## About this Grant Program
The EMEA Youth & Wellbeing Grant is a €500,000 funding program fororganizations across the region to help young people benefit from AI.
The program will offer funding to NGOs and research organizations that are working directly with children, young people, families or educators; or producing independent research on how AI affects young people’s safety, wellbeing and development.
Our goal is to support practical work and independent research that helps everyone better understand what safe, responsible AI looks like in the real world.
## Why we’re funding this work
As AI becomes part of how young people learn, create and communicate, there is a growing need to ensure it is beneficial and safe. Collaboration between youth organizations, independent researchers, and AI developers can help to strengthen understanding of its real-world benefits, while also testing and strengthening safeguards. This grant will support that effort by funding organizations doing important work and helping them expand their impact.
We will support projects that focus on youth safety, wellbeing and AI. For example:
For research organizations:
We encourage proposals that produce clear, usable outputs, such as reports, toolkits, policy briefs or tested approaches that others can learn from.
## Budget & award sizes
Total fund: €500,000.
Typical grant size: Grants will vary depending on scope and scale of work; awards are expected to be between€25k–€100k, with multi-year awards considered for larger programs or networked partnerships. Allowable costs include reasonable direct and indirect costs consistent with institutional policies.
Applicants must meet all of the following:
## Selection criteria
Applications will be evaluated against the following weighted criteria:
1. EMEA presence (mandatory):your organisation must be legally registered in an EMEA country (Europe, Middle East, or Africa). We may request proof of registration. 2. Alignment with program objectives (high): How clearly the project advances AI youth safety, evaluates safeguards, or produces actionable evidence for policy stakeholders or product teams. 3. Impact & scalability (high): Likely contribution to measurable improvements in youth wellbeing or safety across the priority markets; potential to influence policy, practice or product design. 4. Methodological rigor & ethical design (high): Research methods, protection of minors, consent processes, and plans for safe data handling. 5. Feasibility & capacity (high): Team’s operational/research capacity, realistic timeline and budget, ethical safeguards and data governance. 6. Sustainability & amplification (medium): Potential for the project to continue beyond the grant period or to build local capacity (e.g., helplines, trusted testers).
Applications open:28 January 2026
Applications close:27 February 2026
Projects begin:Q2-Q3 2026. _(Dates can be finalised to align with the official launch.)_
To apply, applicants should complete the online form and upload:
Submit via:Apply(opens in a new window)
Contact:[email protected] (for application questions). Note: we will not be able to provide status updates for applications that are not selected.
## Review process & timeline
Initial screening for eligibility and completeness
Council review for technical, ethical and legal fit
Final approvals & contracting (Legal & Comms sign-off prior to award)
Awarding & activation: Funded partners begin pilots and research in Q2 2026; outputs will feed into product, policy and regulatory engagements as they become available
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