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CARE ACTIONS: SECOND CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Co-funded by the European Union (Ref: NDICI CHALLENGE/2023/448-254)

Deadline for submission February 28th, 2026

THE FRAMEWORK
DESCRIPTION OF THE CALL
THE SELECTION PHASES
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE GRANTING PROCESS
ANNEXES

1. THE FRAMEWORK:
YOU(th) CARE: Collective Action for Justice and Change ✊🌍

The world is facing deep social and ecological crises: inequality, climate crisis and systemic injustices are impacting our present and future. However, the young people in Europe and the Mediterranean are visioning, co-creating and acting alternatively. YOU(th) CARE is a project aiming at strengthening the youth’s actions and amplifying their voices.

Funded by the EU DEAR Programme, the project connects grassroots youth initiatives, collectives and groups working for social justice, environmental sustainability and gender equity. We believe in a world where care, solidarity, and collective power drive transformation.

Who’s behind the project?

Countries involved. The YOU(th) CARE Project will involve young people, organizations, groups and movements from 8 EU Countries (Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece) and 4 non-EU and South Med Countries (Albania, Serbia, Tunisia, Morocco*).

List of Project partners

Main Applicant: COSPE - Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti
Co-applicants (in alphabetical order): HREYN Human Rights Education Youth Network; GIOSEF Italy Giovani Senza Frontiere Aps; GRDR Groupe de Recherche et de Realisations pour le Developpement Rural; MDIG Media Diversity Institute Global; MDI WB Media Diversity Institute Western Balkans; MIO-ECSDE Mediterranean Information Office for Environment Culture and Sustainable Development; OJA Organisation des Jeunes Africains; RIPESS Europe Solidarity Economy Europe, Fekete-Sereg hungarian youth association, Ekumenicka Akademie check NGO and REAS Red de Redes spanish network on SSE.
Associated partners: Fridays for Future Italia.

Starting date and duration. The Project started in December 2023 and will last until April 2027.

* A maximum of 15% of the total budget will be allocated to the non-EU and South Med Countries.

Why get involved?

✅ Connect and network with grassroots activists and movements across Europe and the Mediterranean
✅ Gain access to resources, training, and funding to support your struggle
✅ Build alliances and push for structural change at local and international levels
✅ Take part in gatherings, strategy spaces, and collective mobilization.

This is a call to action. We need to reclaim our future and push for deep systemic change. Whether you are organizing in your neighborhood, leading community projects, or part of a youth collective fighting for justice—YOU(th) CARE is a space to strengthen our movements and build a better world together.

What are we building together?

➡️ Agendas for Change: Youth-led groups defined priorities and strategies to confront local and global crises.
➡️ Mapping Resistance and Alternatives: Existing initiatives were identified and mapped that fight for dignity, inclusion, and ecological justice, with a strong focus on feminist and intersectional struggles.
➡️ Autonomous Learning & Collective Growth: Through the YOU(th) CARE online Campus, free, accessible training spaces with tools, strategies, and know-how are shared to strengthen youth action.
➡️ 1st Call for Proposals: through the 1st Call, we support 28 youth-led initiatives in 12 countries through funding, mentoring and collective organizing in three key areas (1) LEARN Transformative education and grassroots training (2) ACT Community-led solutions for social and ecological transformation (3) ENGAGE Radical storytelling, advocacy, and mobilization campaigns.
📢 2nd Call for Proposals -Open now!!! for Supporting Spaces and Networking for Youth Initiatives: We are funding youth-led initiatives through funding, mentoring, and collective organizing in two areas (Lots):

BEYOND BORDERS-INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING: International networks and joint actions to amplify changes (at least two different countries).
MAKING SPACE: Safe, civic, accessible re-publicized spaces for Youth Initiatives and Care Communities (national level projects).

✨🌍✨Want to prepare a proposal under Lot1 International Networking
and you are looking for youth initiatives from another country?
Check in the YOU(th) CARE Assembly Space
Search the members by “country”
Start exchanging & exploring possible collaborations! 🌍✨🌍

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE CALL:

As part of the continuation and scaling-up of the YOU(th) CARE pilot actions, this Call for Proposals aims to strengthen, expand, and add value to the results achieved so far by fostering synergies among youth civil society organizations and networks across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

With a total budget of €268,000, the Call seeks to support initiatives focused, on one hand International Networking (Lot1) encouraging exchanges of good practices and co-creation, and on the other, on national-based actions facilitating “Making spaces for Youth” (Lot2). The ultimate goal is to enhance the dissemination and impact of the Global CARE approach within the framework of Global Citizenship Education in the Mediterranean context.

