Apply for USAID Youth Excel: Our Knowledge Leading Change Program 2021. The USAID Youth Excel: Our Knowledge, Leading Change program is conducting a grant competition in six African countries. Grantees will test and adapt solutions for a cross-sectoral problem in a regional context through youth-led “research-for-change” approaches for positive youth development.

Purpose

Youth Excel seeks concept notes from local youth-led and youth-serving organizations to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support for marginalized and vulnerable youth in East Africa and Southern Africa.

Grants

USAID Yothy Excel: Our Knowledge Leading Change program has a grants range of $25,000 to $75,000. Applicants can propose the amount necessary for project implementation within this range.

Project Activities

• Create a toolkit for implementation research: Develop an open-source, gender-responsive toolkit for conducting implementation research about positive youth development.
• Support youth organizations and networks: Support youth-led and youth-serving organizations, and youth-led, issue-based collaborative networks to address local development issues through implementation research.
• Strengthen skills: Build youth’s skills in digital leadership, data leadership, and advocacy.
• Be inclusive: Prioritize gender and social inclusion and use power equity tools to ensure that every activity is inclusive.
• Support implementation research: Strengthen networks of youth researchers to support implementation research activities.
• Strengthen intergenerational partnerships: Work through issue-based collaborative networks and data summits to facilitate dialogue between youth and adults.
• Engage the public and private sectors: Build partnerships to support youth-led data and learning.
• Promote research: Synthesize and disseminate youth’s evidence and learning.
• Support advocacy: Leverage youth-led research and adults’ support to influence development agendas and policies.

Eligibility

The program accepts the concept notes from the following

• Local youth-led and youth-serving organizations who meet the minimum criteria and share Youth Excel’s objectives are eligible to apply.
• Organizations led by or serving marginalized groups, which may include age, gender, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other identities, are encouraged to apply. The grant competition is not restricted to certain technical sectors or to research organizations.

Eligible Countries

• Eswatini
• Kenya
• Malawi
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia

Submission 

This is how you submit a concept note

• Download the request for application (PDF, 410 KB) Updated July 26, 2021.
• Download the Letter of Support Template (Word, 33 KB) Added July 7, 2021.
• Attend the information session webinar on July 27, 2021, at 1 p.m., East Africa Time. Register for the webinar. 
• Attend second information session webinar on August 2, 2021, at 3 p.m., East Africa Time. Register for the webinar.
• Submit your concept note.

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