Introduction – Overview of the AU‑EU Youth Lab
The AU‑EU Youth Lab is a dynamic programme launched to strengthen youth participation, empowerment, and leadership across Africa and Europe. Established through a collaborative initiative between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), the Youth Lab aims to elevate the role of young people in policy‑making, cross‑continental cooperation, and community‑driven solutions. The programme provides training, funding, capacity building, and networking opportunities to young changemakers aged 15‑35 from diverse backgrounds.
History and Background
The AU‑EU Youth Lab builds on earlier partnerships between the African Union and the European Union focused on youth cooperation and engagement. Created from extensive consultations with hundreds of young people, the programme responds to the growing need for youth‑driven policy influence, intercultural collaboration, and sustained support for innovative youth initiatives. It combines efforts from partner organisations including Oxfam, Restless Development, the European Youth Forum, Youthmakers Hub, and ComDev Africa.
Mission and Purpose
The mission of the AU‑EU Youth Lab is to ensure that young voices are centred in shaping policy, partnerships, and decision‑making processes that affect their lives. The programme pursues three core goals: advancing youth participation and representation in policy processes; building capacity and empowerment through training and coaching; and providing financial support for youth‑led initiatives that tackle global challenges. The Youth Lab works to promote inclusive, youth‑responsive societies across both continents.
Governance and Structure
The AU‑EU Youth Lab is implemented by a consortium of international organisations with expertise in youth affairs and development. While supported and partially funded by the European Union, the Youth Lab operates independently through these partners, ensuring a youth‑led and youth‑responsive model. Decisions related to funding and strategic direction are shaped with direct input from youth representatives, especially through bodies like the Youth Advisory Board (YAB)—a group of young leaders who co‑design and steer programme priorities.
Funding and Grants
A key feature of the AU‑EU Youth Lab is its grant funding opportunities for young people and youth‑led organisations. Through the AU‑EU Youth Action Lab, the programme offers a range of grants to support youth‑initiated projects addressing social, environmental, economic, and other global challenges. These grants include:
- Innovation Grants to design and scale new solutions.
- Entrepreneurship Grants to support youth‑led enterprises with social missions.
- Representation Grants to amplify marginalised youth voices in decision‑making.
- Cooperation Grants to enable cross‑continental partnerships between African and European organisations.
Grant amounts can range from smaller innovation support to significant cooperation funding, helping young leaders implement impactful ideas with practical support and mentorship.
Major Programs and Initiatives
- AU‑EU Youth Action Lab
- The AU‑EU Youth Action Lab is a flagship component that provides training, mentorship, and inclusive grants designed with youth at the centre. It equips young changemakers with skills in advocacy, leadership, and policy engagement, while fostering connections across networks and communities.
- Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
- The Youth Advisory Board ensures continuous youth involvement in the programme’s governance. Comprising diverse young leaders from Africa and Europe, the YAB plays a central role in grant selection, strategy design, and advocacy priorities, ensuring that funding reflects real youth needs and priorities.
- AU‑EU Youth Voices Lab App
- As part of the Youth Lab’s digital engagement strategy, the AU‑EU Youth Voices Lab App was launched to provide youth with free access to training, networking, advocacy tools, and opportunities across Africa and Europe. Co‑created by thousands of young users, the app supports digital learning, certificate courses, and collaboration, and is accessible with low data usage to ensure inclusivity.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
Since its launch, the AU‑EU Youth Lab programme has already supported hundreds of young people through training workshops, hackathons, capacity‑building activities, and funding opportunities. Youth participants have gained skills in advocacy, policy dialogue, community engagement, and enterprise development. Initiatives funded through the Youth Action Lab have addressed issues such as climate resilience, youth employment, policy advocacy, and cross‑continental cooperation, creating positive impacts at local and regional levels.
Conclusion
The AU‑EU Youth Lab represents a significant step in empowering young people across Africa and Europe to take active roles in shaping their futures. By combining inclusive governance, targeted training, financial support, and digital engagement tools, the programme strengthens youth voices, fosters meaningful partnerships, and drives long‑term positive change. As it continues to expand opportunities through grants and capacity building, the Youth Lab contributes to a more inclusive, youth‑responsive society across two continents.
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