Scholarship / Financial aid: Grants

Youth-Driven Development (YDD) Grant Competition

In Partnership with 
Middle East and North Africa Region

Youth-Driven Development Grant Competition (YDD) is a new initiative managed by Social Development Department of the World Bank under the Global Fund for Youth Investment (GFYI); housed within Global Public-Private Partnership for Youth Investment (GPYI). The main objective of the YDD Competition is to identify and support small-scale youth projects developed and implemented by young people, addressing the thematic areas of youth development supported under the GPYI:  entrepreneurship, civic engagement and empowerment. 

The YDD Competition in MENA will support two thematic areas of youth development:

• Entrepreneurship should encourage and support entrepreneurial, creative approaches to income generation, particularly in the area of social entrepreneurship and provide capacity building and resources to support the economic advancement of marginalized youth.

• Civic Engagement initiatives should provide and promote opportunities to exercise citizenship; and productive and active involvement in developmental processes at the national, regional, and/or community level; and particularly involving marginalized groups.

GRANT SIZE:  There will be approximately 10 winners from each regional competition.  Activities are eligible for grants up to US$33,000 per activity. The awarded amount will be determined by the Selection Committee based on the submitted proposal (including budget) and interview.

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES:  Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza

SELECTION CRITERIA:

· Knowledge of Target Population and the Local Context:  To emphasize the importance of “market research” and thorough knowledge of the target population, the finalist organizations will be required to provide a comprehensive assessment of their target population, its situation and needs in their proposal.  Beneficiaries of the YDD grants must be part of a marginalized population, with this target group explicitly referenced in the proposal.

· Promote Conflict Resolution and Peace Building:  The extent to which the proposal promotes young people's active engagement in peace-building efforts in conflict affected areas in eligible countries.

· Promoting Gender Equity: The extent to which the proposal promotes inclusion and the active participation of young women.

· Promote Environmental Quality: The extent to which the proposal promotes the preservation or restoration of environmental quality within the framework of the main competition themes.

· Relevant & Realistic Implementation Plan: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the activity meets the needs of its beneficiaries and the relevance and realism of the proposed activities. Organizations with proven track records of successfully implemented activities and proposals which provide solid rationale for the chosen approach and proof of the success of similar initiatives or approaches will be given priority.

· Partnerships: The extent to which the activity brings different stakeholders together and builds sustainable partnerships/alliances with all involved parties and relies on their expertise; level to which the proposed activities encourage and support its beneficiary groups to build coalitions or networks, and has the potential to initiate strategic alliances between countries, institutions or sectors and pushes for changes at the policy level; degree to which the proposal has the potential to generate support from local, regional or national policy makers.

· Ownership and Community Involvement: The extent to which the project emphasizes community contribution and utilizes the strengths and the resources of the involved communities to ensure broader ownership and local investment.

· Capacity and Sustainability: The degree to which the project demonstrates the organizational capacity and the financial viability of the activity, for example the ability to continue activity operations beyond the initial funding period.

· Growth Potential: The capacity to scale up and reach additional beneficiaries or be replicated elsewhere, in particular, to be applied at a larger scale.

· Results and Measurability: Demonstrated mechanisms to monitor and measure the project’s effectiveness, in particular, exhibit clear, measurable outcomes and results.

With all the above measured equally, additional weight is given to:

Innovation: The extent to which the proposed idea varies from current approaches.

Proposals will only be accepted in two ways:

1) Microsoft Word Document via e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Arabic:  YDD Proposal Application Form and Proposal Guidlines 

English:  YDD Proposal Application Form and Proposal Guidelines 

French:   YDD Proposal Application Form and Proposal Guidelines 

2) Submitted as a Global Fund for Youth Investment (GFYI) YDD online application form (see link below).

http://sdvmd1.worldbank.org/gfyi/index.cfm?Page=login

Call for Proposal - Arabic 

Call for Proposal - French 

Completed proposal are due by 6 PM (Washington, D.C. time) or 23:00 GMT on Friday, January 15, 2010. 

Contact Information:

Youth-Driven Development (YDD)

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Website: YDD