Scholarship Overview
Overview
The Youth Entrepreneurship Grants provide financial support to youth-led organisations working to strengthen economic opportunities for young people. This initiative recognises that young entrepreneurs across Africa and beyond face significant barriers to starting and growing businesses, and seeks to fund advocacy efforts that address these systemic challenges.
This is the third and final grant round, with a specific focus on advocating for an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs. Successful applicants will join a platform connecting peers, decision-makers, and stakeholders across Africa and Europe, while receiving mentorship and capacity development support.
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Grant Amount and Funding Details
Each selected organisation receives €31,500 to implement their advocacy project. This funding supports:
- Project implementation with young people in your community
- Activities extending beyond your immediate locality where relevant
- Participation in a peer learning and networking platform
- Mentorship and tailored capacity development support
The grant is designed to provide comprehensive support, not just financial resources. Recipients become part of a broader ecosystem connecting African and European stakeholders invested in youth economic empowerment.
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Focus Area: Advocating for Enabling Environments
This round specifically targets advocacy initiatives that tackle barriers preventing young entrepreneurs from starting and growing businesses. The programme seeks ideas that demonstrate how advocacy can create systemic change and ensure supportive conditions for youth-led enterprises.
Previous rounds addressed skills development and responsible enterprise growth. This final round completes the trilogy by targeting the policy and structural environment that shapes entrepreneurial success.
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Eligibility Requirements
The grants are open to individual youth-led organisations. Key eligibility considerations include:
- Organisations must be youth-led
- Proposals must demonstrate how advocacy will address specific barriers facing young entrepreneurs
- Projects should show clear pathways to influencing decision-makers and creating enabling environments
- Organisations should have capacity to implement community-based work with young people
The programme particularly values organisations that can articulate concrete advocacy strategies with measurable outcomes for policy or practice change.
Application Process
Interested organisations must submit proposals through the Call for Proposals mechanism. Detailed application guidance is available in Funding Manuals provided in English, Portuguese, and French.
Applications should clearly demonstrate:
- Understanding of specific barriers facing young entrepreneurs in your context
- Innovative advocacy approaches to address these barriers
- How your proposed activities will create an enabling environment for youth entrepreneurship
- Capacity to engage young people in your community
- Potential for broader impact beyond immediate beneficiaries
What Successful Applicants Receive
Beyond the €31,500 financial support, grant recipients gain:
- Platform access: Share solutions with peers, decision-makers, and stakeholders across Africa and Europe
- Mentorship: Guidance from experienced professionals matched to your organisation’s needs
- Capacity development: Training and support tailored to strengthen your organisational capabilities
- Network integration: Connection to a community of youth-led organisations working on economic empowerment
Resources and Support
The programme provides comprehensive application support through multilingual Funding Manuals. Organisations can also subscribe to the newsletter for updates on opportunities and events.
Social media channels offer additional engagement opportunities through Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Important Notes
This initiative is supported by the European Commission, though views expressed remain those of programme consultants and do not reflect official European Commission positions.
Given this is the third and final grant round, interested organisations should apply promptly as no further rounds are planned.