Applications are now open for the 4th Youth Leadership & Innovation Award for Migration (YLIA) 2026, a global initiative supporting young people who are already developing and implementing practical solutions to migration-related challenges.

Organized by the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP), the fourth edition is being held under the theme “Innovation amid Adversity.” It comes at a time when funding for grassroots and youth-led initiatives is becoming increasingly difficult to secure, even as young people continue to develop responses to migration, displacement, economic exclusion and community resilience.

YLIA 2026 is looking for existing youth-led solutions that have already been implemented or tested and can demonstrate real results. Applicants do not need to have a large organization or internationally established project, but the initiative must have moved beyond being only an idea.

For the first time in YLIA’s history, the entire process will take place online, from applications through to the final pitch. This means applicants will not need to obtain visas, purchase flights or raise travel funding in order to participate.

Six finalists will be selected to receive approximately one month of online pitch coaching before presenting their initiatives live to a high-level jury. From those finalists, three winners will receive seed funding to help scale and replicate their work, alongside continued mentorship, training, networking and introductions that may support future partnerships, funding and policy engagement.

The fourth edition focuses on three major areas of migration innovation: Opportunity, Resilience and Inclusion.

Applications are open to eligible young innovators under the age of 31, whether applying individually or through a youth-led team. The programme is global and is aimed at young people who can demonstrate that their solution is already producing impact and has the potential to expand.

The official MYCP website describes YLIA as a global initiative designed to empower young leaders driving innovative responses to migration challenges. Previous editions have supported innovators through seed funding, mentorship, capacity building and international visibility.

Application deadline: 10 October 2026 at 23:59 CET.

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About the Youth Leadership & Innovation Award for Migration

The Youth Leadership & Innovation Award for Migration, commonly known as YLIA, is an initiative of the Migration Youth and Children Platform created to identify, strengthen and promote youth-led responses to migration challenges.

The programme is designed around the idea that young people should not only be treated as people affected by migration policies. They are also:

• Entrepreneurs
• Researchers
• Community organizers
• Innovators
• Migrants
• Diaspora members
• Advocates
• Service providers
• Policy contributors
• Leaders responding directly to challenges in their communities

YLIA therefore seeks out initiatives that are already addressing problems affecting migrants, displaced communities, diaspora populations, host communities and other actors connected to migration.

MYCP describes the Award as a global platform that combines visibility, innovation acceleration and network creation. Its objectives include providing seed support to youth-led initiatives, strengthening young leaders’ capacities and connecting promising innovators with wider migration-policy spaces.

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About the Migration Youth and Children Platform

The Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP) is a youth-led platform working to increase the participation of children and young people in migration policymaking.

MYCP describes itself as a space created by and for young people to influence international migration policymaking. It works as part of the Major Group for Children and Youth and connects young people with migration-related policy processes within the international system.

Its broader work includes:

• Policy and advocacy
• Capacity building
• Youth-led research
• Consultations
• Knowledge creation
• Leadership development
• Connecting youth to decision-makers

The organization reports a constituency of more than 50,000 members and has engaged young migrants and youth organizations across numerous countries.

YLIA forms part of this wider effort to ensure that young people are not merely consulted about migration but are also supported to design and scale their own solutions.

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Theme for 2026: Innovation amid Adversity

The theme for the fourth edition is:

Innovation amid Adversity

The theme reflects the difficult financial environment facing many grassroots and youth-led organizations.

Development assistance and funding opportunities are under pressure, and smaller youth-led initiatives can be especially vulnerable because many have historically had limited access to conventional grant funding.

Against this background, YLIA 2026 aims to continue backing young innovators who are developing practical responses even when funding conditions are difficult.

The message behind this edition is straightforward: reduced funding does not mean that young people have stopped innovating.

Instead, the programme wants to identify solutions that are already working and provide selected young leaders with the support required to strengthen and scale them.

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YLIA 2026 Is Fully Online

A major change distinguishes the fourth edition from previous versions of the programme.

For the first time:

The entire competition will take place online.

That includes the process from application through to the final pitch.

This means applicants do not need:

• A visa
• International airfare
• Travel funding
• Accommodation funding

to participate in the competition.

The online design substantially expands accessibility for young innovators who might otherwise be excluded from international opportunities because of geography, visa barriers or travel costs.

The official MYCP website also identifies this edition as the first fully online YLIA.

