13 February 2025

In an exciting development for youth innovators worldwide, 410 remarkable Youth-led Solutions have been selected for funding under the first Open Call cycle of the Youth Empowerment Fund (YEF), a partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Big Six Youth Organizations (Big Six) through the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM). This marks a major milestone in the mission of the Youth Empowerment Fund to provide young innovators with the resources and opportunities they need to drive meaningful action in their local communities.

The projects or ‘youth-led solutions’ selected for funding all aim to address at least one of the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the grassroots level. The most addressed SDGs include Climate Action (55% of projects), Quality Education (41%), Good Health and Well-being (40%), Gender Equality (38%), and Reduced Inequalities (31%). The diversity of the projects highlights the will, creativity, and resourcefulness of young innovators in tackling both local and global challenges.

The grant awardees were selected through a youth-led and youth-driven review process from over 10,400 applications. Individuals and informal groups will receive micro-grants ranging between €500 and €1,500, while registered youth-led organizations can receive up to €5,000.

Enabled by the GYM’s Youth-Led Model, the applications were reviewed and recommended by a Youth Panel of 166 young people from across the globe, as well as the GYM’s Youth Board Representatives. Overall, they contributed over 3,400 volunteer hours in the intensive review process from August to November 2024 to select the projects.

Young people will begin the implementation of their projects in early 2025, with an implementation period of up to six months. As the projects take flight, the world can look forward to seeing how youth around the globe are transforming their communities – and the world – one idea at a time!

A key priority of the Youth Empowerment Fund is to fund youth-led initiatives supporting under-represented and vulnerable communities, such as those affected by climate change, people with disabilities or chronic illness, and people facing gender-based barriers. By targeting these important areas, the Youth Empowerment Fund enables young people to create lasting positive change where it’s needed most.

Here is a snapshot of projects supported by the Youth Empowerment Fund in the first open call cycle:

BACKGROUND

The Youth Empowerment Fund (YEF) is a partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Big Six Youth Organisations (Big Six). Delivered through the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM), the €10 million Youth Empowerment Fund provides resources for young people globally to advance the objectives of Agenda 2030 in line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy. With a focus on creating accessible opportunities for young people, including those from marginalized and under-represented groups, it aims to reduce traditional funding barriers young people face and provide capacity building support to enable young people to make a real impact in their local communities.

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 Youth Empowerment Fund is one of the key actions that support young people.

The Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) — launched by the Big Six in 2020, 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 between 2020 and 2022. Through the funding of the Youth Empowerment Fund, the GYM 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.