Call for Applications
Mediterranean Youth in Action, MYA
TRANSFORMATIVE YOUTH – TY
CALLING ALL ENTHUSIASTIC YOUNG COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THE EURO-MED!
Application deadline: 23 May 2026 (23:59 CET)
Read the full call and application form here
Info-session: 5 May 2026 at 9:00 am CET here
FAQs here
About the MYA Programme
The Mediterranean Youth in Action (MYA) Programme of the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) embodies a dynamic approach toward fostering positive change in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Grounded in gaining experience and learning through action, MYA empowers young pioneers to become catalysts for transformation and advocates for societal progress. With a steadfast commitment to peer sharing and learning, MYA cultivates a vibrant community where young leaders collaborate, exchange ideas, and harness their collective potential.
Embracing a Euro-med vision, the Programme bridges cultural divides and promotes dialogue, understanding, and cooperation across borders. Through initiatives aimed at empowering young people to shape public policy and promote active citizenship, MYA positions youth as the true agents of change, envisioning a future where they play pivotal roles in shaping the societal landscape of the Mediterranean region.
About the Transformative Youth in Action Programme
Step into the world of transformative action with MYA!
This call is designed to empower young community leaders to create tangible and lasting impact in their communities.
Through MYA, young community leaders from both shores of the Euro-Mediterranean region are invited to implement grassroots initiatives that inspire community-led solutions to address home needs, while promoting inclusion. It is a call for hands-on involvement and real change.
Selected initiatives will act as inspiring prototypes at the local level, showcasing the relevance and effectiveness of community action on the broader Euro-Mediterranean scale.
This call offers an extraordinary opportunity for young leaders to unleash their creativity and drive lasting, positive change in society. So, if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and be a part of something truly meaningful, MYA is calling your name. Join us, and let’s turn vision into action!
What should your initiative be like?
Your initiatives should be locally transformative, and they should directly address clearly identified community needs. Applicants are encouraged to showcase how their projects contribute to inter-cultural dialogue, diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunities in their communities. The initiatives must bear an impact in Euro-Med communities in any of the eligible countries and address relevant priorities introduced under the Pact for the Mediterranean (more info on https://north-africa-middle-east-gulf.ec.europa.eu/joint-communication-pact-mediterranean_en).
In your application, you should demonstrate why your project is unique and how it effectively addresses the identified need or problem. Initiatives can have a social, economic, or public policy focus, provided they directly address the community challenges identified and seek to achieve inclusion, yielding sustainable results.
TY: Step-by-Step Guide
Embark on a vibrant journey with the ALF by acquainting yourself with the process. Here is a detailed breakdown to guide you seamlessly through each step:
The applicants will benefit from
1. Skills enhancement & capacity building opportunities
Elevate project management, communication, and transformative leadership skills through an online training programme. And participate in a kick-off meeting in person in one of the Euro-Mediterranean countries for peer review and discussions. Refine methodologies, build connections, and prepare for the initiative’s implementation phase.
2. Financial support (up to 35 selected young community leaders)
Receive up to 8,000 euros for implementing community-level initiatives.
3. Networking opportunities
Connect with leaders, stakeholders, and civil society representatives. Build a robust network for potential collaborations and future endeavours.
4. Evaluation and learning support
Receive continuous accompaniment and support. Engage in online intermediate sessions, ensuring timely and collaborative problem-solving. The ALF Secretariat is committed to supporting participants at every stage.
5. Enhanced visibility of your initiative
Actively contribute to communication initiatives, creating diverse content to share your insights. These will include direct testimonies from the young community leaders about your experiences and knowledge gained during your participation in the MYA Programme. Ad-hoc financial support will be provided for these contributions.
Additional benefits
1. Participation in Euro-Mediterranean dialogues and ALF Youth Conference
As a selected young community leader, your journey with the ALF offers an exclusive opportunity to actively engage in participatory and policy dialogues in the Euro-Mediterranean region. This includes participation in events such as: ALF Dialogues, ALF Youth Conference, etc.