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Three Innovation Categories

Applicants must position their solution within one of three central areas.

1. Opportunity: Unlocking Economic Opportunities for Migrants

The Opportunity category focuses on solutions that create economic pathways for people affected by migration.

Relevant initiatives might support areas such as:

• Employment
• Skills development
• Entrepreneurship
• Livelihoods
• Economic participation
• Professional networks
• Labour-market access

The category is particularly concerned with enabling migrants, diaspora communities and host communities to put their:

• Skills
• Knowledge
• Experience
• Networks

to productive use.

Projects should therefore go beyond simply identifying economic barriers and demonstrate a practical approach to expanding opportunity.

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Who Might Benefit From Opportunity Projects?

Solutions could potentially serve groups such as:

• Migrants seeking employment
• Refugees or displaced people developing livelihoods
• Diaspora entrepreneurs
• Migrant-owned businesses
• Host communities
• Employers seeking migrant talent
• Young people on the move
• Organizations supporting labour-market integration

Applicants should clearly explain who their users are and how the solution creates measurable economic value or opportunity.

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2. Resilience: Adapting Mobility in a Changing World

The Resilience category focuses on solutions that help people and communities respond to emerging and changing forms of migration and displacement.

Mobility can be influenced by multiple pressures, including:

• Climate change
• Conflict
• Economic instability
• Natural disasters
• Political insecurity
• Environmental degradation
• Changing livelihood conditions

Solutions in this category should strengthen people’s ability to prepare for, respond to or adapt to these changing mobility patterns.

Relevant projects may focus on:

• Preparedness
• Community resilience
• Adaptive capacity
• Climate mobility
• Displacement responses
• Risk reduction
• Information systems
• Community-based adaptation

The core question is whether the initiative helps individuals or communities navigate changing mobility conditions more effectively.

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3. Inclusion: Fostering Belonging, Participation and Unity

The third category focuses on Inclusion.

Projects should create meaningful opportunities for migrants and displaced people to:

• Participate
• Be heard
• Influence decisions
• Build stronger community relationships
• Experience greater belonging

The category also includes initiatives that strengthen relationships between migrants and host communities.

Potential themes could therefore include:

• Social cohesion
• Civic participation
• Migrant representation
• Community dialogue
• Inclusion in local decision-making
• Anti-discrimination initiatives
• Community integration
• Youth participation

The strongest solutions should provide practical mechanisms through which migrants or displaced populations can exercise agency rather than simply treating them as passive beneficiaries.

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Who Can Apply?

YLIA 2026 has several specific eligibility requirements.

Applicants must be:

Under 31 years old.

In practical terms, this means applicants must still be younger than 31 under the eligibility rules of the call.

The initiative may be submitted:

• By an individual applicant; or
• By a team.

For team applications, there must be a lead applicant and spokesperson.

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Your Initiative Must Be Youth-Led

A central eligibility requirement is youth leadership.

The project must either:

• Be youth-led; or
• Have young people holding a significant share of leadership.

This is important because the Award is designed to promote youth agency rather than projects where young people appear only as beneficiaries.

Applicants should therefore be able to demonstrate that young people have meaningful influence over:

• Strategy
• Decision-making
• Implementation
• Leadership
• Future development

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The Solution Must Already Exist

YLIA is not primarily an idea-stage challenge.

Applicants must present an existing solution that has already been:

• Implemented; or
• Tested

and has produced real results.

This is one of the most important selection considerations.

An applicant with only a concept or proposal but no evidence of implementation may therefore not meet the eligibility requirement.

The organizers are looking for evidence that the solution can work in practice.

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What Does “Already Making an Impact” Mean?

Although the call does not provide one universal measurement framework, applicants should be prepared to demonstrate concrete evidence.

Depending on the project, this might include:

• Number of people served
• Jobs created
• Participants trained
• Communities reached
• Services delivered
• Partnerships established
• Improvements experienced by users
• Pilot results
• User feedback
• Measurable behavioural or social outcomes

Applicants should use whatever evidence is most appropriate to their specific initiative.

The key is to show that the project has progressed beyond intention into actual implementation.

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Your Solution Must Be Scalable or Replicable

Another requirement is the potential for the project to expand.

Applicants should demonstrate that their solution can be:

• Replicated; or
• Scaled

at one or more of the following levels:

• Regional
• National
• International

This does not mean the solution must already operate internationally.

