Project Awards are trust-based grants to power youth’s social impact ideas and advance their leadership skills, technical expertise and political influence in their communities and beyond.
The four key principles
Trust-based, youth-led, feminist, movement-building the four ideas every Project Award is built on. Shown here as four columns, each carrying its own accent from the Project Awards palette.
Find your tier
Take this simple test to find out which Project Award is for you. Every “yes” moves you down to the next question; every “no” branches right to your result.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Am I eligible? Who can apply?
Youth leaders aged 13 to 25 with an idea to advance gender justice in their community.
- Do I need to already be part of a Girl Up Club+?
No. Newly formed clubs and youth groups activating Girl Up work for the first time in their community are exactly who Leader of Self is for.
- Does my group need to be a registered organization or nonprofit?
No. Project Awards fund youth groups, activists and Girl Up Clubs+, not legal entities.
- Do we need an adult supervisor?
If you are under 18, we will require an adult to authorize you and co-sign the reception of the funds.
- Can we apply if we applied before and weren’t selected?
Yes. Previous applications don’t count against you.
- Can we apply if we won a Project Award before?
Yes! It’s important you explain how this new award builds on what you have already done.
- Are the tiers a sequence I move through?
No. They’re differentiated entry points, not a ladder. Apply to the tier that matches your current context, not the one you think comes next.
- Can I apply to both tiers?
No. Each tier is for a specific type of applicant.
- What about Leader of Change?
Leader of Change funds projects designed jointly by two or more Clubs+, with shared planning and shared ownership. It opens in 2027. In the meantime, each Club+ can apply on its own to the tier that fits.
- How much can we ask for?
Up to US$500 for Leader of Self, up to US$1,000 for Leader of Peers. You can request less than the maximum.
- How and when do we receive the money?
By international transfer in US dollars. The funds go to the personal bank account of the youth leader receiving the award, or to the account of an authorized parent or guardian. Transfers begin in December. From there it can take up to two months to arrive, depending on how quickly and accurately you share the required banking information. The faster and more precise your details, the faster the money reaches you.
- What can we spend the money on?
Whatever your project needs: materials, venue, transport, food, printing, digital tools, stipends, accessibility costs like interpretation or childcare.
- When do applications open and close?
They open on October 15 and close on October 31. No extensions.
- Do we have to attend the webinars or Innovators of Play to apply?
No. Both are optional. They exist to help you build a stronger proposal.
- When will we know if we got selected?
The last week of November.
- If selected, what are we committing to?
Attending the Innovation Lab onboarding on November 28, running your project between January and April, one call with an alumni mentor during planning, at least one regional cohort meeting, and a final report by April 30. It asks what you learned, who you reached, and what you’d want other Clubs+ to know. Questions differ slightly by tier, matched to what each tier is trying to achieve.