Young leaders who have shown excellence in implementing their initiatives will have the opportunity to actively participate in dynamic events and dialogues organised at the Euro-Mediterranean scale, amplifying youth voices and perspectives, fostering dialogue, and connecting with stakeholders and peers across the region. Participating in these events not only enhances your visibility and network but also provides a u
2. MYA Alumni
Being pre-selected and completing the online training programme automatically grants you membership in the MYA Alumni scheme, a growing and dynamic community of young change-makers from across the Euro-Mediterranean region. As a MYA Alumnus/a, you will have the opportunity to attend and actively participate in the upcoming Alumni activities, keeping you connected to the MYA network well beyond your initial engagement with the Programme.
The applicants will benefit from
1. Skills enhancement (50 pre-selected content creators)
Strengthen your skills in strategic storytelling, content planning, and social media campaign design through a practical online training programme delivered by communication experts. Participants will receive a certificate endorsed by the ALF Secretariat.
2. Face-to-face kick-off meeting (25 selected content creators)
Participate in an in-person kick-off meeting in one of the Euro-Med countries to refine campaign concepts through peer exchange and collective review, build connections, and prepare for the implementation phase.
3. Financial support (25 selected content creators+ 5 selected tandems)
EUR 4,000 to implement a national social media campaign.
Up to EUR 8,000 per tandem to implement a regional social media campaign, developed and delivered jointly with a peer from the other shore of the Mediterranean.
4. Networking opportunities:
Connect with fellow creators, young leaders, researchers, and relevant stakeholders across the Euro-Mediterranean region, opening space for collaboration and future initiatives.
5. Evaluation and learning support:
Receive continuous accompaniment and support. Engage in online intermediate sessions, ensuring timely and collaborative problem-solving. The ALF Secretariat is committed to supporting participants at every stage.
6. Targeted communication outputs:
Content creators will actively contribute to other communication initiatives, creating diverse content to share their insights. These will include direct testimonies about their experiences and knowledge gained during their participation in the MYA programme. the ALF Secretariat might also assign targeted communication tasks tailored to each content creator’s audience and formats. These tasks will allow creators’ content and insights to contribute to broader ALF communication activities, including other programmes and initiatives beyond MYA. An ad-hoc financial support will be provided for these contributions.
Eligible criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be of age between 18 to 35;
- Be affiliated with youth-led or youth-oriented community-based organisations;
- Be nationals of one of the 43 Member States of the Anna Lindh Foundation;
- Implement a transformative and innovative initiative within the 43 eligible countries
Applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will be disqualified.
Application process
Submit your online application via the available online form only (hyperlink) before 23 May 2026, 23.59 Central European Time, CET.
Applications must be submitted in any of the three ALF languages: Arabic, English or French
In your application, you must ensure alignment with the criteria, demonstrating your commitment to driving positive change in your local community. In your application, you will need to craft a concise initiative outline, limited to 500 words, focusing on local transformative initiatives that address community needs and promote inclusion.
Only complete applications, meeting the criteria and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Please note that it is not possible to save the application as a draft or to make any changes after submitting it. By the set deadline, only the most recently submitted version of the application will be considered. The same applicant cannot submit more than one proposal under this call.
Applicants may only apply to ONE call under the MYA Programme that best reflects their profile. Submission of applications under more than one MYA call may result in the disqualification of all applications submitted.
Due to the expected high volume of applications, only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
There will be an info session scheduled for live questions and answers. In case you miss that or have any further questions or face any technical problems, please write to us at: mya.transformativeyouth@alfsecretariat.org
Selection criteria
Selection criteria will be based on the quality of the applications received in terms of measurable impact.