Rather, candidates should demonstrate a credible pathway through which the model could reach more people or be adapted elsewhere.

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Primary Users Must Be Migration Actors

The project should directly serve or involve actors connected with migration.

The call identifies examples including:

• Migrants
• Diaspora communities
• Governments
• Employers
• Civil society organizations
• Host communities

This is a particularly important requirement because a strong youth innovation project will not automatically qualify if its connection with migration is weak or incidental.

Applicants should explain clearly why their solution belongs within the migration field.

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Six Finalists Will Be Selected

From the applications received, six finalists will advance to the final stage.

The finalists will receive additional support before presenting their work.

This selection means reaching finalist status is itself a significant stage in the competition.

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One Month of Pitch Coaching

All six finalists will receive approximately one month of online mentorship and pitch coaching.

Support will focus on areas such as:

• Storytelling
• Public speaking
• Pitch framing

These skills are particularly important for founders and community leaders who may have strong projects but limited experience communicating them to funders, policymakers or investors.

Finalists will learn how to communicate:

• The problem
• Their solution
• Their evidence of impact
• The people they serve
• Their scaling strategy
• Why further investment matters

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Live Final Pitch

Following the coaching period, finalists will present their solutions live to a:

High-level jury.

Because the fourth edition is entirely online, this pitch will also take place virtually.

The final presentation offers participants a global platform on which to showcase their initiatives.

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Three Winners Receive Seed Funding

From the six finalists:

Three winners will receive seed funding.

The money is intended to help winners:

• Scale their projects
• Replicate successful approaches
• Develop the next stage of implementation

The public information supplied for this edition does not state a specific monetary value for each award.

It is therefore important not to advertise an amount that has not been officially confirmed.

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Ongoing Mentorship After the Award

The programme does not end immediately after winners are announced.

YLIA winners will continue receiving support through:

• Training
• Networking
• Professional introductions

These connections may help create future pathways toward:

• Partnerships
• Additional funding
• Policy engagement
• Organizational development
• International networks

For an early-stage youth-led initiative, these longer-term connections may be as valuable as the immediate seed funding.

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Global Visibility for Finalists

YLIA also offers finalists an opportunity to present their work to a wider audience.

Finalists’ initiatives may receive visibility through:

• MYCP communication channels
• Global youth networks
• Migration-policy networks
• Programme partners
• Jury members
• Other stakeholders

The official YLIA programme describes visibility as one of its core objectives, alongside innovation acceleration and network creation. Migration Youth and Children Platform

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YLIA’s Track Record

The 2026 programme is the fourth edition of the Youth Leadership & Innovation Award.

According to MYCP, previous editions have collectively involved:

• More than 600 participants
• 18 finalists
• 9 winners

Past finalists have come from countries including Guinea, Syria, Rwanda, Kenya, Tajikistan, Ethiopia and Ecuador, illustrating the programme’s international reach. Migration Youth and Children Platform

Previous supported initiatives have addressed areas including:

• Climate mobility
• Education
• Migrants’ access to services
• Diaspora contributions
• Community wellbeing
• Economic inclusion

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What Makes a Strong YLIA 2026 Application?

The strongest applications are likely to demonstrate several elements simultaneously.

1. A Clearly Defined Migration Challenge

Explain precisely what problem your initiative addresses.

Avoid descriptions that are too broad, such as:

“Migration is a global challenge.”

Instead, explain:

• Who experiences the problem
• Where it occurs
• Why it matters
• What existing systems fail to address

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2. An Existing Solution

Do not present the project as merely something you intend to launch.

The call specifically requires an initiative that has already been tested or implemented.

Describe:

• What you have already done
• When implementation began
• Where the project operates
• What users experienced

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3. Evidence of Results

Selection is likely to be stronger when claims are supported by evidence.

Where possible, provide:

• Numbers
• Outcomes
• Testimonials
• Pilot data
• User feedback
• Partnerships
• Before-and-after comparisons

Evidence makes it easier for reviewers to understand whether the project is genuinely working.

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4. Genuine Youth Leadership

Explain how young people make decisions within the initiative.

If the project is part of a larger organization, make clear whether young people:

• Lead the programme
• Control strategy
• Manage implementation
• Hold leadership positions
• Design activities

Simply serving young people is not the same as being youth-led.

