Deadline: 20-Jul-2026
The Spirit of Togetherness Award 2026, launched by Pernod Ricard in partnership with One Young World, will recognise five young leaders working to strengthen social connection, inclusion, and community togetherness. Each selected recipient will receive a €8,000 grant and sponsored participation in the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. The award is open to applicants from all nationalities who are at least 18 years old and meet the legal drinking age requirement in their country of residence.
Overview
The Spirit of Togetherness Award 2026 supports young leaders who are building stronger, more inclusive, and more connected communities.
Launched by Pernod Ricard in partnership with One Young World, the award honours community-driven initiatives that bring people together through shared experiences, cultural exchange, inclusion, and local traditions.
The initiative will recognise five outstanding young leaders whose work demonstrates measurable community impact, inclusivity, and potential for growth.
Purpose of the Award
The purpose of the Spirit of Togetherness Award is to support young leaders who are helping people connect across differences.
The award focuses on initiatives that create joyful shared experiences, build inclusive spaces, and strengthen community relationships.
It is designed for young changemakers whose work promotes social inclusion, cultural togetherness, and meaningful community participation.
Key Focus Areas
The award focuses on social connection, community inclusion, joyful shared experiences, intergenerational engagement, multicultural communities, inclusion of people with diverse abilities, cultural togetherness, local traditions, heritage, food, drink, shared cultural practices, environmental sustainability, innovation, measurable community impact, and scalable social initiatives.
What the Award Supports
The award supports initiatives that bring communities together in inclusive and meaningful ways.
Supported initiatives may include projects that:
- Create joyful shared community experiences
- Build inclusive environments for diverse groups
- Bring together intergenerational communities
- Promote multicultural understanding
- Include people with diverse abilities
- Celebrate local traditions and heritage
- Use food, drink, or cultural practices to strengthen social connection
- Promote community participation and belonging
- Demonstrate environmental sustainability
- Use innovative approaches to increase social impact
The award is especially relevant for initiatives that combine social inclusion with cultural connection and long-term community value.
Number of Award Recipients
Five young leaders will be selected for the Spirit of Togetherness Award 2026.
Each winner will be recognised for their leadership, community impact, inclusivity, and ability to scale their initiative.
Grant Amount
Each selected recipient will receive a €8,000 grant.
The grant is intended to help award winners support, strengthen, or expand their community initiative.
Summit Participation
Award winners will participate in the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The summit support includes:
- Travel assistance
- Accommodation from 2–6 November 2026
- Meals during the summit
- Local transport during the summit
- Access to global networking opportunities
- A platform to share their initiative internationally
This experience is designed to help young leaders build partnerships, increase visibility, and strengthen the long-term impact of their work.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Meet the legal drinking age requirement in their country of residence
- Be working on a community-driven initiative
- Demonstrate measurable community impact
- Show commitment to inclusion and togetherness
- Be able to present an initiative with potential for scalability
- Be from any nationality
Applicants from all countries may apply, provided they meet the age and legal drinking age requirements.
Additional Consideration
Additional consideration will be given to initiatives that also demonstrate:
- Environmental sustainability
- Innovation
- Long-term community value
- Strong inclusion mechanisms
- Potential to expand or be replicated in other communities
These elements can strengthen an application when they are clearly connected to the initiative’s core social impact.
Why It Matters
Social connection is essential for building healthy, inclusive, and resilient communities.
Many communities face divisions based on age, culture, ability, identity, or social background. Initiatives that create shared experiences can help reduce isolation, encourage understanding, and build stronger relationships.
The Spirit of Togetherness Award matters because it supports young leaders who use community-based action to bring people together. By funding and showcasing their work, the award helps expand practical models of inclusion, belonging, and cultural connection.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a clear and compelling application that explains their initiative, impact, and future potential.
Step 1: Describe the Community Challenge
Applicants should explain the social connection or inclusion challenge their initiative addresses.
This may include issues such as:
- Social isolation
- Lack of inclusive spaces
- Limited intergenerational connection
- Cultural barriers
- Exclusion of people with diverse abilities
- Weak community participation
- Loss of cultural traditions or shared practices
Step 2: Explain the Initiative
The application should describe what the initiative does and how it brings people together.
