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AU-EU Youth Action Lab Entrepreneurship Grants 2026

AU-EU Youth Action Lab

The AU-EU Youth Action Lab Entrepreneurship Grants provide €31,500 to youth-led organisations in 12 African countries to strengthen economic opportunities for young people. In the third and final 2026 call, the grants focus specifically on advocacy for an enabling environment where young entrepreneurs can start and grow their businesses. Projects will run for 12 months from January to December 2027.

Who can apply

  • Non-profit organisations
  • Trusts
  • Community Based Organisations (CBOs)
  • Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
  • Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
  • Cooperatives with a clear social or environmental mission
  • Formally registered youth-led organisations

Focus areas

  • Youth entrepreneurship
  • Economic opportunities for young people
  • Entrepreneurship advocacy
  • Enabling environments for young entrepreneurs
  • Youth-led enterprises
  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Entrepreneurial skills
  • Business growth
  • Youth economic participation
  • Policy and regulatory advocacy
  • Youth empowerment

Requirements

  • The organisation must be a non-profit with a clear social or environmental mission.
  • The organisation must be formally registered in its country.
  • The organisation must have been operating for at least 12 months.
  • The organisation must have an organisational bank account.
  • The organisation must have a clear governance structure.
  • The organisation must be youth-led, with 100% of governance and primary organisational decision-making held by people aged 18–35.
  • More than 80% of people directly involved in designing and carrying out organisational activities must be aged 18–35.
  • All staff working on implementation of the proposed project must be aged 18–35.
  • The organisation must be registered in one of the 12 eligible African Youth Action Lab focus countries.
  • The proposed activities must take place in one or more eligible focus countries.
  • The proposal must focus on advocating for an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.

Application steps

  • Read the official Entrepreneurship Grants Funding Manual and Call for Proposals.
  • Confirm that the organisation meets all eligibility requirements.
  • Develop an advocacy project addressing barriers faced by young entrepreneurs.
  • Explain how the proposed advocacy will contribute to a more enabling environment for young entrepreneurs.
  • Prepare the project proposal and compulsory budget using the official templates.
  • Register for the Entrepreneurship Grant on the ON Grip platform.
  • Complete the online application in English, French or Portuguese.
  • Submit the application through ON Grip by 23 September 2026 at 13:00 CAT.
Global Grants Hub strategic note

A strong youth-focused advocacy grant for formally registered youth-led organisations in Uganda and 11 other African countries. The final 2026 call is specifically designed to address barriers preventing young people from starting and growing businesses, making it particularly relevant to organisations working on youth employment, entrepreneurship policy, business ecosystems and economic empowerment. Applicants must satisfy the programme's unusually strict youth-led definition: 100% of governance and primary decision-making must be held by people aged 18–35, more than 80% of people designing and delivering organisational activities must be aged 18–35, and all project implementation staff must be aged 18–35.

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