learn.
Participants should expect to commit a modest but consistent time each week to the program, engaging in workshops, mentorship calls, and project development. After the formal training ends, they will put their proposals into practice, generating real-world participatory models that can strengthen transparency, responsiveness, and civic trust in their contexts.
This opportunity offers a platform to experiment, iterate, and scale democratic innovations that can reshape how youth and communities engage with decision making, amplifying marginalized voices and reinforcing the foundations of participatory governance.
For more information, visit People Powered.