ChangemakerXchange Opportunities 2027: Changemakers for Youth, China x Europe, and Changemakers for Equality Programmes

Young social entrepreneurs, community leaders, and social innovators have an opportunity to strengthen their initiatives, develop leadership skills, build international networks, and collaborate with changemakers from other regions through three programmes offered by ChangemakerXchange.

The opportunities include Changemakers for Youth 2027, ChangemakerXchange China x Europe, and Changemakers for Equality: East Africa & the Gulf. Each programme focuses on supporting people who are already working to address social, economic, environmental, or community challenges through practical, locally relevant solutions.

Depending on the programme, selected participants can receive customised capacity building, mentorship, peer-to-peer learning, participation in an international summit, access to a global community of changemakers, and opportunities to obtain funding for collaborative projects.

Applications for the upcoming cohorts open on 13 October 2026 and close on 9 November 2026. However, the programmes have different geographical requirements, thematic priorities, selection processes, and programme schedules. Interested applicants should carefully review the details of each opportunity before applying.

1. Changemakers for Youth 2027: Social Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment

Changemakers for Youth is a programme that supports social entrepreneurs and young changemakers whose existing initiatives address pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges while strengthening the agency, participation, and skills of young people.

Supported by the Drosos Foundation, the programme seeks to connect changemakers from selected countries across Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It aims to help participants strengthen their existing work, build connections with other social entrepreneurs, and develop collaborations that can create a wider impact.

Rather than focusing exclusively on people who have an idea for a future project, the programme is designed for changemakers who are already taking action in their communities and want to strengthen or expand their initiatives.

What does Changemakers for Youth offer?

Over three years, the programme aims to support 80 young changemakers and social entrepreneurs through cohorts representing eligible countries across the region.

Participants can expect a combination of learning, networking, tailored support, and collaboration opportunities.

Key benefits include:

• Customised capacity building: Participants receive support tailored to their needs, experiences, and organisational challenges.
• Immersive retreats and an in-person summit: Cohort members meet for a five-day in-person summit designed around peer learning, changemaker wellbeing, resilience, and collaboration.
• A supportive peer community: Participants connect with people who are working on related social and community challenges in other countries.
• Cross-border collaboration: The programme creates opportunities for participants to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and explore joint initiatives.
• Access to mentors and funders: Participants gain connections to a wider ecosystem of experts, supporters, collaborators, and potential funders.
• Collaborative funding: Participants may access seed funding to support cross-border collaborations, subject to the programme’s arrangements.
• Lifelong community membership: Participants become part of the global ChangemakerXchange community, which brings together more than 1,500 changemakers across over 130 countries.

These benefits are intended to help participants strengthen their organisations and initiatives while building relationships that can continue beyond the formal programme.

Who can apply for Changemakers for Youth?

The programme supports social entrepreneurs and changemakers whose existing ventures create tangible impact and empower young people.

The eligible countries and territories listed in the programme information are:

• Egypt
• Germany
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Morocco
• Palestine
• Switzerland
• Tunisia

Applicants based in Germany may be located anywhere in the country, but their projects must create tangible impact in Eastern Germany.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate that their existing initiative addresses a relevant community challenge and actively strengthens young people’s agency, participation, or skills.

The programme is particularly relevant to people who want to improve their initiatives through peer learning, organisational development, international collaboration, and access to a supportive network.

The supplied programme information does not provide a complete list of formal eligibility criteria, such as a precise age range, required years of experience, or legal registration requirements. Applicants should consult the official programme application for these details.

Click HERE to learn more about the Changemakers for Youth Programme.

Changemakers for Youth 2027: Application and programme timeline

The application schedule for the second cohort is as follows:

Milestone	Date
Applications open	13 October 2026
Application deadline	9 November 2026
Online interviews	20 November–19 December 2026
Final decisions announced	13 January 2027
Online kick-off call	First week of February 2027
Needs assessment and tailored support	Late February 2027
In-person summit	Mid-March 2027; exact dates and location to be confirmed
Public announcement of participants	Late March 2027
Collaborative projects and optional funding	From late March 2027
Check-in calls	Three 90-minute online sessions throughout the programme

The programme also provides for continuing engagement with the ChangemakerXchange network after the formal programme ends.

Applicants should make sure they can participate in the scheduled activities, particularly the online sessions and in-person summit. The exact summit location and dates should be confirmed through the official programme information.

How to prepare an application

Interested changemakers should begin by explaining the social or environmental challenge their initiative addresses, the people it serves, and the results it has achieved so far.

Applicants should also consider how participation would help them strengthen their work, what they could learn from other changemakers, and which cross-border collaborations might create additional value for their communities.

A strong application should make the connection between the applicant’s existing work, youth empowerment, and the programme’s objectives clear.

Apply for the Changemakers for Youth Programme HERE.

2. ChangemakerXchange China x Europe: International Social Innovation Programme

ChangemakerXchange China x Europe is an international programme designed to connect young social innovators from China and Europe who are developing practical solutions to social and environmental challenges.