💡 Lot 1: BEYOND BORDERS-INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING
From €10,000 to €15,000 per grant

Let’s cross our borders and connect! Fund your care-based, youth-led networking project to create alliances and push for change. Engage Youth Initiatives from at least 2 countries to connect, exchange and co-create joint actions and campaigns for sustainability, equality, and justice.

Indicative example of actions referring to Lot 2 are the following:

Facilitating Youth Exchanges (mobility) for pilot application of innovative educational programmes; Activation of Youth Networks for Festivals, Forums and Events in the different countries e.g. the Mediterranean Day, a UN related day, etc; Joint awareness raising and advocacy campaigns about care and its relevance for youth, etc.

Lot 2: MAKING SPACE!
From €6,000 to €8,000 per grant

Time to make space! Fund your care-driven, youth-led initiatives in re-claiming, re-gaining or creating common spaces for communicating, exchanging and sharing and caring actions in the community. Innovative ideas on assuring physical or civic or virtual spaces in territories where youths are struggling to access them will be supported. (This Lot is referring to a territorial/national-based action, meaning that the both applicant and co-applicant/s of each action are based in the same country).

Indicative example of actions referring to Lot 2 are the following:

Revitalization of green areas; “Pocket” urban green parks; Activation of civic spaces (physical or virtual) for youth and families; Creation and/or re-generation of youth spaces; Creation of community safe spaces for vulnerable youth groups; Local arts/workshops permanent exhibitions; Repairing/Upcycling libraries/workshops, etc.

🏆 Funding & Budget

How many projects will be selected?

12 youth-led and youth focused initiatives will be chosen and supported under the Lot1. Beyond Borders-International Networking. We seek high-quality proposals, so make yours transformative!
8 -12 youth-led and youth-focused initiatives will be chosen and supported under the Lot2 on Spaces.

The overall available amount is EUR 268.000.

Geographical balance may be taken into account by the evaluation commission at any stage of the evaluation.

🚨 No funds will go wasted!

The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award all available funds, to cancel the Call for Proposals and reject all applications at any time prior to the awarding of contributions, without thereby incurring any liability.

How many projects can I submit? You can only submit ONE proposal, as lead or co-applicant.
Youth Initiatives already beneficiary of a sub-grant under this project will not be eligible for a second grant.

🌍 Eligibility Criteria

Who can apply? Who can be considered admissible?

Youth-led initiatives and youth-focused initiatives¹ from the 12 countries of the YOU(th) CARE Project: Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Albania, Serbia, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Each project must be submitted by a partnership (one lead applicant + at least one co-applicant. ²

The lead applicant must:

✅ be a legal person AND

✅ be non-profit-making AND

✅ be a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) or an association of CSOs, or be a formal youth group/network AND

✅ be Youth led or Youth- focused

✅ be established, registered and have a bank account³ in one of the following countries: Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Albania, Serbia, Morocco and Tunisia AND

✅ be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary AND

✅ be neither a beneficiary of a grant (neither lead, nor co-applicant, or affiliated entity) nor associates or contractors in the frame of EuropeAid/173998/DH/ACT/Multi call for proposal AND

✅ not have the financial, administrative or operational capacity to compete directly for EU funding under the EuropeAid/173998/DH/ACT/Multi call for proposal.

Co-applicants must:

✅ be established in one of the following countries: Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Albania, Serbia, Morocco and Tunisia AND

✅ be a non-profit making such as CSOs/NGOs, association, formal and non- formal Educational Institutions, formal and informal youth groups, movements, collectives, Educational communities, cultural institutions, Youth Networks, with or without legal form (must provide proof of activity/stability, e.g., website or social media).

Who cannot apply?

❌ Individuals, governments, governmental institutions, and their representatives.

❌ Beneficiaries of another grant funded in the framework of EuropeAid/173998/DH/ACT/Multi call for proposal.

⏳ Project Duration

How long can my project last? Projects must run between:

🔹8 to 10 months for projects under Lot 1 Beyond Borders-International Networking

🔹6 to 8 months for projects under Lot 2 Making Space
with activities starting in April 2026.

🌱 Actions Requirements

What kind of projects can be funded? Projects must align widiv the YOU(th) CARE Agendas’ priorities for each country.

Must follow the CARE Approach⁴ and an intersectional gender perspective⁵.

Projects should be economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable, ensuring medium-to-long-term positive impacts on their communities.

💰 Eligible Costs

How much can you get? Depending on the Lot of your project:

For Lot 1 Beyond Borders-International Networking: max amount of sub-granting is the amount of 15.000 euros.

For Lot 2 Make space: max amount of sub-granting is the amount of 8.000 euros.

Which costs are covered? Funding will cover the necessary expenses for project implementation, including human resources, materials, and execution. All costs should be incurred within the time framework of the project.

Please, check the Instructions included in the Budget form for more information about eligible and non-eligible costs.

