Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes! If you meet the core eligibility criteria and have received the link to the application form we  welcome your application, even if you are not in one of the groups or themes specifically encouraged to apply. However, it is important to note that your chances of receiving funding may be lower than applications in priority groups or themes 

Where the leadership and decision making of all stages of a project or activity is made by young people,

OR,

Where young people who are not able to take full leadership – as a result of additional needs or exclusion due to social barriers and constraints – are supported to drive forward a project and ensure maximum input into the design and delivery of the projects activities.

This means that young people should be at the centre of your application to the Young Gamechangers Fund. Applications from groups should also include how young people are a key part of decision making about how the group or organisation is run. Make sure that you read the youth-led section in the Eligibility Criteria document fully before applying. 

We have worked with a Youth Steering Group to co-design and lead the development of the Young Gamechangers Fund. It is their vision to put young people at the forefront of all applications and ensure that the funded projects and activities are truly developed by them. They have developed the youth-led approach outlined in the Eligibility Criteria to meet this aim.

Yes. The Young Gamechangers Fund recognises that some young people need more support than others to apply and we welcome applications from all Young Gamechangers. However, it is important for all applications to demonstrate that they are youth led [see our glossary of terms at the bottom of this document] and that young people are at the core of decision making and delivery of activities. If you would like further clarification, please complete our eligibility quiz or get in touch! 

Organisations/groups and individuals can apply for grants of up to £20,000 through the Young Gamechangers Fund. However, the Youth Steering Group encourages applicants to apply for the amount they need, and the size of the grant applied for will not impact on how your application is assessed. 

Your application must be submitted in English, or Welsh. 

Core documents and application form links are available in Welsh language on request – please email ygf@globalfundforchildren.org to request this.

We don’t recommend using AI in the application. The panel wants your voice and passion to shine through and for your application to feel authentic. AI may change what you are trying to say and it may no longer represent you, your group and your vision. Please don’t worry about spelling or grammar – we are much more interested in your work and the change you want to make. 

Everyone has to complete a really short eligibility quiz to access the application form. You can complete this through the link on the website and find out if you are eligible before completing the full application form! If you have any questions, you can also get in touch on ygf@globalfundforchildren.org 

You can take the eligibility quiz more than once. The quiz is designed to help applicants to understand the basic criteria that you need to follow for your application to be considered for funding. It’s really important that you answer truthfully, and if you are invited to apply, ensure your application meets the criteria.

The full list of application questions and guidance can be downloaded on the website – www.younggamechangersfund.org.  Remember to fill out our online application to apply! 

• One-off activities, fundraisers, events, travel or scholarships that do not contribute to bigger community change
• Local offices, affiliates, or projects of large NGOs, governments, or intergovernmental organisations
• Activities that support or oppose candidates for public office or party politics 
• Activities or work that promote religious believes, tries to convert participants to a particular religion or requires participants to join or convert to a religion to take part 
• Organisations that, in policy or in practice, discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, caste, religion, gender identity, disability, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation 
• Groups that conduct or support violent activities or violate criminal law
• Input VAT reclaimable by itself and Grant Recipients from HMRC
• Depreciation, amortisation, or impairment of its own fixed assets.
• The acquisition or improvement of fixed assets by the Grant Recipient (unless the grant is explicitly for capital use – this will be stipulated in the Grant Offer Letter).
• Interest payments (including service charge payments for financial leases).
• Gifts to individuals other than promotional items with a value of no more than £10 a year to any one individual.
• Entertaining (entertaining for this purpose means anything that would be a taxable benefit to the person being entertained, according to current UK tax regulations).
• The purchase of buildings or land.
• Activities that make profits for private gain.
• Loan payments.

An individual or organisation that has an active grant with Young Gamechangers Fund is ineligible to apply for further open grant rounds of the Fund.

• All costs that relate to the delivery of the project you are applying for can be included in your application (budget)
• The panel will consider personal costs for individuals (including paying for your time).  If you are applying to cover time for you or anyone else working on the project this should be living wage as a minimum. Find out more – www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates 
• Where identified costs will remove barriers to taking part in a Young Game Changers Fund
• If you have any questions about this, please email us at ygf@globalfundforchildren.org 

You can use the grant to pay yourself for your time delivering the project or activities that you are applying for (we can help you to understand your responsibilities related to income, working rights etc). You can also use the grant to pay other organisations or individuals that will deliver activities. You cannot pay parents and other family members to support your project delivery.

There are lots of different ways that Individual applicants can receive the grant payment. If you are successful, we will meet with you to explore the best way to support you and manage the grant. 

Yes. Another organisation that can receive funds on your behalf can serve as your fiscal sponsor. See our glossary of terms for more information on what a fiscal sponsor is.

If you are thinking of using a fiscal sponsor you should consider who this might be, think about an organisation you know and will be happy to support you . A fiscal sponsor should be an established group with two unrelated signatories on their bank account. Implementation and reporting around the grant remain the responsibility of the grantee, but the fiscal sponsor will need to agree to receive the funding on your behalf. If you aren’t sure about this email the YGF team and we can give you advice and guidance.

