The Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants 2026 are supporting youth-led organisations developing innovative solutions to challenges affecting young people and their communities.
The programme recognises that innovation does not always mean creating an entirely new idea or technology. Organisations can apply to design and test a new approach, adapt a successful solution to their local context, scale an existing initiative or improve a programme based on evidence, feedback and lessons learned.
Selected organisations will receive funding to implement their projects while gaining access to mentorship, capacity development and opportunities to connect with young people, decision-makers and other stakeholders across Africa and Europe.
Funding
Selected organisations can receive up to €42,000 to implement an innovation project over a period of 12 months.
The project implementation period will run from January to December 2027.
In addition to financial support, participating organisations will have opportunities to share their solutions, exchange knowledge and engage with youth actors and stakeholders across Africa and Europe.
Scope and approach
The Innovation Grants support youth-led organisations responding to global challenges through locally relevant and sustainable solutions.
Supported projects should demonstrate innovation by:
Designing and testing a new activity or approach.
Adapting and piloting an approach that has worked elsewhere.
Scaling a proven solution to reach new communities or geographic areas.
Improving an existing initiative based on evidence, learning or feedback.
The programme particularly encourages projects that take an intersectional approach, recognising that young people's experiences can be shaped by overlapping factors such as unemployment, education, gender, disability, socioeconomic circumstances, geographic location and other lived experiences.
Projects led by marginalised groups and young women will be prioritised.
Eligibility
The call is open to formally registered youth-led nonprofit organisations, including NGOs, civil society organisations, trusts and community-based organisations with a clear social mission.
To be eligible, organisations must be youth-led, with young people aged 18 to 35 holding primary decision-making power and playing a central role in the organisation's governance and activities.
Organisations must be based and registered in one of the following 12 African Youth Action Lab focus countries:
Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia (Somaliland region), Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
Proposed activities must take place in one or more of these eligible countries.
Application information
Deadline: 23 September 2026
For more information and to apply, click here.
Applications must be submitted through the ON Grip Application System.
Download and read through the funding manual carefully before submitting.
Your funding experts
InterArts Funding offers its expertise to assist you in applying for grant opportunities (including this one), leveraging our extensive experience to enhance your chances of securing the grant. It is important to clarify that InterArts Funding is an independent entity and is not affiliated with any specific funding organisation. While we have a commendable track record of success, we cannot guarantee the approval of your application. Grant outcomes depend on various factors beyond our control.