Open Call: AU-EU Grants for Youth Participation and Inclusion

Deadline: 29-Jun-2026

The AU-EU Youth Voices Third-Party Funding Mechanism provides grants to youth-led groups in Africa and Europe to implement initiatives that address community needs and strengthen youth participation. Grants range from EUR 1,000 to EUR 10,000 and support activities implemented over six to twelve months. The programme focuses on youth rights, inclusion, gender equality, climate justice, policy dialogue, accountability, and the participation of marginalized young people in decision-making.

Overview

The AU-EU Youth Voices Third-Party Funding Mechanism supports youth-led groups that are working to improve the lives of young people and strengthen communities across Africa and Europe.

The funding mechanism is part of the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, a four-year programme co-funded by the European Union.

The programme aims to build a more inclusive and youth-responsive society by supporting young people to advocate for their priorities and influence governance processes at local, regional, and continental levels.

Key Focus Areas

The programme focuses on youth participation, advocacy, inclusion, and policy engagement.

Key focus areas include:

• Youth participation
• Accountability
• Policy dialogue
• Community needs
• Youth rights
• Inclusion
• Gender equality
• Climate justice
• Education
• Employment
• Peacebuilding
• Anti-discrimination awareness campaigns
• Youth-led advocacy
• Community consultations
• Youth-led research
• Public dialogues
• Policy engagement
• Youth empowerment
• Marginalized youth inclusion
• Hard-to-reach youth participation
• Decision-making processes
• Inclusive governance

Purpose of the Funding Mechanism

The purpose of the AU-EU Youth Voices Third-Party Funding Mechanism is to provide direct financial support to youth-led groups that are responding to real community needs.

The programme supports initiatives that help young people participate in decision-making, advocate for change, and contribute to wider policy discussions across Africa and Europe.

It also aims to make funding more accessible for youth-led groups, especially those working with underrepresented and marginalized young people.

Grant Amount

Grant funding is available in three categories.

The grant categories are:

• Small grants: EUR 1,000
• Medium grants: EUR 5,000
• Large grants: EUR 10,000

Each grant will support activities implemented over a period of six to twelve months.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants must be youth-led groups working with and for young people aged 15 to 35.

Applicants must also be based in one of the programme’s intervention countries.

Eligible groups should demonstrate:

• Youth leadership
• Strong connection to the communities they serve
• Commitment to inclusive approaches
• Safe and ethical implementation practices
• Ability to address youth priorities
• Interest in advocacy, participation, or community action
• Willingness to engage marginalized and hard-to-reach young people

What the Grants Can Support

The funding mechanism supports youth-led activities that address community challenges and contribute to broader advocacy efforts.

Supported activities may include:

• Workshops
• Trainings
• Advocacy campaigns
• Public events
• Youth-led research
• Publications
• Community consultations
• Public dialogues
• Policy engagement activities
• Awareness campaigns
• Hackathons
• Policy research
• Policy brief development
• Dialogue events
• Campaigns challenging discrimination
• Initiatives promoting youth participation and accountability

Activities should be rooted in local realities while also contributing to wider conversations around youth priorities, inclusion, and policy change.

Programme Priorities

The programme gives particular attention to youth-led initiatives that promote inclusion and amplify the voices of young people who are often excluded from decision-making.

Priority will be given to initiatives that:

• Challenge discriminatory practices
• Promote gender equality
• Support climate justice
• Include marginalized young people
• Engage hard-to-reach youth
• Promote youth participation in policy processes
• Advocate for policy or programme change
• Strengthen youth accountability mechanisms
• Support peacebuilding and community resilience
• Address education, employment, and social inclusion challenges

Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective

The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective is a four-year programme co-funded by the European Union.

The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of young people to advocate for their priorities across Africa and Europe.

It also encourages institutions and decision-makers to include youth perspectives in governance, planning, and policy processes.

Role of Young People in Decision-Making

The programme is guided by the principle that young people should be at the center of decision-making.

This means youth-led groups are not only beneficiaries but also key actors in identifying problems, designing solutions, implementing activities, and influencing policy.

The Youth Advisory Board plays a central role in reviewing and approving applications, reinforcing the programme’s commitment to youth-led decision-making.

Management and Support

The grants are managed by Restless Development Uganda.

The programme also provides additional support beyond funding.

This may include:

• Mentorship
• Networking opportunities
• Capacity building
• Peer learning
• Support for underrepresented groups
• Guidance to help youth-led groups implement strong initiatives

This support helps youth-led groups strengthen their skills, expand their networks, and improve the quality of their advocacy and community action.

Why It Matters

Young people play a vital role in advancing sustainable development, equality, peace, accountability, and inclusive governance.

However, youth-led groups often face barriers in accessing funding, policy spaces, and institutional support.

The AU-EU Youth Voices Third-Party Funding Mechanism helps reduce these barriers by providing small, medium, and large grants for youth-led initiatives that are grounded in community realities.

By supporting young people to lead advocacy, dialogue, research, and community action, the programme helps ensure that youth voices influence decisions that affect their lives.