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5. Clear Scaling Potential

Explain what would happen if the project received additional support.

For example:

• Could it expand to another city?
• Could technology help it reach more users?
• Could the model be replicated nationally?
• Could another organization adopt it?
• Could it serve another migrant population?

The seed funding is designed to support future expansion, so a clear growth pathway is important.

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Why the Fully Online Format Matters

International youth opportunities can unintentionally exclude promising candidates because participation requires:

• Visa access
• International travel
• Accommodation
• Significant personal resources

YLIA 2026 removes these barriers by delivering the entire competition virtually.

The result is a programme in which geographic distance does not automatically prevent an innovator from competing.

Candidates can apply and, if selected, proceed through mentoring and the final pitch without international travel.

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Important Dates

The application period closes on:

10 October 2026 at 23:59 CET.

MYCP’s current website confirms this precise closing time. Migration Youth and Children Platform

The programme listing indicates an online competition period extending from 10 October to 23 November 2026. Migration Youth and Children Platform

Applicants should nevertheless treat 10 October 2026 at 23:59 CET as the final application deadline and submit early.

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How to Apply

Candidates should complete the official application through MYCP’s fourth-edition YLIA page.

Before beginning, applicants should be prepared to explain:

• The migration challenge being addressed
• Their existing solution
• Evidence of results
• Youth leadership within the initiative
• Who uses or benefits from the solution
• Potential for replication or scaling
• Which of the three categories the project fits

Apply for the 4th Youth Leadership & Innovation Award for Migration

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Key Information at a Glance

Programme: 4th Youth Leadership & Innovation Award for Migration

Edition: Fourth

Theme: Innovation amid Adversity

Organizer: Migration Youth and Children Platform

Format: Fully online

Geographic scope: Global

Age: Under 31

Application format: Individual or team with a lead applicant/spokesperson

Project stage: Existing and already implemented or tested

Leadership requirement: Youth-led or significant youth leadership

Scaling requirement: Potential for regional, national or international replication or expansion

Categories: Opportunity, Resilience and Inclusion

Finalists: Six

Finalist support: One month of online pitch coaching

Winners: Three

Winner support: Seed funding plus continued training, networking and introductions

Final pitch: Online before a high-level jury

Application deadline: 10 October 2026 at 23:59 CET

Official page:
MYCP YLIA 2026

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Why YLIA 2026 Matters

Many of the most immediate impacts of migration are experienced locally.

Young people are often among those developing responses closest to affected communities. Yet grassroots youth-led initiatives can face substantial barriers to accessing established funding mechanisms.

YLIA addresses this gap by looking for initiatives that are already demonstrating value and helping selected innovators move toward a larger scale.

Its model combines four important elements:

• Recognition
• Capacity building
• Financial support
• Networks

This means applicants are not simply competing for a title.

The programme is intended to strengthen projects that already exist and help their leaders develop the skills, resources and relationships needed to expand their impact.

APPLY HERE

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Conclusion

The 4th Youth Leadership & Innovation Award for Migration 2026 provides young innovators with an opportunity to gain seed funding, professional mentorship and global visibility for solutions that are already responding to migration challenges.

Under the theme Innovation amid Adversity, this year’s programme recognizes that youth-led organizations and grassroots innovators are continuing to build solutions even as conventional funding becomes harder to access.

Applicants can compete in three areas: Opportunity, focusing on economic pathways for migrants; Resilience, addressing changing forms of mobility and displacement; and Inclusion, strengthening participation, belonging and relationships between migrants and host communities.

Candidates must be under 31 and may apply individually or as part of a youth-led team. Most importantly, the solution must already have been implemented or tested, must show evidence of real impact, and must have potential to scale or be replicated.

Six finalists will receive a month of online pitch coaching before presenting to a high-level jury. Three winners will then receive seed funding, followed by continued training, networking and introductions that can support future partnerships, financing and policy engagement.

The entire fourth edition is online, removing the need for visas, flights or travel budgets and making participation possible regardless of where an eligible applicant is located.

For young people already building real-world solutions for migrants, diaspora communities, governments, employers, civil society or host communities, YLIA 2026 offers an opportunity to take an existing initiative to its next stage.

Applications close on 10 October 2026 at 23:59 CET.

 

To discover more global opportunities, VISIT HERE.