Grants for Youth Initiatives in the Field of Democracy

The call is launched by the European Youth Foundation (EYF) of the Council of Europe to support youth initiatives that empower young people to learn about democracy and human rights and actively participate in democratic life. Supported initiatives include educational and awareness-raising actions based on human rights education and education for democratic citizenship, promoting critical thinking, citizenship skills and youth participation in democratic processes. Projects should address current challenges to democracy (misinformation, manipulation, fake news, barriers to voting and participation), be innovative, provide added value and demonstrate impact on young people and local communities. Grantees are expected to use Council of Europe educational resources, including Compass – Manual on Human Rights Education with Young People and the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life.

Projects are eligible if they involve young people with limited previous opportunities to participate in similar initiatives. The activities must meet the following requirements:

• at least 75% of participants must be aged 30 or younger;
• participants must reside in at least one Council of Europe member State (participants from other countries may be included if duly justified);
• the project should ensure the inclusion of young people with disabilities, while taking gender equality and social inclusion into account.

Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

Applicants are also ineligible if they have final convictions for certain criminal offences, are subject to bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings, have committed serious professional misconduct, fail to meet tax or social security obligations, have unmanaged conflicts of interest, or have been involved in the mismanagement of Council of Europe or public funds. When submitting an application, organisations must provide a declaration on honour, and the Council of Europe may request additional supporting documents at a later stage.

Applicants may request a grant of up to €8,000 under this call for proposals. The proposed budget must be consistent, accurate, clear, complete, cost-effective, and aligned with the planned project activities. Each project must include a contribution from the applicant's own resources or from third parties. Co-financing may be provided through financial contributions, human resources, or in-kind support.

The total budget available under the call is €200,000. The European Youth Foundation intends to award 25 grants, each with a maximum value of €8,000. However, the Foundation reserves the right to adjust the number or value of grants depending on the available budget, the applications received, and the outcome of the selection process.

Grant funding is disbursed in two instalments:

• 80% of the grant amount is paid after the grant agreement is signed between the beneficiary organisation and the European Youth Foundation;
• the remaining balance is paid after the submission and acceptance of the final narrative and financial reports.

The grant does not cover, among others:

• commercial or profit-making activities;
• the purchase of land or buildings;
• construction or renovation of buildings;
• the purchase of fixed equipment for buildings;
• tourism activities;
• scholarships;
• sports events and competitions;
• school exchanges;
• activities forming part of a school or university programme or having a strictly vocational character;
• activities unrelated to the work or priorities of the Council of Europe;
• statutory activities of youth organisations.

The grant programme supports youth initiatives that promote democracy, human rights and active civic participation. Projects should address challenges faced by young people, including misinformation, manipulation, low participation in democratic processes and barriers to civic engagement.

The programme supports the following types of activities:

• awareness-raising and educational initiatives on human rights and democratic citizenship;
• workshops, training activities, awareness campaigns and similar actions engaging young people in learning about democracy and human rights;
• activities aimed at strengthening critical thinking, citizenship skills and participation in democratic processes;
• initiatives demonstrating innovation, thematic relevance and a positive impact on young people and their local communities.

Projects are expected to include an educational dimension and a youth engagement component, support young people's participation in democratic life, and make use of the Council of Europe’s educational resources and approaches.

To participate in the grant programme, applicants must register with the European Youth Foundation (EYF) and submit their proposal through the Foundation’s online grant management system.

The application process includes the following steps:

• create an EYF account (for new applicants) and obtain validation of the registration;
• prepare and submit the application through the EYF online granting system;
• upload a completed narrative application form;
• upload a completed budget form, including both the costs requested from the EYF grant and those covered by other funding sources;
• submit the application in English or French by 1 September 2026, 23:59 CEST.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications are evaluated against four assessment criteria, each with a defined weighting in the overall evaluation:

• Relevance and added value of the proposal in relation to the objectives of the call — 40%.
• Quality, clarity, and completeness of the proposal — 32%.
• Cost-effectiveness and completeness of the proposed budget — 16%.
• Expertise and experience of the organisation, partners, and project team — 12%.

Once the evaluation process is completed, applicants receive written notification of the final decision of the Programming Committee on Youth regarding their applications. Successful applicants are then invited to sign a grant agreement with the European Youth Foundation.

• Online application form.
• Detailed project budget.
• Activity plan (as part of the application).

As part of the grant programme, two online information sessions will be organised for youth organisations and their representatives to explain the specific features of the call for proposals. The sessions are scheduled for:

• 23 July 2026 (15:00–16:30 CEST) https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/392693852182881?p=UfAQJ9svDve8o9xdCr
• 11 August 2026 (15:00–16:30 CEST) https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/333845867471027?p=SGMmn66IRcTPObWAO5

In addition, applicants may participate in the Digital Open Desks, where they can ask questions related to the call for proposals. These online sessions will be held every Wednesday:

• in July — 8, 15, 22, and 29 July https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/37397345421035?p=TT1idAa0NNOUwBFbXk
• in August — 5, 12, 19, and 26 August https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/37397345421035?p=TT1idAa0NNOUwBFbXk

The sessions take place from 14:00 to 16:00 CET via Microsoft Teams, with no prior registration required.

Grant recipients are required to comply with the final reporting requirements after the project is completed. The Foundation must receive:

• a narrative report;
• a financial report.

Both reports must be submitted no later than 2 months after the end of the project. The final grant payment (20%) is released after the Council of Europe has received and accepted the final narrative and financial reports.

Projects completed before the application submission date are automatically excluded from the call. The indicative deadline for grant reporting is by 29 February 2028, corresponding to two months after the end of the projects.

Проєкти реалізуються відповідно до Operational Regulations of the European Youth Foundation та принципів прозорості, рівного ставлення, недискримінації, співфінансування, неприбутковості та відсутності зворотної дії гранту.