How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Application

Applicants should prepare a clear proposal that explains the community issue, youth leadership role, planned activities, target group, expected outcomes, and inclusion strategy.

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

Applicants should first confirm that their group is youth-led and works with or for young people aged 15 to 35.

They should also confirm that they are based in one of the programme’s intervention countries.

Step 2: Identify the Community Need

The proposal should clearly explain the problem or challenge the initiative will address.

This may include:

• Limited youth participation
• Gender inequality
• Discrimination
• Climate-related challenges
• Lack of access to education or employment
• Exclusion of marginalized youth
• Limited accountability from decision-makers
• Lack of youth voice in policy processes
• Community conflict or peacebuilding needs

Step 3: Choose the Right Grant Category

Applicants should select the grant size that matches the scale of their proposed activity.

They may apply for:

• EUR 1,000 for small activities
• EUR 5,000 for medium-scale initiatives
• EUR 10,000 for larger youth-led actions

The requested amount should match the proposed activities and implementation capacity.

Step 4: Design Youth-Led Activities

The proposal should clearly explain what activities will be implemented.

Activities may include trainings, consultations, campaigns, policy dialogues, research, public events, hackathons, or advocacy actions.

The application should show how young people will lead or meaningfully participate in every stage of the initiative.

Step 5: Include Marginalized and Hard-to-Reach Youth

Applicants should explain how they will include young people who are often left out of decision-making.

This may include:

• Young women
• Youth with disabilities
• Rural youth
• Refugee or displaced youth
• Economically disadvantaged youth
• Youth from minority communities
• Young people affected by discrimination
• Hard-to-reach youth groups

Step 6: Explain Policy or Community Impact

The proposal should describe the expected change.

Possible outcomes may include:

• Increased youth participation
• Stronger youth advocacy
• Improved community awareness
• Better inclusion of marginalized youth
• Policy recommendations developed by youth
• Stronger accountability from decision-makers
• Youth-led research findings shared with stakeholders
• More inclusive local, national, regional, or continental policy discussions

Step 7: Prepare a Realistic Timeline

Activities must be implemented over six to twelve months.

Applicants should prepare a realistic timeline that shows when activities will take place and how the project will be completed within the grant period.

Step 8: Prepare a Clear Budget

The budget should match the selected grant category and proposed activities.

Applicants should ensure that costs are realistic, relevant, and directly connected to the initiative.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid weak or unclear proposals.

Common mistakes include:

• Applying without being a youth-led group
• Not showing a clear link to young people aged 15 to 35
• Proposing activities outside the six to twelve month period
• Choosing a grant category that does not match the project scale
• Not explaining the community need clearly
• Failing to include marginalized or hard-to-reach young people
• Submitting a proposal without a clear advocacy or participation focus
• Not showing how young people will lead the initiative
• Providing a vague budget
• Not explaining how the activity connects to policy dialogue or community change

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should be youth-led, practical, inclusive, and community-focused.

Useful tips include:

• Clearly show that the group is led by young people.
• Explain the local issue or community need in simple terms.
• Link the proposed activities to youth rights, inclusion, accountability, or policy engagement.
• Choose the correct grant size for the activity.
• Include marginalized and hard-to-reach youth in the design and implementation.
• Show how the initiative will influence decision-makers or public dialogue.
• Use clear activities such as consultations, campaigns, research, trainings, or dialogues.
• Explain how results will be shared with communities or policymakers.
• Keep the budget realistic and transparent.
• Highlight safe, ethical, and inclusive implementation practices.

FAQ

1. What is the AU-EU Youth Voices Third-Party Funding Mechanism?

It is a grant mechanism that provides financial support to youth-led groups in Africa and Europe to implement initiatives that address youth needs, strengthen communities, and support youth participation in decision-making.

2. How much funding is available?

Grants are available in three categories: EUR 1,000, EUR 5,000, and EUR 10,000.

3. Who can apply?

Youth-led groups working with and for young people aged 15 to 35 can apply if they are based in one of the programme’s intervention countries.

4. What activities can be supported?

Supported activities may include workshops, trainings, advocacy campaigns, public events, youth-led research, publications, consultations, hackathons, policy briefs, and dialogue events.

5. How long can funded activities last?

Each grant supports activities implemented over six to twelve months.

6. Who manages the grants?

The grants are managed by Restless Development Uganda, with the Youth Advisory Board playing a central role in reviewing and approving applications.

7. What types of initiatives are prioritized?

The programme prioritizes youth-led initiatives that challenge discrimination, promote inclusion, amplify marginalized youth voices, encourage policy participation, and advocate for changes in policies or programmes.

Conclusion

The AU-EU Youth Voices Third-Party Funding Mechanism provides important support for youth-led groups working to strengthen communities and influence decision-making across Africa and Europe.

With grants of EUR 1,000, EUR 5,000, and EUR 10,000, the programme helps young people lead advocacy, research, dialogue, campaigns, and community action. Strong applications should demonstrate youth leadership, clear community relevance, inclusion of marginalized young people, practical activities, policy engagement, and a realistic plan for impact over six to twelve months.

For more information, visit AU-EU Youth Voices Lab.