The selection process is designed to ensure fairness, equal treatment, diversity, and relevance. Below are the selection criteria:
1- Alignment with local community needs(25%)
Demonstrated understanding of local community needs and a clear articulation of how the proposed initiative addresses these needs at the grassroots level. Analysis of context weighs at 15%, and the targeted beneficiaries at 10%.
2- Feasibility and clarity of the implementation plan (35%)
Provision of a feasible and well-detailed implementation plan, including a clear description of activities, appropriate indicators for outputs (products) and outcomes (impact at the community level).
3- Innovation element of the transformative initiative (15%)
Application of new perspectives with the goal of improving the impact of the proposed initiative, develop tailored solutions challenging the status quo and thinking outside the box, to achieve breakthrough results in relation to the most pressing identified problems or address unmet needs.
4- Background and experience (15%)
Demonstrated diverse background and experiences showcasing the applicant’s ability to contribute unique perspectives and approaches to the initiative, and that they have sufficient community engagement experience.
5- Applicability and relevance at the Euro-Med scale (10%)
Demonstration of how the proposed initiative is relevant to and aligned with the broader Euro-Med context, taking into account the unique socio-cultural, economic, and political factors of the locality and those of the region.
The ALF is dedicated to promoting an inclusive and non-discriminatory atmosphere within the Transformative Youth in Action.
A gender and geographical balance between regions and countries will be observed. This commitment underscores our goal to create a diverse and equitable community, fostering sustainable and inclusive development in the Euro-Med region.
Important note: Due to the large number of applications expected, the limited resources available, and the aim of diversifying the beneficiaries, priority will be given to applications that did not receive funding in the previous “Mediterranean Youth in Action” and “Young Civil Society Leadership” Programmes calls launched in 2023, 2024 or 2025.
Please note that for the extended proposal phase, detailed selection criteria will be applied. They will be shared with the pre-selected applicants during the pre-selection and online training phase.
Indicative timeline
23 April 2026 Launch of the call
5 May 2026 Online Information Session 5 May 2026 at 9:00 am CET here
23 May 2026 Deadline to receive the submission of the initiative outlines
15 June 2026 Publication of the pre-selection results (around 75 initiatives)
June 2026 Online training
Early July 2026 Deadline to receive the submission of the extended proposals
June-July 2026 Publication of the final selection results (around 35 initiatives)
September-October 2026 Face-to-face kick-off engagement meeting
October 2026 Earliest possible start date of the community-based initiatives benefiting from this call
March 2027 Latest possible end date of the community-based initiatives benefiting from this call
April-May 2027 Face-to-Face evaluation and results sharing meeting
*Please note that the timeline is indicative and may be subject to adjustments depending on the number of applications received and the overall evaluation process. The ALF Secretariat will make every effort to follow the proposed schedule while ensuring a fair and comprehensive selection process.
Background
The ALF,was created in 2005 as a Euro-Mediterranean intergovernmental organisation based in Alexandria. The ALF, inspired by Anna Lindh’s legacy, is committed to fostering intercultural dialogue within its mission of nurturing inclusive societies where diversity is celebrated and everyone’s voice is valued. By promoting peace, justice, and strong partnerships, the ALF strives to create a world where people from diverse backgrounds live in harmony through open and meaningful intercultural exchanges.
ALF brings together organisations, institutions, policy makers, and other change makers from all Euro-Med countries to open a dialogue and cooperate. People meet, learn, and collaborate, through the Foundation’s different Programmes and initiatives in different fields to empower them to create a chain of positive change that touches more lives and communities. Its action is grounded on the two main ALF bodies: Its National Civil Society Networks, with more than 4.500 members, and the 43 States of its Board of Governors.
Framework and financial allocation
This Programme is developed in the framework of the Action Grant “Mediterranean Youth in Action-MYA” ref. NDICI-GEO-NEAR/2023/448-134. The indicative overall amount allocated to this call is 246,000 euro. The ALF reserves the right to award the contracts subject to the availability of the funds and the favorable decision of a no-cost extension request to be approved by the EC.