The Youth Employment Network (YEN), a product of a partnership between the International Labor Organization, the World Bank and the United Nations, has a Youth to Youth Fund dedicated to providing resources to young entrepreneurial adults.
The YEN mission statement (from YEN website):
“YEN works to engage, educate and motivate actors to provide improved employment opportunities for youth. It is a platform and service provider focusing on policy advice, innovative pilot projects, knowledge sharing, and brokering partnerships. YEN makes use of its core agency partners’ know how and resources and ensures youth participation in delivering its services.”
The Youth to Youth Fund goals (extract from website):
“The Youth-to-Youth Fund supports innovative youth-led (15-35 years) employment projects in the 4 Mano River Union (MRU) countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) and East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda). In difference to other programs, the youth themselves will be asked to submit proposals. The major outcome is the identification and support of small scale innovative ideas at the grass-roots level in youth employment. The Fund uses an open, transparent, and competitive process ensuring local ownership.”
Eligibility to apply to the Youth to Youth Fund:
- For official registered organizations in above listed target countries
- Must be led by youth (ie: Board and/or management committee must be youth – 15 to 35 years)
- Main purpose of organization must be youth employment creation
- Proposals must be from organizations, not individuals
- One application per organization
- Grants are awarded in following focus areas: Community projects and services; Youth entrepreneurship; Transition from school to work; Vocational training; Sport and youth employment.
Read more:
About YEN
Youth to Youth Fund homepage