Applicants should clearly explain:
- The purpose of the initiative
- The communities served
- The activities implemented
- How people participate
- How the initiative creates joyful shared experiences
- How it supports inclusion and togetherness
Step 3: Show Community Impact
Applicants should provide evidence of measurable impact.
This may include:
- Number of people reached
- Community groups involved
- Changes in participation or inclusion
- Testimonials or community feedback
- Partnerships formed
- Events or activities delivered
- Results achieved so far
Impact should be specific, clear, and connected to the award’s focus areas.
Step 4: Demonstrate Inclusivity
Applicants should explain how their initiative includes diverse groups.
This may include:
- Older and younger generations
- Multicultural communities
- People with diverse abilities
- Marginalised or underrepresented groups
- Local cultural communities
- Community members with limited access to social opportunities
The application should show that inclusion is central to the initiative, not an added feature.
Step 5: Explain Scalability
Applicants should describe how the initiative can grow, expand, or be replicated.
This section may explain:
- Future plans
- Expansion to new communities
- Potential partnerships
- Training or community leadership models
- Replication in other locations
- How the €8,000 grant will support growth
Step 6: Highlight Sustainability and Innovation
If relevant, applicants should explain how the initiative promotes environmental sustainability or uses innovative methods.
This may include sustainable event practices, local resource use, creative community engagement models, or new approaches to inclusion.
Step 7: Submit the Application
Applicants should submit the completed application with all required information about their leadership, initiative, impact, and plans for future growth.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be assessed based on the strength and relevance of the initiative.
Key selection criteria include:
- Measurable community impact
- Commitment to inclusion
- Ability to strengthen social connection
- Relevance to cultural togetherness
- Scalability of the initiative
- Leadership potential of the applicant
- Innovation in approach
- Environmental sustainability, where applicable
- Clear use of the €8,000 grant
- Potential to benefit from the One Young World Summit platform
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should clearly show how the initiative brings people together.
Applicants should:
- Use specific examples of community impact
- Explain who benefits from the initiative
- Show how diverse groups are included
- Describe how the initiative creates shared experiences
- Highlight local traditions, heritage, food, drink, or cultural practices where relevant
- Provide clear evidence of results
- Explain how the grant will be used
- Show how the initiative can grow or be replicated
- Mention sustainability or innovation if it is part of the work
- Keep the application focused, practical, and impact-driven
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid vague descriptions and weak impact evidence.
Common mistakes include:
- Not clearly explaining the initiative
- Failing to show measurable community impact
- Providing limited evidence of inclusion
- Not connecting the project to social connection or togetherness
- Ignoring the cultural or community-driven focus of the award
- Providing an unclear plan for using the €8,000 grant
- Not explaining scalability
- Overstating impact without evidence
- Forgetting to show how diverse groups benefit
- Submitting an initiative that is not community-based
FAQ
1. What is the Spirit of Togetherness Award 2026?
The Spirit of Togetherness Award 2026 is a global award launched by Pernod Ricard in partnership with One Young World to recognise young leaders promoting social connection, inclusion, and community togetherness.
2. Who can apply for the award?
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, meet the legal drinking age requirement in their country of residence, and be working on a community-driven initiative. Applicants from all nationalities are eligible.
3. How many winners will be selected?
Five outstanding young leaders will be selected for the award.
4. What funding will winners receive?
Each selected recipient will receive a €8,000 grant to support and expand their initiative.
5. What additional support is provided?
Winners will receive support to attend the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, including travel assistance, accommodation from 2–6 November 2026, meals, and local transport during the summit.
6. What types of initiatives are eligible?
Eligible initiatives should strengthen social connection, promote inclusion, create joyful shared experiences, bridge diverse communities, or promote cultural togetherness through local traditions, heritage, food, drink, and shared cultural practices.
7. Will sustainability and innovation be considered?
Yes. Additional consideration will be given to initiatives that demonstrate environmental sustainability and innovation alongside their social impact.
Conclusion
The Spirit of Togetherness Award 2026 offers young leaders a valuable opportunity to expand initiatives that build social connection, inclusion, and cultural togetherness. With a €8,000 grant and sponsored participation in the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, the award helps community-driven leaders share their work globally, form new partnerships, and increase their long-term impact. Applicants should present clear evidence of community benefit, inclusion, scalability, and meaningful contribution to stronger, more connected communities.
For more information, visit One Young World.
