Young Global Changers Recoupling Awards 2025

With the “Young Global Changers Recoupling Awards” the Global Solutions Initiative aims to identify, recognize and reward young changemakers from all over the world who contribute actively towards a better alignment – a “recoupling” – of economic prosperity with environmental sustainability and the needs and demands of societies, communities and individuals.

The award seeks to recognize concrete practices and impactful youth-led projects and initiatives that drive change on the ground, while also serving as examples and inspiration beyond their immediate impact. Projects can be social enterprises as well as youth-led nonprofit initiatives. The awards offer the chance to join the Young Global Changers Extended Circle, Young Global Changers Community, or the opportunity to receive a full scholarship to join the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin where you can present your project to a jury and global audience!

Categories

• Reimagine Business: Business and commercial activities can drive economic growth, provide employment opportunities, and spark innovation. At the same time, many current business practices lead to excessive waste production, contribute to the depletion of natural resources, exacerbate climate degradation, and perpetuate poor working conditions. They are looking for businesses and social enterprises that have implemented a business model that fosters social pro sperity and environmental goals.
• Reimagine Social and Climate Action: Many individuals, and disadvantaged groups around the world face significant challenges in accessing basic services like healthcare, food, housing, or education. At the same time environmental crises like climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss are accelerating – threatening our natural environment and exacerbating social imbalances. They are looking for projects that directly support societies impacted by systemic inequities or climate degradation.
• Reimagine Civic Engagement: Around the world, citizens’ trust in government, administration, and public institutions is declining – populism and nationalism are on the rise. At the same time, we are witnessing a lack of transparency and accountability for decision makers and a lack of opportunities for citizens and civil society to engage and participate actively in important decisions that affect their lives. They are looking for projects directly supporting the powershifting towards citizens to engage in the civic space.

Benefits of Recoupling Awards

They offer a full scholarship to all finalists of the Young Global Changers Awards 2025, providing an incredible opportunity to come to Berlin and attend the 2025 Global Solutions Summit.

The Scholarship covers:

• Travel expenses: Economy Class airfare or train tickets to and from Berlin, including the visa costs.
• Accommodation: A six-night stay (May 2-7, 2025) for the duration of the YGC Program and the Summit (breakfast included) arranged and covered by GSI.
• Summit Access: Free admission to the Global Solutions Summit 2025.
• Enrichment Opportunities: Participating in training sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities with great minds from academia, business, politics & civil societies.
• Global Network: Access to join an exclusive global network of like-minded Young Global Changer from around the world. Plus, the possibility of further engagements and activities.

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Eligibility for Recoupling Awards

Eligibility for all Applicants

The following criteria need to be fulfilled by all applicants to be eligible, independent from the category in which they apply.

• Individuals Only: Only individual people can apply. You cannot apply as an organization, only as its representative.
• Leading Role: Participants should have a leading position in the project or initiative they are applying with. (This can be the founder, co-founder, project-lead, initiator or a similar role.)
• Strong English: Participants must have a command of the English language strong enough to present their work in front of a jury and an audience, and to participate in group conversations.
• Age: The Young Global Changers program aims to empower youth. Applicants should preferably be between the ages of 18 and 35.
• Motivation: The applicants should show motivation to become active members of a global network which aims at bringing about lasting global change.

Eligibility Criteria for all Projects

The following criteria need to be fulfilled by all projects to be eligible, independent from the category in which they apply.

• Recoupling: The project, business, or initiative with which you apply needs to aim at recoupling, i.e., a better alignment of economic or political activities with social well-being and environmental sustainability. This means putting the needs of people and environmental sustainability at the center of economic and/or political activities.
• Organizational Stage: The project or initiative must be beyond the idea stage. It should be currently active and running.

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Application

The YGC application team suggests you prepare the following documents relevant to the category in which you are applying before submitting your application below. This will ensure the best application process for you.

• General Information: General info. on the project and the organisation.
• Executive Summary (850 characters max.): Submit an overview of your prokect/initiative including it’s history, mission, and values along with its commitment to economic, social, and environmental goals.
• Alignment Summary (1500 characters max.)
  • Reimagine Business: Your application must include a statement on how your business or social enterprise impacts the alignment of business activities with social and environmental prosperity. Please explain how you assess or measure your impact.
  • Reimagine Social & Climate Action: Your application must include a statement on how your project’s efforts directly impact social and environmental goals and explain how these impacts are measured.
  • Reimagine Civic Enagagement: Your application must include a statement on how your project invigorates civic engagement and citizen agency, increases transparency and accountability or in other ways empowers people to become more active designers of their circumstances. Please also explain how these impacts are measured.
• Short Bio (600 characters max.): Provide a short biography about yourself: one or two paragraphs about your experience, interests, and achievements.
• Video (5 mins max.): Provide a brief (5 minutes or less) video about your business or social enterprise. You can send an existing video or record one exclusively for the application.

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