Deadline: February 27, 2026
Applications are open for the EMEA Youth Safety and Wellbeing Funding Program 2026. The EMEA Youth Safety and Wellbeing Grant is a €500,000 grant program for organizations in the region to help young people benefit from AI technology.
The project will fund two types of institutions: NGOs and research institutions that directly serve children, adolescents, families or educators; Another category is teams that conduct independent research on how AI affects youth safety, well-being, and development. Their goal is to support hands-on projects and independent research to help all parties better understand how safe, responsible AI should work in the real world.
Grant
- Total funding: €500,000.
- Typical single grant amount: The specific amount will depend on the scope and scale of the project; Estimated to be between €25,000–100,000, multi-year grants will be considered for larger projects or network-based collaborations. Reimbursable expenses include reasonable direct and indirect costs consistent with institutional policies.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old and represent a running NGO, research institute, or consortium.
- Its main focus should be on youth safety, youth well-being, or the impact of AI on minors, or projects that will produce valuable evidence or practical tools in these areas.
- Applicants must have the ability to complete projects on time and ethically, be willing to share their methodology and findings, and cooperate with the review committee when needed.
Judging Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following weighted assessment criteria:
- Legal registration in EMEA (required): Your organization must be legally registered in an EMEA (Europe, Middle East, or Africa) country. We may ask for proof of registration. We may ask you to provide proof of registration.
- Alignment with project goals (high): How clearly the project drives AI-related youth safety efforts, evaluates safeguards, or provides actionable evidence to policy stakeholders and product teams.
- Impact and scalability (high): Expected to deliver quantifiable improvements in youth well-being or safety in key markets, with the potential to influence policy, practice, or product design.
- Methodological rigor and ethical design (high): including research methods, measures to protect minors, informed consent processes, and secure data processing protocols.
- Feasibility and Execution (High): The team’s operational and research capabilities, feasible timelines and budgets, and ethical safeguards and data governance arrangements.
- Sustainability and amplification (middle): The potential of the project to continue to advance or enhance local capacity (e.g. hotline service, trusted testnet, etc.) after the funding period ends.
Application
To apply, you will need to fill out the online form and upload the following materials:
- Project name
- Detailed project proposal (maximum 500 words): including objectives, methodology, timeline, key deliverables, and value to policymakers, product teams, and NGOs
- Detailed budget and budget description
- Team member resumes and institutional affiliation information
- Ethics Statement and Data Processing Protocols (if applicable)
- Letter of support or confirmation of partnership (if applicable)
For more information, visit EMEA Youth Safety and Wellbeing Funding Program.