Funded by Stiftung Mercator, the programme aims to bring together 20 social innovators: ten based in China and ten based in Europe.

Its central purpose is to create opportunities for changemakers from the two regions to learn from one another, exchange experiences, strengthen their initiatives, and develop collaborative solutions.

Young people in China and Europe are working on many related challenges, including improving education, responding to the needs of ageing populations, creating more liveable cities, building sustainable organisations, and maintaining personal wellbeing while undertaking demanding social-impact work.

Although the two regions have different experiences, resources, and social contexts, the programme recognises that there is considerable potential for mutual learning and cooperation.

What does the China x Europe programme offer?

Participants receive individual needs assessments and tailored support to help them strengthen their organisations and initiatives.

The programme’s support may address areas such as:

• Partnership development and collaboration: Building effective relationships with other organisations and social innovators.
• Organisational development: Strengthening the structures, operations, and capacity of social-impact initiatives.
• Business modelling: Developing sustainable approaches to delivering social impact.
• Fundraising: Strengthening participants’ ability to identify and secure resources.
• Impact measurement: Understanding and communicating the results of their work.
• Legal questions: Accessing relevant support on legal challenges affecting their initiatives.
• Burnout prevention: Developing healthier approaches to sustaining demanding social-impact work.

Support is delivered through group workshops and, where possible, individual sessions with experienced practitioners.

Participants can also apply for collaboration funding to develop a joint idea into a project. Such funding is optional and should not be interpreted as an automatic grant for every participant.

The Berlin summit and international networking

A major feature of the programme is a six-day in-person summit in Berlin in May 2027.

The summit provides participants with an opportunity to meet face to face, exchange ideas, explore common challenges, and develop relationships that can support future collaboration.

Participants are also expected to stay connected through online sessions during the programme and meetups at relevant ecosystem events.

Beyond the formal activities, participants become lifelong members of ChangemakerXchange’s global community. This network creates opportunities to connect with other social entrepreneurs, share knowledge, identify potential collaborators, and remain engaged with social innovation beyond the programme.

Who can apply for China x Europe?

The programme seeks young social innovators who:

• Are aged 18–35, with exceptions possible for changemakers up to age 40.
• Are based in China or Europe.
• Run a tangible social or environmental initiative.
• Can demonstrate results or meaningful progress from their work.
• Are interested in learning from changemakers in another region.
• Are willing to participate in the programme’s online activities and in-person summit.

The programme plans to recruit ten participants based in China and ten based in Europe.

The published information states that recruitment in China is led by China-based social innovation consultants with deep roots in the country’s social sector.

The supplied programme description does not provide a full list of eligible European countries or additional formal requirements concerning citizenship, education, or organisational registration. Applicants should verify any country-specific requirements through the official application information.

Click HERE to learn more about the ChangemakerXchange China x Europe International Programme.

China x Europe: Application and programme timeline

Milestone	Date
Applications open	13 October 2026
Application deadline	9 November 2026
Application review	Mid-November to mid-December 2026
Online interviews for shortlisted candidates	20 November–4 December 2026
Final outcome notifications	18 December 2026
Online kick-off call	Mid-March 2027
Needs assessment and customised support	From March 2027
Public announcement of participants	March 2027
In-person summit in Berlin	2–8 May 2027, according to the published programme schedule
Collaboration funding and projects, optional	From June 2027 onwards
Ongoing customised support	From June 2027 onwards
Wrap-up and reflection session	Early 2028
Continued community membership	Following the formal programme

The programme’s published schedule describes arrival in Berlin on 2 May, programme activities from 3–7 May, and departure on 8 May 2027. Applicants should confirm the final travel and programme dates with the organisers because the supplied schedule describes the timelines as tentative.

How to prepare for China x Europe

Applicants should clearly describe their existing social-impact initiative and provide evidence of the practical work they are doing.

They should identify the organisational or operational challenges they want to address, such as fundraising, impact measurement, partnership development, or business modelling.

It is also useful to explain why international exchange would benefit their initiative and how they could contribute to learning with peers from the other region.

Because the programme is designed around collaboration between China and Europe, applicants should consider how differences in experience and context could help them develop new approaches to shared challenges.

Apply for the ChangemakerXchange China x Europe International Programme HERE.

3. Changemakers for Equality: East Africa and the Gulf

Changemakers for Equality is a programme that supports young changemakers and social entrepreneurs who are developing practical, community-centred solutions to inequality.

Supported by the Julius Baer Foundation, the programme focuses on addressing structural barriers that prevent people and communities from accessing opportunities, essential services, resources, and meaningful participation in society.

Its central goal is to connect and empower changemakers whose initiatives tackle inequality in different forms, helping them strengthen their work and contribute to longer-term, systemic change.

The upcoming East Africa and the Gulf cohort is part of this wider initiative.

What kinds of inequality does the programme address?

