Apply now: AU-EU Cooperation Grants for Youth-Led Projects
We’re excited to announce the launch of the second round of the AU-EU Youth Action Lab! If you’re part of a youth-led organisation in the European Union (EU) or one of the 12 African Union (AU) countries listed below, this is your chance to secure funding for innovative projects tackling global challenges.
What is the Youth Action Lab?
The Youth Action Lab programme offers four distinct types of grants for AU-based organisations: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Representation and Cooperation. The programme provides funding, training, and resources to help young people influence policies, build networks, and drive projects that matter. These grants aim to support youth-led organisations for a period of 12 months. The Cooperation grants are open for EU-based organisations too!
Interested in the Cooperation Grants? Keep on reading! Curious about the other grants? Explore them on the Youth Action Lab webpage.
What are Cooperation Grants?
The Cooperation Grants financially support youth organisations to engage in policy-making and cross-continental collaboration between Africa and Europe. Grants of 50.000 EUR are available for consortiums of youth-led organisations. Each consortium should be made up of at least one African organisation and one European organisation. If your project is approved, the grant period will last from May 2026 to April 2027.
The 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.
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.
Am I eligible?
To apply for a Cooperation Grant, your organisation must meet the following requirements:
Be a non-profit organisation (for example, a Trust, Community-Based Organisation or Non-Governmental Organisation) with a clear social mission.
- Be youth-led, meaning:
100% of the people in decision-making positions (such as the board or leadership team) are young people aged 18–35;
At least 80% of all people involved are aged 18–35;
The project team implementing the proposed initiative is entirely made up of young people aged 18–35.
Be legally registered, with a bank account and a clear governance structure.
- Apply as a consortium of two to four organisations, including:
One based in one of the following 12 African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland region), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, or Zimbabwe and
One based in a European Union Member State.
(Independent applications are not accepted.)
Have at least one coordinating organisation with prior experience working on collaborative projects with other partners.
How can I apply?
Read the funding manual carefully;
Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria;
Prepare your project with at least one partner organisation from the other continent;
Deadline to apply: 12 February 2026, 13:00 Central European Time (CET)
Submit your joint application below 👇
Need help finding 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.
All organisations registered in the database will also receive an invitation to the Find your Partner(s)! online workshop on Thursday, 8 January 2026 at 14:00 CET, where you can connect with other potential partners
Need help with your application? Join our webinars!
We’re hosting a series of webinars in November and January to guide you through the application process and help you build your proposal.
1. 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:
- Tuesday, 25 November 2025 at 14:00 CET
- Thursday, 27 November 2025 at 11:00 CET (with International Sign Language interpretation)
2. AU-EU Youth Action Lab: Find your partner(s)!
If you need help finding a partner on the other continent, the matchmaking form and the Find your Partner(s)! online workshop (see above) will help you out.
- Thursday, 8 January 2026 at 14:00 CET
3. 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:
- 27 January 2026 at 14:00 CET
- 29 January 2026 at 11:00 CET (with International Sign Language interpretation)
Any questions?
Check out the funding manual and our FAQ for more information! Visit the Cooperation Grants webpage on the AU-EU Youth Lab website for more information!
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