Frequently Asked Questions
To help you with your application form to the EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization Open Call, you can find our most frequently asked questions below.
Eligibility and Application Process
Young people aged 14 to 30 from eligible countries for Official Development Assistance (ODA) can apply for the EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization grants. We welcome young individuals, informal groups or registered youth-led organizations eager to address global challenges aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We strongly encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented groups like young people in challenging circumstances, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, or individuals experiencing barriers related to their gender or disability.
Young Individuals: People who are between 14 and 30 years old (born between 1994 and 2010).
Informal Youth Groups: A group of two or more young people between the ages of 14 and 30, who are not officially registered as an organization in their country.
Registered Youth-Led Organization: A group of two or more young people who have officially registered their organization in their country and have a registration ID or number, and an official registration certificate.
We can only accept one project idea from you at a time. There will be a total of three Open Call cycles under the EU Youth Empowerment Fund through Global Youth Mobilization.
If your project idea is not awarded, you are welcome to apply again in the subsequent cycle taking into account any feedback received. If your project idea is awarded, and you have successfully completed the project, feel free to submit another innovative idea in a subsequent call.
This approach allows you to dedicate the necessary attention to each project and maximize your potential for success.
You can be involved in more than one project, but it is important that you only take lead on one project at a time, in which you are the named applicant. A named applicant cannot apply for more than one project.
We are looking for innovative projects that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make a meaningful impact within your community. Whether your project focuses on environmental protection, education, or health and well-being, it should aim to bring positive change, regardless of its size. The SDGs cover 17 diverse goals, including reducing inequalities, quality education, and climate action.
For those new to the SDGs, you can learn more about each goal here. While your project can touch on multiple goals, we ask that you identify one main SDG that your project primarily supports in your application.
We do not fund projects that are primarily profit-oriented or that do not have a clear and direct community benefit. Specifically, the following are not eligible for funding:
> Start-up businesses or agricultural operations that seek profit without clear social impact.
> Investments in technology, property, or office space that do not serve a direct community purpose.
> Projects that mainly involve purchasing materials or livestock, where these do not significantly contribute to social goals.
> For-profit projects with no obvious social purpose, or those that intend to use grants as seed funding for other businesses or individuals.
> We focus on supporting projects that aim to have a clear social impact. While projects can generate a surplus, this surplus must be reinvested back into the community or project itself.
The duration of your project depends on the funding level you are applying for:
Level 1: Your project should take no more than 3 months to complete.
Level 2 – 4: Your project should take no more than 6 months to complete.
For the Open Call – Cycle 1, the implementation dates for your project are as follows:
Level 1: Your project should take place between November 2024 and February 2025.
Level 2 – 4: Your project should take place between November 2024 and June 2025.
These guidelines will help you plan the timeframe for your project based on the funding level you are applying for.
Yes, if you were previously awarded funding in the first phase of GYM, you can apply again. However, we require that your new application be for a different project. This ensures a diverse range of initiatives are supported and encourages innovative solutions.
Yes, if you were previously awarded funding in the first phase of GYM, you can apply again. However, we require that your new application be for a different project. This ensures a diverse range of initiatives are supported and encourages innovative solutions.
No, not necessarily. However, the project proposed must be led and run by at least two young persons aged 14-30, with the full support and partnership with the organization.
You must provide information about the organization, including the organization’s mission, the organization’s registration number or ID, and a copy of the official registration certificate/document.
Funding Details
The Youth Panel decides funding amounts based on the project’s needs, potential impact, and budgetary requirements. The maximum amount you can request is determined by your project team type.
Team types:
Individual young person: Up to EUR 1500 (Level 1 and 2)
Informal youth group: Up to EUR 1500 (Level 1 and 2)
Registered youth-led organization: Up to EUR 5000 (Level 1 – 4)
We offer different funding based on the project’s needs and team size.
