Grants of up to £20,000 are available to UK groups or organisations with an annual income of less than £100,000 that can deliver youth-led projects and activities with and for young people aged 10-25. Partnership bids are welcomed. Individuals may also apply.
Round 2 of the Young Gamechangers Fund is part of a £4.5m partnership between the Co-op Foundation, Co-op and the #iwill Fund that aims to put young people aged between 10 and 25 in charge of change. The Young Gamechangers Fund is delivered by the Global Fund for Children and Restless Development, alongside the Co-op Foundation. In the previous round £600,000 was available for allocation. For Round 2, a similar budget is thought to be available.
Young people have built this Fund from the ground up, co-designing branding and developing every aspect of the Fund from the application process through to grant decisions.
The funder is looking for young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs to lead youth-led social action across the UK.
Two types of funding are available:
- Funding for individuals.
- Funding for groups or organisations with an annual income of less than £100,000 (this was £250,000 in Round 1 of the programme in 2023).
Grant awards can cover core costs (for example, salaries and overheads) or project costs.
Support will be prioritised for young activists aged 10-25 who are committed to creating communities that are prosperous, safe, diverse, equitable and inclusive, healthy, and sustainable. In particular, grants will seek to support groups and communities that prioritise youth activism and shared power.
In addition, applications from the following are also likely to be prioritised:
- Organisations that traditionally have not had access to funding.
- Organisations that have previously experienced additional barriers to funding.
- Organisations that are led by and for marginalised groups and communities, such as:
- Communities that have experienced racialised discrimination.
- LGBTQIA+ communities.
- Disabled people.
- Care experienced, including those who are currently in care.
- Working class communities.
- Young parents.
As well as grant support, successful applicants will also be offered engage with peer support networks, training and mentoring to help their vision come to life – putting young people at the heart of change.
Further information, guidance and the Eligibility Quiz/Checklist can be found on the Foundation’s website.