Important note: Fiscal sponsors should have an annual income that does not exceed £250.000. For funding stream 2 the maximum income level is set. For funding streams 1,3 and 4 it may be possible to use a fiscal sponsor with an income above £250,000, where the applicant/group may require specialist support

Young Gamechangers Fund wants to support grassroots groups and organisations, some of whom may be receiving a grant for the first time. We will try to support all successful grantees to access the funding. This could include helping you to identify a fiscal sponsor to support you. However, you should aim to have this in place before you apply and, if you choose to apply without a bank account or identified fiscal sponsor, it may not be possible to fund your application.

Yes! If the young person is linked to the work of the organisation (either as a participant or as part of the organisation’s governance), and has been part of the group of young people planning and developing the activities that the grant will support, then they can between 10-25.

Yes. All applicants under the age of 18 will need consent from a parent or guardian before they can receive the funding. If you are applying as part of an established group or organisation, it is possible that a trusted adult (e.g. youth worker) can give consent for the individual and wider group (where they have already sought consent for this work from the parent/guardian). We will work with successful projects to confirm an appropriate way forward.

Youth Leadership can take many forms. The Youth Steering Group wants to read examples of what this looks like for your group or organisation. For youth-led organisations this would be about sharing information about the people leading. For adult-led organisations the panel will be looking for a clear commitment to youth leadership e.g. young trustees, a youth-leadership group, examples of previous youth-led projects. If you are just starting your journey in this, then the young person/people applying should share how the funding is helping the organisation to grow and embed youth voice and leadership in the organisation. 

No. Both registered and unregistered groups are eligible to apply.

Yes. Any eligible organisation can apply, regardless of when it was established. Young Gamechangers Fund grants can support new projects and the establishment of new groups but will not support one-off activities and events. You may want to use the templates provided with the application form to help you plan your new project

Yes. Partnerships or collaborative networks are welcome to apply to the Young Gamechangers Fund as long as none of the partner organisations fall within our funding exclusions (check out our eligibility criteria). Where organisations are applying together, the applicant must be submitted by one lead organisation or group based in and working in the UK who meets all of our eligibility criteria. This lead partner will be responsible for liaising with the Young Gamechangers Fund team on behalf of the partnership or network.

If the project is open to anyone to attend, regardless of their beliefs, and is not trying to convert people to a religion you can apply for a grant. It may be a good idea to consider if the location of your activity presents a barrier to people taking part.

There are three types of funding available through the Young Gamechangers Fund. The table in the Eligibility criteria explains the different funding options and how the funding can be used. You can either apply as an individual, or as a group/organisation for unrestricted flexible funding or for project funding. 

Project funding means you are applying for costs to run one particular programme or activity so is more specific and less flexible. You can see bigger definitions of these types of funding in the Glossary of Terms

For too long, young people have been left out of the decisions that affect them the most.

The £4.5m Young Gamechangers Fund from Co-op, the Co-op Foundation and the #iwill Fund will tackle this head on with grants of up to £20k a year for young people across the UK transforming communities into safer, more sustainable and more inclusive places to live. 

The Young Gamechangers Fund is putting young people at the heart of change and is co-designed with our amazing Steering Group – young people aged 18 – 24 from all over the UK. The Fund is delivered by Global Fund for Children and Restless Development.  

Together, we want to transform the way that youth-led activism, social change and movement building is funded in the UK. We’ll share everything we learn on the way so more funders, charities and co-operators can confidently give power to young people.

The Young Gamechangers Fund puts key decisions in the hands of young people. Through a participatory grantmaking process, our Youth Steering Group will make funding recommendations. Final funding decisions will be made by the Co-op Foundation Board based on these recommendations. 

The Steering Group will review applications for Grant Round 2 throughout December and January. All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by mid February 2025.

Our funding partners 

Co-op Foundation is Co-op’s charity and it’s co-operating for a fairer world. The Foundation believes co-operation is at the heart of strong communities and this makes it a different kind of funder.

It works closely with communities, it listens and learns. It unlocks communities’ power by focusing on those who have most at stake. The Co-op Foundation asked young people to shape its vision, and now it’s co-operating with them and others to turn this into a reality. The Co-op Foundation – building communities of the future together.

The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £50 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. The Coop Foundation is acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

The Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, owned by millions of members. They’re a recognised leader for our social goals and community-led programmes. They exist to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

Our delivery partners

Global Fund for Children (GFC) partners with community-based organisations around the world, helping them deepen their impact and develop their capacity for social change. By offering flexible funding and a range of capacity development services, GFC centres children, young people, and their communities as drivers of systemic change. Since 1997, we have invested over $56 million in more than 1,000 organisations worldwide.

Restless Development is a non-profit global agency that supports the collective power of young leaders to create a better world. Every year they train, mentor, nurture and connect thousands of young people to use their youth power in their communities. Restless Development believes that how they do their work is as important as what they do. To recognise this, they have embraced a power-shifting approach that recognises the growing inequalities and injustices in our world and intentionally shifts power; enabling young people and communities who have previously been marginalised to lead change.