Are you ready to tackle some of our world’s global challenges?
The Cooperation Grants financially support youth organisations, particularly marginalised youth, to engage in policy-making and cross-continental collaboration between Africa and Europe. Grants of 50.000 EURO are available for consortiums of youth-led organisations, with at least one African organisation and one European organisation.
What do we mean with cooperation?
Young people around the world often face similar challenges. Some, like climate change and inequality, require global solutions; others, such as lack of education or economic opportunities, demand more localised solutions. Cooperation grants aim to help African and European youth organisations share resources, knowledge and strategies, and to leverage the added value of collaboration, creating a stronger response across continents.
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Youth-led organisations from the AU and EU must apply together, with at least two organisations as part of the consortium. Applications must be submitted jointly; independent submissions from a single organisation will not be accepted.
Each group of organisations must dedicate their proposal to tackling one solution, with work taking place in both continents. We believe that by cooperation, our actions become stronger!
What can you expect when you receive a grant?
Cooperation Grants aim to:
- Enable young people, to become effective advocates for their rights and their priorities by giving them the financial resources required to dedicate efforts to policy-work on local, national and international stages.
- Provide training and resources to help youth understand how to engage with government institutions and influence policy as active citizens.
- Facilitate connections between youth organisations across Africa and Europe to promote intercultural dialogue and collaborative initiatives.
Is your organisation eligible to apply?
- Your organisation must be legally registered in your country, have an organisation bank account and a governance structure;
- Your organisation is youth-led (age 18 to 35) where young people are the decision makers;
- Your organisation is located in one of the European Union member states or in one of the 12 specific African countries, namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe;
- At least one of the cooperating organisations has prior experience working on collaborative projects.
What kind of activities can you propose?
The Cooperation Grants support the joint advocacy work of youth organisations. By advocacy, we mean speaking up for a cause, hold power to account, and/or to create change. Your initiative can take many forms and include a wide range of activities, such as:
- Organising policy events with stakeholders;
- Conducting research and share findings;
- Facilitating the participation of marginalised youth in policy discussions;
- Hosting events to mobilise support for youth-led projects;
- Launching online campaigns to raise awareness about youth issues.
- Using social media tools to share ideas and work together.
- Connecting youth with EU and AU representatives;
- Create connections with other youth-led initiatives and projects;
- Press releases to engage with media to spread key messages and project updates.
This is not an exhaustive list and you are free to deviate from these examples. When you choose differently, please explain clearly why and how this relates to the focus of the grant.
How to apply
- Carefully read the funding manual. (English)
- Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria.
- Find at least one partner organisation from the other continent.
- Deadline for applications: 16th of March.
Not sure how to find a partner organisation?
You’re interested in applying for the Cooperation Grants but you don’t know any organisations on the other continent? No worries! Fill in this form and you’ll see a confirmation message with a link and access to a database of potential partner organisations interested in this programme.
Need help with your application? Join our webinars in January and February, where we’ll walk you through the process of developing and submitting your project proposal.
What is the AU-EU Youth Action Lab & what are Cooperation Grants?
Learn more about this grant type and how to create your consortium by registering to one of the following webinars:
AU-EU Youth Action Lab: Tips & next steps to apply for a Cooperation Grant
Get guidance on how to write a project proposal and learn the next steps before submitting your application by registering to one of the following webinars:
Any questions?
Check out the funding manual and our FAQ for more information!
Want to connect with other youth organisations and stay up-to-date on the latest info about the grants? Sign up to our online community on the Power to Voices Platform in two steps:
Step 1: Sign up to the Power to Voices Platform by making an account: Sign Up Here
Step 2: Go to the AU-EU Youth Action Lab Community and click on ‘follow’ to become a member of the group, via this link: AU-EU Youth Action Lab Community | Power to Voices