Youth Solutions Micro-Grant 2023

VIEW OUR ONLINE LEARNING EVENT
Youth Solutions Micro-Grant 2023 winners

Introduction

Young people are uniquely placed to become effective agents of change within their communities. Recognizing this potential, the Youth Solutions Micro-Grant will support the youth to start, replicate, or scale up their solutions to housing and urban challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Youth Solutions Micro-Grant will:

  • Harness youth solutions through mentorship from international experts to strengthen their ideas;
  • Provides seed funding of US$2,000 to five (5) youth solutions that promote a more innovative, inclusive, and collaborative housing ecosystem for sustainable urban development;
  • Invited 10 youth-led organizations to be part of the Youth Assembly Suwon, South Korea to network and showcase their solutions to actors in the housing and urban sectors across the Asia-Pacific region.

This micro-grant only support solutions that are developed and managed by the youth for the benefit of the community where they operate. The age definition used by Habitat for Humanity to characterize youth is a person who is between 18 and 30 years old.

Geographical coverage

This call for application welcome proposals from youth-led organizations, individuals, or social enterprises operating in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Eligibility for applicants

Youth-led organizations, youth groups, social enterprises or young individuals that will apply for the Youth Solutions Micro-Grant 2023 are subject to the same criteria as other partners of Habitat for Humanity. Applicants must be accountable, transparent and refrain from all discriminatory practices and adhere to Habitat for Humanity International’s safeguarding policies.

Applicants should fulfill the following criteria to be considered for the Micro-Grant:

  • Be a young individual or be a youth-led organization: a majority of the positions and decision-making roles within the organization are held by people between the ages of 18 and 30.
  • Be able to use the micro-grant for either an existing project or a new one.
  • Have no adherence to or affiliations with violent ideologies or antagonism against any particular country, culture, religion or belief system, ethnic group, gender, etc.

Eligibility for solutions

All submitted solutions must fulfill each of the following criteria to be deemed eligible upon review by the Micro-Grant Selection Committee:

  • Origin: The solution is written, developed, and can be implemented by youth.
  • Target audience: The solution targets the wider community to improve the housing ecosystem where the initiative operates.
  • Objective: The solution should contribute to advancing affordable, decent, inclusive housing and sustainable communities.
  • Duration: The solution should be implemented and completed before April 2024.
  • Management: The solution is managed by a young person or a youth-led group or organization, meeting all eligibility criteria mentioned above. Applicant must be able to show an organizational chart or names of group members, with the age and gender identities of key decision makers within the organization.
  • Lead applicant: The lead applicant must be directly involved in the implementation of the solution and is between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time of application. Should the proposal be selected as a finalist, the core members should participate in all components of the microgrant. They should also choose one member to represent them in the Asia-Pacific Youth Assembly on October 22, 2023 in Suwon, South Korea.
  • Location: Project activities are implemented in one or more countries mentioned in the geographical coverage section.
  • Language: Application of the solution must be in English only; and
  • Ownership of initiative: The application must detail a proposed use for US$2,000 to jump-start, replicate or expand their initiative. It must include a description of the need, the target outputs, planned activities, and potential to sustain the project

Interested individuals or organizations may apply from July 15. The application deadline is August 19, 2023. The following will be submitted through the online application system: 

  • Fully filled-out online application form that contains (a) proponent information, (b) context analysis and problem identification, (c) proposed youth-led solution, (d) project budget and (e) project sustainability. 
  • A short video pitch (60 seconds maximum) for the proposed project. This can be as simple as your team describing highlights of your proposed solution. 

Submit your applications here

July 15 Application Open: Youth Solutions Micro-grant 2023
August 12 Online Session: Youth Solutions Micro-grant 2023
August 19 Application Deadline: Youth Solutions Micro-grant 2023
September 1 Announcement of Top 10 finalists
October 22 In person session: Asia-Pacific Youth Assembly
November 6-10 Top 10 finalists receive coaching from mentors
November 13-17 Top 10 finalists present to the jury
November 22 Winners of the US$2,000 micro-grant is announced
December 2023 Online session: Presentation of selected micro-grant projects
April 2024 Sharing of best practices and learnings micro-grant projects
  • First and second deliberations. 
    • Relevance (20%) The project demonstrates a strong understanding of the target community’s needs, the local context, and how the project aligns with  local and global priorities on housing. The project shows commitment to building positive and long-term collaborative relationships between youth and other stakeholders. 
    • Impact (20%) The project addresses a significant housing or urban challenge and has clear potential to create impact on the target communities. It includes insightful arguments and engaging narrative on how the project contributes to achieving the desired impact. 
    • Innovation (20%) The project offers a unique and creative youth-led solution to the housing or urban challenge identified. It demonstrates a fresh perspective or new ideas to tackle the issue.
    • Feasibility (20%) The project plan is well-structured and realistic. It demonstrates a clear understanding of the resources, timeline, and budget required to execute the project effectively. The project represents good value for money, with a clear and appropriate budget. The individual or youth organization has the capacity to implement the proposed activities within the given timeframe and budget. 
    • Sustainability (20%) The project includes strategies for sustainability beyond the micro-grant period and seeks to engage local stakeholders to ensure continued impact. 

  • Validation by Habitat for Humanity country office. 
    • Applications will be screened and validated by the appropriate Habitat for Humanity country office where the proposed youth solution will be implemented. In addition to the criteria above, validation will consider (1) alignment with Habitat for Humanity’s mission and country priorities and (2) practicality of the proposed use of US$2,000 based on the local context. 

  • Final judging. 
    • Presentation to a jury composed of experts and partners (90%). 
    • Popular vote on designated social media platforms and interactive exhibit (10%).
  • The Top 10 finalists will get a reserved space at 4th Asia-Pacific Youth Assembly in Suwon, South Korea on October 22, 2023 to showcase their solutions and network with global actors, potential donors, and investors. 
  • All 10 finalists will be paired with expert mentors to help refine their youth solutions as they prepare to pitch for seed funding. 
  • From the 10 finalists, five youth solutions will receive a microgrant worth up to US$2,000. They will also receive mentorship from international experts to help implement their project. Winning youth solutions may also be requested to showcase their project in other future Habitat for Humanity events. 

Winners will be contacted via email and provided with information on further steps, including agreements signing and fund transfer procedures. The microgrant of US $2,000 will be disbursed through the local Habitat for Humanity office/branch closest to the locations of the winning projects 

For inquiries, you may reach out to youth@aphousingforum.org

Resources