📜 Responsibilities & Accountability

What are my responsibilities if selected? Each selected entity will sign a Declaration on exclusion and selection criteria and a contract with the contracting authority to ensure proper project implementation and responsible budget management and reporting.

3. THE SELECTION PHASES

Our call for proposals includes the following phases to ensure transparency, collaboration, and impact.

🌟 PHASE ONE: SHARE YOUR VISION AND APPLY

By 28/02/2026

🔹 What you need to do:

Complete the Application Form + Budget (Annex A & B) with your transformative idea in.
For proposals under Lot1: English
For proposals under Lot2: English or national language WITH the “Summary” of the “Project Description” (Part 3 in the Application form) and the “Budget form” filled in English

🎥Boost your application

Want to stand out? Send a short video presenting your project and tell us about your idea and the change you want to bring. The video should be in English or mother tongue with English subtitles and no more than 2-3 minutes. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the video, no worries, it’s not mandatory.

💡 Need support?
Get in touch with the national partner of YOU(th) CARE in your country for technical advice! (see the emails in the last page).

🌍 PHASE TWO: EVALUATION

By 15/03/2026*

✅ For Proposals under Lot1 BEYOND BORDERS-INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING:

An International Evaluation Committee will review the submitted proposals taken into account geographical balance as well. The International Evaluation Committee will be formed by:

YOU(th) CARE Project Managers
Country representatives
Gender Lens/Intersectionality Experts

✅ For Proposals under Lot2 MAKING SPACE:

By 7/03/2026*
First selection round by the National Evaluation Committees. Every country will have a national evaluation committee reviewing applications under Lot2 shortlisting the most innovative, care-driven proposals.

By 15/03/2026*
Second/final selection round: The shortlisted projects under Lot2 will be reviewed by the International Evaluation Committee that will also review the project proposals under Lot1.

The evaluation committees (national for Lot2 and international for both Lots) will use the Evaluation Grid (Annex C) to assess your projects.

*tentative date

🔥 PHASE THREE: NEXT STEPS/IMPLEMENTATION

If your project is selected, you’ll receive:

Funding based on your project needs
Advice to help you manage your grant
Support for community-led, gender-sensitive impact assessment

4. HOW TO APPLY FOR THE GRANTING PROCESS?

📢Give your ideas a try!

1️⃣ Go to the ONLINE YOU(th) CARE PLATFORM https://community.youth-care.eu/
2️⃣ Submit your project to the CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Apply Now for the YOU(th) CARE Grant
Click the button above to start your application process

🗓 Deadline: February the 28th, 2026 (before 11:59 PM CET) – no exceptions!

📩 Questions? Need help? Contact us:

Subject: YC_Call for Proposals_Questions

Spain: raquel.magana@reas.red
France: genesis.guzman@grdr.org
Morocco: ally.ojafricains@gmail.com
Hungary: karita@fekete-sereg.hu
Luxembourg: mc.guilbeaud@ripess.eu
Czech Republic: jolana.radinova@ekumakad.cz
Italy: margherita.accornero@cospe.org
Greece: malotidi@mio-ecsde.org
Tunis: valerio.baldissara@cospe.org
Albania: francesca.signoria@cospe.org
Belgium: contact@hreyn.net
Serbia: jovanovic@media-diversity.org

You care and you can make the difference!

Youth-led initiatives are generally understood to be organizations having the majority of the board formed by youth (below 30) and/or having the majority of the staff formed by youth (below 30). Youth-focus initiatives are generally understood to be initiatives having the support of youth engagement as mission and/or promoting activities focused mainly on youth engagement.↩︎

We recommend creating partnerships with a manageable number of partners: 1 lead + 1 or 2 co-applicants.↩︎

The documentary evidence (legal registration and financial statements) should not be submitted within the deadline for submitting proposals. In case your proposal will be selected, the evaluation committee will request to provide it.↩︎

CARE: It’s about how we connect to each other and the world, aiming to create a culture where we put the wellbeing of People and the Planet, before profit, through the revolutionary choice of building communities where interdependence is a strength and not a weakness. As a consequence, care-based action is radical, feminist, intersectional, intergenerational, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, and profoundly transformative. CARE means not just noticing the world around us but acting to make it better. You can refer to: The Care Manifesto: The Politics of Interdependence (the Care Collective).↩︎

INTERSECTIONALITY: It’s a way to understand that people’s lives are shaped by multiple factors at once, and addressing only one issue rarely brings full justice or equality. From an intersectional perspective, the cultural identity dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, age, class, religion, sexual orientation, language, and mental or physical ability are linked and an understanding of the multidimensionality of cultural identity offers a fuller understanding of personality.↩︎

5. ANNEXES

Documents to be completed and uploaded on the platform to be submitted for the project:

Annex A - Application Form

Annex B - Budget

Annex C - Evaluation Grid