Level 1: Up to EUR 500 (all team types, ideal for smaller projects or testing new ideas)
Level 2: EUR 501 – EUR 1500 (all team types, ideal for projects with a broader reach/deeper impact)
Level 3: EUR 1501 – EUR 3000 (registered youth-led organizations only, ideal for small-scale projects with measurable community impact)
Level 4: EUR 3001 – EUR 5000 (registered youth-led organizations only, ideal for medium-scale projects with measurable community impact)
As an individual applicant or an informal group, you can choose to apply for funding within Level 1 (up to EUR 500) or Level 2 (up to EUR 1500).
As a registered youth-led organisation, you can choose to apply for funding at any level. Should you apply for the higher level in each, you will be expected to provide more detail in your end-of-project report, including thorough budget breakdowns and more frequent updates through photos, videos, and other documentation.
To decide which level to apply for, consider the following:
a. Scale of your project: Is your project small with limited needs, or does it have a wider scope requiring more resources?
b. Project management capacity: Do you have the time and skills to manage the budget requested?
c. Impact and ambitions: Does your project aim to have a broad impact, or is it a pilot that could be scaled up later?
d. Preparation and planning: Are you ready to provide a detailed report and evidence of impact through photographs, videos and or testimonials?
e. Resource Needs: Will a smaller amount of funding suffice for your project goals, or do you need the higher limit to fully implement your ideas?
The levels are flexible brackets; you can request any amount up to the maximum specified for each level. For example, if you are applying for Level 1, you can request funding ranging from a few Euros up to EUR 500.
This allows you to tailor your funding request to the exact needs of your project without having to stretch your budget or project scope unnecessarily.
Funds are securely transferred via bank transfer. The recipient must be an adult aged 18 years or older due to international banking regulations.
For registered youth-led organizations: Funds will be transferred directly into the organization’s bank account.
For individuals or informal groups with a youth representative aged 18 or older: Funds will be transferred directly into the youth representative’s personal bank account.
For individuals or informal groups with a youth representative aged 14-17: Funds will be transferred to a named adult representative, who will manage the funds on behalf of the project.
This adult may or may not be directly involved in the project.
Bank details will be collected from you after your project application is approved.
Funds can be utilized for various project activities, including materials, events, workshops, outreach efforts, and administrative expenses related to the project.
As a general guideline:
> For grants of EUR 1500 and above, costs related to salaries for the project implementation team, stipends for partners or volunteers, and overall project management should not exceed 50% of the total grant.
> Expenses for purchasing materials or equipment (excluding communications materials) to support project development should not exceed 20% of the overall budget.
We understand that certain projects may require allocations exceeding these guidelines. If this applies to your project, please provide a detailed justification in your application.
Ultimately, we aim to fund projects with reasonable budgets based on their nature and scale.
As part of your application, you will be required to complete a budget breakdown to explain how you plan to allocate the awarded funds to complete your project. You should separate your costs by budget lines (e.g. communications materials; salaries; supplies or equipment; transport) and provide a breakdown of the item names and quantities under each budget line (e.g. Venue rental for 3 days ; Materials to build 100 water filters; Fee to hire 1 trainer) accompanied by the total cost per budget line.
A clear breakdown of costs will allow the panel to understand your project better, and how achievable it might be.
Please provide all costs in EUR (you may use the conversion rate of the day using trusted conversion sites such as XE or Oanda or a pre-set EUR conversion rate you may already be using as an organisation).
Support and Accommodations
Yes, we provide accommodations to ensure the application process is accessible to all applicants, including those with disabilities. Specific accommodations can be requested during the application process.
If you encounter any accessibility issues that we may have unintentionally overlooked, please email us at: EU-YEF@globalyouthmobilization.org to discuss possible alternatives for completing the application form.
We are committed to facilitating your participation and will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Yes, if your project is selected, you’ll receive training and support to help you bring your ideas to life effectively.
This includes workshops on project and financial management to ensure you can manage your project smoothly and responsibly. Joining these workshops is optional but highly recommended.
