Deadline: November 30, 2025
The AUDA-NEPAD Call for Proposals: Up to EUR 120,000 Grants for Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa (COYWA) is now open, offering substantial funding to organisations working to advance youth and women’s empowerment across Africa. This call provides a unique opportunity for eligible organisations to implement high-impact, gender-responsive, and youth-focused initiatives within key African regions. With a total budget of EUR 1.8 million and a maximum award of EUR 120,000 per project, successful applicants will be able to scale transformative programmes over a period of up to 24 months.
About the Opportunity
The Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa (COYWA) programme is an initiative of AUDA-NEPAD, delivered in partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). The programme aims to promote gender equality, youth leadership, economic inclusion, health, and human security through targeted interventions across various Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
A total of EUR 1,800,000 is available under this call, with eligible organisations able to apply for up to EUR 120,000 for a 24-month project.
Eligible RECs include:
- East African Community (EAC)
- Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
- Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
- Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
Eligibility
To qualify for the AUDA-NEPAD Call for Proposals: Up to EUR 120,000 Grants for Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa (COYWA), applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be legally registered in an African Union Member State.
- Be a civil society organisation, women-led or youth-led enterprise, cooperative, or public institution.
- Have at least two years of operational experience.
- Demonstrate expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Youth and women empowerment
- Economic inclusion
- Digital inclusion
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
- Prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV)
- Leadership and governance
- Human security, migration, climate, or humanitarian contexts
- Show evidence of organisational and financial capacity to manage donor funds.
Priority Areas of Intervention
Projects submitted must fall within one or more of the following thematic areas:
- Economic Empowerment & Financial Inclusion
Including business incubation, vocational training, market access, and entrepreneurship support. - Digital and Technology Inclusion
Promoting digital literacy, access to digital tools, and gender-responsive technology solutions. - Health, Nutrition, and SRHR
Strengthening community-based health systems and improving access to SRHR for youth and women. - Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Response
Supporting safe spaces, protection systems, community awareness, and survivor-centred services. - Leadership and Participation
Increasing youth and women’s participation in decision-making processes at all levels. - Human Security in Fragile Contexts
Addressing issues related to migration, climate change, displacement, and humanitarian assistance. - Institutional Capacity Strengthening
Supporting public institutions and local actors to promote gender equality and inclusive governance. - Agency, Voice, and Participation
Empowering youth and women to actively engage in social, economic, and political spheres.
Expected Outputs
Funded projects are expected to deliver results such as:
- Matching grants for women-led businesses and business incubation hubs.
- Increased access to vocational training for youth and women.
- Improved digital skills and gender-responsive innovation.
- Strengthened SRHR services for women and girls.
- Enhanced community systems to prevent and respond to GBV.
- Stronger institutions supporting gender equality.
- Increased participation of youth and women in leadership and peacebuilding processes.
- Greater voice and agency for young people and women in public decision-making.
Non-Eligible Costs
The following costs will not be accepted under this call:
- Debt repayments or interest charges
- Activities already funded by other donors
- Purchase of land or buildings
- Currency exchange losses
- Recoverable taxes such as VAT
Application Documents
Applicants must submit the following:
- Signed Letter of Interest
- Completed Grant Application Form
- Concept Note outlining the proposed project
- Detailed Work Plan aligned with COYWA objectives
- Detailed Budget using the official AUDA-NEPAD template
- Legal registration documents
- Audited financial statements for the last two years
- (Optional) Letters of support from partners or local authorities
All documents must be submitted in electronic format (PDF or similar).
Timeline / Key Dates
- Deadline for submissions: 30 November 2025, 17:00 South African Time
- Deadline for submitting clarification questions: 15 days before the deadline
- Response to clarifications: No later than 10 days before the deadline
How to Apply
All applications must be submitted via email to:
grants-subdelegation@nepad.org
With copies to:
Selection Process
Applications will undergo:
- Eligibility screening
- Technical and financial assessment
- Review of organisational and operational capacity
- Final approval by AUDA-NEPAD
Projects demonstrating strong alignment with programme objectives, clear feasibility, and measurable impact will be prioritised.
Additional Information / Terms
- Proposed activities must not duplicate other donor-funded interventions.
- All projects must adhere to AUDA-NEPAD’s gender equality, youth empowerment, and accountability standards.
- The maximum project duration is 24 months.
Host Organisation
African Union Development Agency – NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD)
In partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
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