Are you a youth-led organisation or group supporting initiatives led by or benefiting underrepresented and marginalised youth?

Call for Proposals

Are you passionate about

  • Voicing aspirations, issues or challenges facing under-represented or marginalised young people?
  • Organising (policy) events with relevant stakeholders voicing young people’s rights and priorities?
  • Increasing participation of young people in decision making processes, policy reviews and formulation?
  • Supporting development of policy solutions and alternatives towards the wellbeing of marginalised or under-represented young people?
  • Building coalitions and networks advocating for under-represented young people?
  • Supporting initiatives that are aligned to the national youth plans and the AU agenda 2063 that uplift marginalised and under-represented young people?

Then, the Representation grant is here to support you!

What do the Representation Grants seek to support?

It is a grant supporting initiatives led by underrepresented and marginalised youth in Africa with the overall goal of enabling young people to deliver the change they want in their communities. These grants will be managed by Restless Development Uganda – a non-profit global agency which supports the collective power of young leaders to create a better world.

The aim is to:

  • Strengthen the role of young people in designing and delivering the change they would like to see in their communities and beyond
  • Bring youth voices and solutions to policymakers at different levels, specifically the Africa Union and European Union!

How do you know if you are eligible to apply?

  1. Your organisation or group must be led by either underrepresented youth, and or targeting marginalised young people. Young people (15-35 years old) are the decision makers and beneficiaries, the founder or at least co-founders must be under 35 years of age, and at least 70% of staff should be young people below 35 years.
  2. For grants between 10.000 – 20.000 EURO (described as medium and large grants) you must be a registered youth-led group or organisation, community-based organisations (CBOs) or grassroots movements.
  3. Your organisation or group must be based in one of the 12 African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland region), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
  1. Your proposed activity takes place in one or more of the above 12 countries.

Size of the grants

  • The Representation Grants’ current first cohort are between 10.000 and 20.000 EURO.
  • Funding Period will be 12 -15 months.
  • Up to 20 grants will be awarded in this first call for proposals.

How to apply

Applications are now closed.

Consortium partners:

FAQ

Representation Grants

All Youth Action Lab grant types are created by youth and for youth. They aim to nurture organisations’ stability, financial security and organisational capacity.

Representation grants provide the opportunity for youth initiatives in Africa and Europe to apply for funding through a Call for Proposals (CfP) to implement your ideas and solutions linked to global challenges. They are grants supporting initiatives led by underrepresented and marginalized youth in Africa with the overall goal of enabling young people to deliver the change they wanted in their communities.

Some more good news? Our application and reporting mechanisms are designed in a way that make sense to youth initiatives. Read the funding manual – [download it here] for more information.

To apply for a Representation Grant, your organisation must meet the following requirements:

  • Youth led organisations or groups focusing on either underrepresented or targeting the marginalized youth.
  • The organisation or group must have young people between 15 – 35 years as the decision makers, founders or at least co-founders must be under 35 years of age.
  • At least 75% of the staff must be under the age of 35 years
  • Must be registered youth-led group, CSO, networks, alliances, collectives
  • Your organisation or group must be based in one of the 12 African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland region), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
  • The organisation or group must be active at the grassroot, sub national, national, sub regional and regional.

These grants are called representation grants because they aim at supporting initiatives led by underrepresented and marginalized African youth. Youth face numerous barriers that prevent them from engaging meaningful in things that matter to them, empowerment and connection.

Representation grants are called powershifting grants because of specifically 3 reasons:

  • Nothing about youth without youth – a Youth Advisory Board of the Youth Action Lab will review and select the proposals to receive funding.
  • The grants facilitate and nurture stability, resilience, financial security, and organisational capacity.
  • Application and reporting mechanisms make sense to youth initiatives.

Representation grants are 40 in number, and each will run for a maximum duration of 12 months. Grant sizes will be in three categories; that is, small size of €5,000 will be 10 in number, medium size of €10,000 will also be 10 in number and 20 large (€20,000).

  • Representation grants will support youth-led initiatives challenging discriminatory acts and promote inclusion – especially among the underrepresented and marginalized young people.
  • Support movement building initiatives such as advocacy coalitions and networks right from grassroots;
  • Initiatives that are aligned to the national youth plans and the AU agenda 2063
  • Supporting development of policy solutions and alternatives towards the wellbeing of young people (Hackathons) and increased participation of young people in decision making processes, policy reviews and formulation.
  • You need to carefully read the funding manual
  • You will need to make your application on the ON Grip platform

The assessment process of applications will take about six weeks, therefore expect to hear from us after 7th week after application submission.

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This website has been prepared with the financial assistance of the European Commission. The views expressed herein are those of the consultants and therefore in no way reflects the official opinion of the European Commission.

Newsletter

Sign up to know about the programme’s opportunities and events.

Stay connected

Follow us and get involved!

This website has been prepared with the financial assistance of the European Commission. The views expressed herein are those of the consultants and therefore in no way reflects the official opinion of the European Commission.

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