UNICEF Call for EOIs: Youth Mentorship Program (Timor-Leste)

Deadline: 27-Mar-2026

UNICEF is inviting organizations in Timor-Leste to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to support the third phase of a youth mentorship program aimed at strengthening 13 youth associations. The initiative focuses on building organizational capacity, financial management, strategic planning, advocacy, and local leadership, with an indicative budget of USD 65,000.

About the Opportunity

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has launched a Call for Expression of Interest for organizations to support a mentorship program in Timor-Leste.

The programme aims to strengthen youth associations and local leadership by helping young people’s groups become more organized, sustainable, and effective as community-based civic actors.

Key Focus Areas

The initiative supports work in areas such as:

• Communication for development

• Disability and inclusion

• Gender equality and women’s empowerment

• Monitoring and evaluation

• Training and capacity development

• Skills development for adolescents

• Community mobilization and self-reliance

• Policy advocacy

• Public finance and local governance

Why This Programme Matters

Timor-Leste has a large number of youth groups, but many remain informal and lack the systems needed to operate effectively.

A UNICEF assessment identified 476 youth groups nationwide, with:

• 66% informal

• Only 33% officially registered

• Many focused on small-scale income activities

• Only about half offering training opportunities

This is especially important because around 30% of youth in Timor-Leste are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

Previous Progress

UNICEF previously partnered with the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Art and Culture and Ba Futuru to implement the first two phases of the mentorship programme between June 2024 and December 2025.

These earlier phases:

• Supported the legal registration of 13 youth associations

• Covered the municipalities of Dili, Ermera, and Bobonaro

• Delivered training in:

  • Leadership

  • Governance

  • Communication

  • Decision-making

  • Networking

  • Advocacy

  • Economic development

What Phase 3 Will Do

The third phase aims to build on earlier progress and help the 13 youth associations become stronger and more independent.

Main expected results:

• Stronger financial management systems

• Better budgeting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting

• Capacity to manage small grants responsibly

• Development of five-year strategic plans for all 13 associations

• Improved advocacy and civic engagement

• Municipal-level community action plans

• Peer learning visits with established CSOs and community organizations

• Better documentation of progress, lessons, and institutional growth

Funding Information

• Indicative budget: USD 65,000

Who Should Apply?

The provided text does not list a full formal eligibility section, but this call is clearly intended for organizations capable of implementing youth mentorship, capacity building, and civic engagement support in Timor-Leste.

Strong applicants will likely be organizations with experience in:

• Youth development

• Capacity building and training

• Civil society strengthening

• Community mobilization

• Financial and organizational mentoring

• Advocacy and governance

• Working with youth associations or community-based groups

How to Apply

Since this is a Call for Expression of Interest, interested organizations should prepare a strong EOI package.

What to prepare:

• Organization profile

• Legal registration documents

• Relevant experience in youth or civil society strengthening

• Past work in Timor-Leste or local partnerships

• Proposed approach for mentoring the 13 youth associations

• Technical capacity in financial systems, strategic planning, and advocacy

• Budget and implementation outline aligned with the USD 65,000 allocation

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting a generic EOI without youth mentorship experience

• Not showing experience in organizational capacity building

• Ignoring financial management and strategic planning support

• Failing to explain how the organization will work with 13 existing youth associations

• Proposing activities that do not match the USD 65,000 scale

FAQs

What is this UNICEF Timor-Leste opportunity about?

It is a Call for Expression of Interest for organizations to support the third phase of a youth mentorship program for 13 youth associations in Timor-Leste.

What is the budget?

The indicative budget is USD 65,000.

Who are the target beneficiaries?

The programme will support 13 youth associations that were previously registered and mentored under earlier phases.

What will the selected organization do?

The selected organization is expected to provide mentoring in areas such as financial management, strategic planning, advocacy, civic engagement, peer learning, and documentation.

Why is this programme important?

Because many youth groups in Timor-Leste remain informal and need stronger systems to become sustainable, effective, and recognized civic actors.

Conclusion

The UNICEF Timor-Leste Call for Expression of Interest is a valuable opportunity for organizations working in youth development, civic engagement, and capacity building.

If your organization has experience supporting youth associations, governance systems, advocacy, and organizational strengthening, this USD 65,000 initiative offers a strong chance to help build long-term local leadership in Timor-Leste.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.