USAID has launched the Young Women Transform Prize to support youth in developing countries to develop their own solutions to advance the economic empowerment of young women in their communities.
Prizes of $15,000 to $35,000 will be awarded to grassroots youth-led or youth-serving organizations in low- or middle-income countries to address long-standing barriers to young women’s employment.
Two types of prizes will be awarded:
- Creation Prize of up to $35,000 each: to support the development and implementation of activities with the potential to broaden young women’s access to, and choice over, employment and economic security, with a focus on collecting and disseminating learning; and
- Recognition Prize of $15,000 each: to recognize innovative strategies that have improved young women’s economic opportunities, and collect and share learning from that innovation.
Both types of prizes will focus on collecting and sharing learning, and on capturing new evidence and approaches to improve young women’s economic opportunities.
The Volvo Group and Standard Chartered are joining as partners in the Young Women Transform Prize alongside USAID. The partners have a deep commitment to improving education and economic opportunities for youth, women and girls around the world. USAID, The Volvo Group and Standard Chartered are partners to the prize awards and Standard Chartered will also be tapping into its volunteer network to offer grant recipients mentoring to build their financial and management capabilities.
USAID continues to seek additional partners to provide financial or in-kind contributions, such as capacity building, and mentoring for youth beneficiaries to maximize the number of young women reached through this initiative.
Applications are due by April 30th. Ten winners will be announced in summer 2018.
