Uganda is explicitly one of the 12 African Youth Action Lab focus countries. Applicants must be formally registered nonprofit trusts, community-based organisations, NGOs or civil-society organisations with a clear social mission, organisational bank account and governance structure. Organisations must be youth-led: governance and primary decision-making must be held by people aged 18 to 35, more than 80% of those directly involved in activities must be young people, and all staff implementing the proposed project must be aged 18 to 35.

The AU-EU Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants support youth organisations testing, adapting, improving or scaling innovative responses to global and community challenges. Thirteen Innovation Grants are expected under the current call.

Benefits
Each selected organisation receives exactly EUR 42,000 for a 12-month project running from January through December 2027. Grantees also receive mentorship and capacity-development support and opportunities to showcase their solutions to peers, decision-makers and stakeholders across Africa and Europe.

Requirements
Applicants must propose an innovative activity that creates tangible local benefit, contributes to longer-term systems, policy or practice change, demonstrates potential for sustainable impact or replication and generates learning for youth actors and other stakeholders. Applicants must follow the official Funding Manual and submit as an individual eligible organisation.

How to apply
Read the Innovation Grant Funding Manual and eligibility criteria, prepare the organisational and project proposal and submit it through the AU-EU Youth Action Lab\'s ON Grip application platform. Applications must be submitted by 2026-09-23 at 13:00 Central African Time.