Call for Grant Applications: Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africa

Deadline Date: January 19, 2026

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), under the Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africaprogramme, is pleased to announce a grant initiative designed to strengthen capacities of youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) in Africa, equipping them with resources to implement and monitor local climate mobility interventions as well as communicate their impact. This programme is a component of the Climate Change and Migration Data Programme (CCMD), supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Through this activity, IOM aims to empower youth-led organisations by providing targeted support to selected youth-led initiatives through financial grants that enable them to enhance their capacity, identifying and implementing solutions for people to stay, to move, and for those already on the move in the face of environmental degradation, disasters and climate change.

Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africa supports climate action and implementation of commitments from national, regional and continental policy frameworks such as the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC). The programme is targeted at Youth-Led Civil Society Organisations registered with the national authorities and operating in the African continent which are committed to implementing innovative, practical and scalable local climate mobility solutions including vulnerable populations and can create a sustainable impact at local levels, such as interventions that address solutions for people to stay, people on the move and people to move:

Grants provided through Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africa programme will support youth-led, community-driven solutions addressing the intersection of environmental degradation, disasters, climate change and human mobility by empowering youth-led organisations to quick start or scale their project implementation, strengthen their capacities and operations, while promoting inclusive local climate mobility solutions and sustainable development. Furthermore, Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africa programme emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices, incorporating both environmental considerations, and inclusive implementation models.

Applicants must complete all required forms and meet eligibility criteria to be considered for funding. Incomplete or non-compliant applications will not qualify for grants under the programme Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africa programme.

Eligibility Criteria

We are pleased to announce an open call for grant applications, specifically for Youth-Led Civil Society Organisations (CSO) that fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

• The applicant CSO must be officially registered and actively operating on the African Continent.
• The CSO applicant must be youth-led (majority under the age of 35) and the project lead must be under the age of 35 with a nationality from the African continent, residing in the project country which they are supporting.
• The applicant CSO must have between 2–5 years of relevant experience in leading environmental/social projects with local communities.
• The applicant CSO is required to have at least one personnel who completed the above-referenced IOM Capacity Building Initiative (Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africa) between August and October 2025. Proof of certificate will be required as part of the application process.
• The applicant CSO must propose a project that clearly addresses climate mobility (the intersection of climate change, disasters, environmental degradation and human mobility) in the particular local context.
• As part of the Declaration of Conformity, the applicant CSO must commit to the core values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to the Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), to the Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), to the IOM Data Protection Principles and to the Humanitarian Principles. The CSO must be committed to the Principle of Partnership endorsed by Global Humanitarian Platform, and to the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Child Protection. They must also commit not to discriminate against any person or group on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, disability, birth, age, or other status.
• The applicant CSO shall take appropriate measures to ensure its employees, or any other persons engaged and controlled by it to perform activities have completed appropriate training regarding PSEA and data protection principles.
• The applicant CSO must be able to obtain necessary government approvals in a timely manner and ahead of starting the approved projects.
• The applicant CSO will be able to incorporate relevant visibility requirements indicated by IOM – such as acknowledgement of the support from the programme and its donor.
• Applications must be submitted directly by the CSO.
• Important: Applications that do not meet these criteria will be automatically rejected.

Additional Selection Criteria for Applicant Youth-Led Civil Society Organisation (CSO)

Priority will be accorded to Youth-Led Civil Society Organisation that incorporate one or more of the following aspects:

• Have sufficient capacities to manage and report on financial transactions and payments, including the ability to prepare and submit Narrative and Financial Reports, along with all required supporting documentation, throughout the implementation period.
• Commitment to local impact, particularly through including diverse groups such as persons with disabilities, women, ethnic minorities and indigenous people, and/or offering products/services benefiting mobile populations and host communities.
• Demonstrates that the intervention can be implemented within 6-8 months, in 2026, and within the suggested budget – not exceeding the maximum grant amount.
• Special consideration will be given to CSO that introduce context-specific and needs-based local climate mobility solutions models, particularly those addressing human mobility as it relates to environmental degradation, disastersand climate change, as well as demonstrate clear youth leadership, community engagement, and feasible, measurable impacts at local levels.

Required Documents for Application

When submitting your application, please ensure the following documents are included: ​​​​

• Application form
• Civil Society Organization registration form – valid.
• Organizational structure/chart and List of current staff and volunteers working for the CSO – including their age and gender.
• A Certification of current personnel who completed the IOM Capacity Enhancement Programme – training in 2025 under the Accelerating Youth-Led Action in Addressing Climate Mobility in Africa Programme.
• CV and passport/ID of the project lead.
• Final narrative reports of two recent (2-5 years) projects on social/environment issues.
• Previous endorsed Final Financial Reports for the past 1-2 years from either IOM or other donors.
• Any past transaction verification or audit report.
• Any existing financial policy document governing their financial administration.
• Document indicating the entity has a financial system to record transactions, such as system generated report.
• Signed Declaration of Conformity.
• Project Proposal on local Climate Mobility Intervention, including workplan and budget – utilizing the provided templates. Proof of community engagement.

Submission of Required Documents

Interested CSOs must submit all the required documents listed above. If specific documents are unavailable, alternative documentation that provides similar information may be accepted at the discretion of the evaluation panel, Grant Review Committee. The panel reserves the right to request additional information, documents, or clarification from any or all applicants as needed.

Submission language: English, French, Arabic.

Verification Process

To ensure the accuracy of the information provided in the applications and business plans, IOM staff may conduct verification calls or site visits for some of the potential applicants. Furthermore, IOM will conduct a risk assessment ensuring compliance with the IOM policies and procedures including grant recipients’ capacity to manage funds or to absorb pre-financing.

Grant Amount and Payment Conditions

• Grant recipients will sign a formal agreement outlining terms, deliverables, reporting and visibility requirements. Agreement will be outlined in French or English language.
  • The agreement template is available for the applicants information at the application stage and the applicant is encouraged to carefully read the template ahead of submission (not to sign).
• Grant recipient will be obliged to provide narrative and financial reports and supportive verifiable documents as indicated in the agreement.
• The maximum grant available for each selected CSO is equivalent of 15,000 USD in local currency based on IOM monthly exchange rate.
• Grant funds will be disbursed in installments based on the criteria set out in the agreement.
• Sub-granting and costs related to construction or real estate are strictly forbidden.
• The grant receipt shall maintain financial records, supporting documents, statistical records and all other records relevant to the Project in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles to sufficiently substantiate all direct costs of whatever nature involving transactions related to the funds provided by IOM under the grant. The grant receipt shall make all such records available to IOM or IOM’s designated representative or the competent bodies of the funding Donor(s) of the Project at all reasonable times until the expiration of 7 (seven) years from the date of final payment, for inspection, audit or reproduction. On request, employees of the Grant Recipient shall be available for interviews.
• IOM intends to avail a total of six grants; two grants per IOM region in the continent (a) North Africa, (b) West and Central Africa and (c) East, Horn and Southern Africa.

How to Apply?

• Before applying, carefully review the full Call for Grant Application and Selection Criteria document to confirm that your CSO aligns with the programme’s objectives and requirements.
• Ensure you thoroughly review the application details and eligibility criteria. If your CSO meets the requirements, proceed to prepare the needed documents.
• Complete the application form, providing all requested information, including all required documents.
• Applications will be submitted via email to ccmd-queries@iom.int.
• The deadline for the applications is Monday, 19 January 2026 6 PM EAT.
• After the deadline, Grant Review Committee will assess the applications against the selection criteria 2.
• The Grant Review Committee will inform the applicants whether their application is selected or not latest by the end of February 2026.

To apply, visit International Organization for Migration.