Funding Bold Ideas for Youth Mental Health in 12 countries

Objectives:

• To fund bold prevention and promotion ideas addressing early drivers of youth mental health and wellbeing.
• To support innovations aligned with country-specific mental health priorities identified through local consultations with youth, policymakers, organizations, and experts.
• To prioritize youth-led organizations and locally based implementers to ensure relevance and impact.

Target Beneficiaries:

• Underserved young people aged 10-24 in the 12 priority countries.
• Youth-led organizations (with 50% or more youth in leadership roles) based in these countries.
• Other organizations implementing projects in these countries, including partnerships with local entities.

Application Process:

• Two-stage application: initial screening questionnaire and project summary, followed by a full project application for those passing stage one.
• Currently, applications for proof-of-concept funding are closed, and intake for transition-to-scale funding is paused as of September 10, 2025.
• Eligibility requires legal incorporation and project implementation in one of the 12 countries.
• Preference order: youth-led organizations in priority countries, other organizations in priority countries, partnerships with local organizations, then others.

Key Features:

• Funding guided by locally driven country priorities.
• Focus on prevention and promotion of mental health.
• Emphasis on urban and peri-urban settings.
• Support includes access to a Learning and Support Network and resources like evidence-based approaches.
• Detailed RFP documents, FAQs, and information sessions available for applicants.
• Encouragement for proposals that complement existing funded innovations.

For more details, applicants can refer to the full RFP document and FAQs on the official website or contact the program directly via email.

This program is a strategic effort to catalyze impactful youth mental health innovations in diverse global contexts through targeted funding and support.