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YOUTH IMPACT – BECAUSE YOU MATTER – For Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action is an initiative led by UNESCO in collaboration with Nestlé, powered by the Nestlé Youth Entrepreneurship Platform. It seeks to support young people to help their communities through climate action and environmental sustainability initiatives, by providing them with resources and skills necessary to implement their innovative projects.
To this end, 100 project leaders will be selected worldwide to receive:
🏆 Grant of USD 8,500 each, and
🎓 Training and one-to-one mentorship, throughout their project implementation.
📅 To apply, please to submit your project proposal before 8 April 2025, 23.59 CET! Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
All applications need to be submitted in English, the language of this Grant Scheme.
For any questions, contact us at becauseyoumatter@unesco.org
You will find the Terms and Conditions of this Call at this link. Please review them thoroughly prior to submitting your application. The submission of your application implies your full acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
We’re looking for youth-led projects focused on environmental sustainability and climate action with a focus on:
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming. This includes promoting low-carbon economies through the sustainable use of renewable energy sources, strengthening public education and awareness, assessing climate-related risks to natural and cultural designated sites, enhancing ecosystem resilience to mitigate cascading effects on human livelihoods, and upholding ethical principles such as climate justice, sustainability, solidarity, and the protection of future generations.
Sustainable Food Systems focus on producing, processing, and consuming food in environmentally and socially responsible ways. Key aspects include promoting biodiversity, reducing food waste, and ensuring food security through local production and innovative supply chains.
Regenerative agricultural practices to restore ecosystem health and foster the ethical use of world’s resources, enabling social and economic development that is in harmony with the natural environment and local cultural traditions. This includes techniques such as crop rotation and holistic grazing enhance resilience to climate change, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, improve soil quality, protect vulnerable water systems, preserve biodiversity and support inclusive social development of local communities.
Packaging sustainability innovations, which focus on creating environmentally friendly packaging solutions. This includes developing recyclable or compostable materials, reducing packaging, and utilizing smart technologies, and other innovative solutions to minimize waste and enhance product safety.
The project’s primary and direct beneficiaries will be young individuals, youth-led organizations, enterprises, associations, or networks who:
Are identified as “youth” in their respective countries or (in lack of a national definition) within the age range of 18-30 years old from the beginning to the end of the project.
Engage in activism and changemaking initiatives, entrepreneurialism, either individually or as members of entities/associations.
Youth-led organization and networks, seeking impact at grassroots level, with regional, national, local scope, or chapters of international organizations, and based in the country where their proposal will be implemented.
All applications will propose projects that are:
relevant to the Initiative’s themes as elaborated above
implemented within 6 months
local or national in scope
delivered by a team of at least 3 young people with a clearly identified project leader.
Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for more details, including on the selection process.
100 grants of USD 8,500 each are available globally, with 20 grants designated for each UNESCO region: Africa, Arab Region, Asia and Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. That’s just the beginning!
The 100 grantees will embark on an exclusive 6-month transformative journey of training and mentoring with experts from Nestlé and UNESCO.
Immersion Training: Dive into dedicated workshops focusing on entrepreneurship, project management, and the power of youth-led action, guided by Nestlé experts from around the globe.
Online Contextualized Trainings: Receive contextualized training based on your geographical location and the theme of your project, addressing local challenges and priorities with support from UNESCO regional partners.
Monthly Online Trainings and Gatherings: Gain insight from UNESCO’s and its partners’ know-how on project management and integrating key societal issues in your projects, and experience Nestlé's Innovation Box, where you’ll learn ideation, consumer validation, prototyping, and how to pitch your ideas with confidence.
One-on-One Mentorship: Benefit from personalized guidance from a Nestlé executive mentor, who will support you through your initiative and beyond.
Ready to make your impact on society? Find more information below and get ready to share your project:
1
Call for Applications
18 Mar - 8 Apr 2025
2
Project Evaluation
9 Apr - 9 Jun 2025
3
Award Ceremony
18 Sep 2025
4
Capability Building Programme
Aug 2025 - Apr 2026
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