You’ll also have the opportunity to apply to our Accelerator Program when it is launched. This program aims to grow selected projects with additional funding and specialized training to help you scale up your impact.
You’ll connect with other young leaders, engaging in peer-to-peer learning to exchange ideas, experiences, and best practices.
We recognize that completing an application in a non-native language can be challenging. While we may not always be able to provide live interpreter or translator services in your required language, we are committed to helping you navigate this process. Do consider using online translation tools to assist with understanding and completing the application.
These tools can help you articulate your responses comfortably in your native language.
If you encounter specific challenges, do let us know by emailing: EU-YEF@globalyouthmobilization.org, and we will do our best to find a supportive solution to facilitate your participation.
Application Submission and Review
We will conduct a total of three (3) rounds of the Open Call.
These cycles are spaced three (3) months apart and we refer to these rounds as Cycle 1, Cycle 2, and Cycle 3.
The first cycle’s open call starts from 27 June 2024 until 21 July 2024.
The Open Call – Cycle 1 application closes on 21 July 2024, 23:59 hours (CET).
Applicants will be informed of the Youth Panel’s decision within two (2) months after the application deadline by email.
The judges are members of the Youth Panel, composed of diverse young individuals from around the world who have experience in social projects, and understand the challenges and needs of youth-led initiatives.
An application can be disqualified if:
> Eligibility Criteria Not Met: You do not meet the full eligibility criteria.
> For-Profit Elements: Your project has strong elements of being for-profit.
> Incorrect Funding Level/Amount: You applied for a funding level or amount that has exceeded the maximum limit for your applicant type.
> Irrelevant Answers: The answers provided are not related to the question asked.
These four factors will cause an application to be immediately disqualified, so be sure to check them before applying.
Additional Information
The funding for this Open Call comes from the EU Youth Empowerment Fund, a flagship of the European Commission’s Youth Action Plan. It will provide direct financial support to youth-led initiatives around the world.
Global in its reach but focused on local solutions, the EU Youth Empowerment Fund has been co-designed with young people to provide easier, youth-friendly access to finance, applying the Global Youth Mobilization model, a grassroots movement of the Big Six that invests in and empowers young people to lead solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
The EU Youth Empowerment Fund will through its partnership with the Global Youth Mobilization make low-barrier funding accessible for young people at the grassroots level, minimising “red tape” and creating opportunities relevant to the needs and priorities of young people, including vulnerable, marginalised and underrepresented populations.
The Youth Empowerment Fund will focus on youth-led decision-making and solutions related to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals at a local level, with a particular focus on environment, climate change and gender equality,
The Fund will support mentoring and coaching opportunities, as well as capacity strengthening of young people to build their resilience, and help them lead, take action and advocate for their needs.
The Global Youth Mobilization Open Calls are opportunities for grant funding for Youth-led Solutions around the world. Young people implementing youth-led solutions are addressing grassroots challenges and leading change in communities through impactful projects.
GYM therefore builds powerful partnerships to launch thematic Open Calls for young people, in 2024 we announced a new partnership with the EU Youth Empowerment Fund.
About the Partners
The Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) is an initiative of the Big Six, established in 2020. From 2020-2022 it invested more than US$ 5 million to support 640 youth-led projects which engaged more than 600,000 young people and reached over 3.6 million people in communities across more than 125 countries.
Formed in 1996, the Big Six Youth Organizations are an alliance of leading international youth-serving organizations.
Together, the Big Six actively involve and engage more than 250 million young people, contributing to the empowerment of more than one billion young people during the last century.
The Big Six Youth Organizations are an alliance of major international youth-serving organizations, comprised of
> 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).
Global in its reach but focused on local solutions, the EU Youth Empowerment Fund has been co-designed with young people to provide easier, youth-friendly access to finance, applying the Global Youth Mobilization model, a grassroots movement of the Big Six that invests in and empowers young people to lead solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
Read more about the fund here.