Young people leading initiatives across Africa have an opportunity to secure funding through the AU-EU Youth Action Lab Grants 2026, with the final Call for Proposals supporting youth-led projects that address global challenges and strengthen opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
The AU-EU Youth Action Lab is inviting eligible youth initiatives to apply for one of two grant opportunities: Innovation Grants or Entrepreneurship Grants.
Successful projects will receive support for 12 months, running from January to December 2027.
Applications are open to eligible initiatives in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland Region), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The final application deadline is 23 September 2026 at 13:00 Central African Time (CAT).
What Is the AU-EU Youth Action Lab?
The AU-EU Youth Action Lab supports young people across Africa and Europe by creating opportunities for youth-led initiatives to develop solutions, collaborate with peers, and contribute their ideas to decision-making processes.
The programme aims to connect young people across the two continents while giving youth initiatives opportunities to share knowledge and develop responses to challenges affecting their communities.
An important part of the programme is creating channels through which young people can bring their ideas and solutions to decision-makers, including the African Union and European Union.
For its final Call for Proposals, the Youth Action Lab is offering two different grant opportunities designed specifically for youth-led initiatives.
Which Countries Are Eligible?
The final Call for Proposals identifies 12 eligible African countries:
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia — Somaliland Region
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Youth-led initiatives should carefully check the requirements of their preferred grant before preparing an application.
Two AU-EU Youth Action Lab Grants Available
Applicants have two different funding opportunities to consider.
However, there is an important restriction:
Applicants can apply for only one grant opportunity at a time.
The two funding streams have different objectives, so applicants should select the grant that most closely matches their initiative and proposed activities.
1. Innovation Grants
The Innovation Grants are intended to support youth initiatives that want to design, test and/or scale innovations connected to global challenges.
This stream could therefore be relevant to youth-led organisations developing innovative responses to challenges affecting their communities.
Projects should demonstrate a clear connection between their proposed innovation and the wider challenges the programme seeks to address.
Applicants interested in this category should review the complete Innovation Grant requirements before submitting their proposal.
2. Entrepreneurship Grants
The second opportunity is the Entrepreneurship Grants.
These grants support youth initiatives working to advocate for an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs.
Rather than simply supporting an individual business idea, the stated focus is on youth initiatives that want to improve the broader environment in which young entrepreneurs operate.
Applicants should therefore ensure that their proposal aligns with the specific objectives of the Entrepreneurship Grant before applying.
How Long Will the Grants Run?
Projects selected through the final Call for Proposals will run for 12 months.
The implementation period is:
January 2027 – December 2027
Applicants should therefore develop proposals and activities that can realistically be implemented within this timeframe.
What Are “Powershifting” Grants?
The Youth Action Lab describes these opportunities as powershifting grants.
This approach is built around three important principles.
Nothing About Youth Without Youth
Young people have a direct role in deciding which initiatives receive funding.
A Youth Advisory Board of the Youth Action Lab will review proposals and select the projects that will receive support.
This gives young people an important role within the grant selection process.
Organisational Capacity
The grants aim to contribute to the stability and resilience of youth initiatives rather than focusing solely on individual activities.
The programme highlights areas including:
Organisational stability
Resilience
Financial security
Organisational capacity
This approach is intended to help youth-led initiatives develop stronger foundations for their work.
Simplified Applications and Reporting
The Youth Action Lab also aims to make its application and reporting requirements appropriate for youth initiatives.
The programme specifically highlights simplified application and reporting mechanisms as part of its power-shifting approach.
Who Should Consider Applying?
The opportunity is aimed at youth-led initiatives in the eligible countries.
Potential applicants should first determine whether their work aligns more closely with one of the two available categories.
Initiatives developing or scaling solutions connected to global challenges should investigate the Innovation Grants.
Youth initiatives advocating for better conditions and opportunities for young entrepreneurs should investigate the Entrepreneurship Grants.
Applicants should not submit applications to both opportunities simultaneously because the programme states that organisations may apply to only one grant opportunity at a time.
How to Choose the Right Grant
Before beginning an application, youth organisations should clearly identify what their project is trying to accomplish.
Consider the Innovation Grant if your initiative primarily wants to:
- Design an innovation
- Test a new solution
- Develop an existing innovation
- Scale an innovative approach
- Address global challenges within your local context
Consider the Entrepreneurship Grant if your initiative focuses on advocacy designed to create a more enabling environment for young entrepreneurs.
Selecting the appropriate funding stream is important because each grant has its own specific focus and requirements.
How to Apply for the AU-EU Youth Action Lab Grants
Applicants should first visit the Youth Action Lab’s grant information and review the detailed requirements for their selected funding stream.
The programme also provides a dedicated application guide explaining how applicants can prepare and submit their proposals.
Before submitting, applicants should:
- Confirm that their initiative meets the eligibility requirements.
- Choose either the Innovation Grant or Entrepreneurship Grant.
- Read the complete guidelines for the selected opportunity.
- Prepare the required application information.
- Follow the official submission instructions.
- Submit the application before the deadline.
Applicants should avoid applying to both grant streams because only one grant opportunity can be selected at a time.
Application Deadline
The final deadline for applications is:
23 September 2026 at 13:00 Central African Time (CAT)
Applicants should prepare their submissions early enough to resolve any technical or documentation problems before the application portal closes.
Why Youth-Led Organisations Should Pay Attention
The AU-EU Youth Action Lab opportunity differs from many traditional funding programmes because youth participation is built into the grant-making approach.
Young people are not simply beneficiaries of the programme. Through the Youth Advisory Board, they also participate in reviewing and selecting proposals.
The programme additionally places emphasis on strengthening organisational capacity, resilience and financial security while simplifying application and reporting processes.
For youth initiatives working on innovative responses to global challenges or advocating for stronger entrepreneurial environments, the final Call for Proposals provides an opportunity to seek support for activities planned throughout 2027.
Eligible youth-led initiatives in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe should review the appropriate grant guidelines and submit their applications before 23 September 2026 at 13:00 CAT.
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