The programme welcomes initiatives that tackle inequality across a broad range of areas, including:

• Education: Improving access to quality education, learning resources, tutoring, mentoring, and inclusive extracurricular activities.
• Livelihoods and decent work: Building skills pathways, supporting enterprise development, and improving employment opportunities for underserved groups.
• Health and wellbeing: Improving access to health information, healthcare services, and mental health support.
• Gender equality and safety: Preventing gender-based violence, strengthening safeguarding, and creating safe spaces for groups experiencing discrimination.
• Disability inclusion: Removing barriers to participation, accessibility, and opportunity.
• Climate resilience: Helping communities respond to environmental challenges and strengthen local resilience.
• Access to essential services: Improving access to water, sanitation, mobility, connectivity, affordable housing, legal support, and social protection.
• Civic participation: Increasing access to information, representation, and participation in decision-making.
• Anti-discrimination and social inclusion: Addressing harmful social norms, reducing discrimination, and advancing fairer opportunities.
• Policy and systems change: Influencing policy, institutional practices, and public systems to remove structural barriers.

These areas illustrate the breadth of the programme. Applicants do not need to work across every theme; they should demonstrate a clear connection between their initiative and the specific inequality they are seeking to address.

Examples of initiatives that may be relevant

The programme’s published examples indicate that eligible approaches may include:

Improving educational opportunities

Initiatives could provide tutoring, mentoring, literacy support, learning resources, teacher training, or alternative learning spaces for children and young people facing barriers.

Projects that strengthen school-community relationships or support parents and caregivers may also be relevant.

Improving economic opportunities

Initiatives may support income generation, enterprise development, skills training, decent work, or worker protections for communities facing exclusion.

Expanding access to health and essential services

Projects could improve access to healthcare information, mental health support, safe water, sanitation, transportation, connectivity, or other essential services.

Promoting safety and inclusion

Relevant initiatives may work to prevent gender-based violence, improve safeguarding, create support networks, and remove barriers affecting people with disabilities or other marginalised groups.

Strengthening community resilience and civic participation

Projects may improve local infrastructure, increase participation in decision-making, address discriminatory norms, or build coalitions that support collective action.

The examples are illustrative rather than exhaustive. The key consideration is whether an initiative offers a practical, community-centred response to inequality.

What types of initiatives are unlikely to qualify?

The programme also identifies approaches it generally cannot support.

These include initiatives that:

• Primarily benefit people who are already advantaged without a clear equity rationale.
• Are designed mainly for private benefit without demonstrable public value or inclusion impact.
• Improve private services for people who can already afford them without an explicit aim of expanding access for disadvantaged groups.
• Cover regular operational or recurring core costs without a defined strategy for reducing inequality.
• Consist of one-off events or short-term activities without a clear pathway to sustained impact.

This distinction is important. Applicants should show how their work addresses the underlying causes of inequality or removes practical barriers, rather than merely describing a general social activity.

What does Changemakers for Equality offer?

The programme combines tailored support, peer learning, networking, and opportunities for collaboration.

Participants can expect:

• Customised capacity building: Support tailored to their initiatives and development needs.
• Peer community and learning: Opportunities to exchange experiences with other changemakers addressing inequality.
• A five-day in-person summit: A space for shared learning, collective experiences, and collaboration.
• Cross-regional connections: Opportunities to connect with mentors, funders, partners, and supporters.
• Collaboration funding: Selected participants may receive support for collaborative projects intended to deepen partnerships and advance collective action.
• Ongoing community membership: An invitation to continue engaging with the global ChangemakerXchange network after the programme.

The published programme information describes a cohort of 15 participants for the upcoming East Africa and Gulf programme. The precise summit location and dates are still to be confirmed.

Who can apply for Changemakers for Equality?

The programme seeks young changemakers aged 18–35 who are tackling inequality through tangible, community-centred solutions.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate that they are actively working on a relevant initiative and that their approach addresses a meaningful barrier to equality, inclusion, access, or participation.

The programme is intended for changemakers and social entrepreneurs using bottom-up approaches. This means their initiatives should respond to community needs and involve practical solutions rather than being detached from the experiences of the people affected.

The application information identifies the upcoming cohort as Changemakers for Equality: East Africa & the Gulf. However, the supplied material refers applicants to the programme’s FAQ for the full list of eligible countries and does not reproduce that list. Applicants should therefore confirm their country’s eligibility through the official application information rather than assuming that every country in East Africa or the Gulf is automatically included.

The supplied description also does not specify a particular race or ethnicity requirement for applicants. Its stated focus is on age, geographical eligibility, and demonstrable work addressing inequality.

Click HERE to learn more about the Changemakers for Equality: East Africa and the Gulf Programme

Changemakers for Equality: Application and programme timeline

Milestone	Date
Applications open	13 October 2026
Application deadline	9 November 2026
Online interviews	20 November–19 December 2026
Final decisions announced	13 January 2027
Online kick-off call	First week of February 2027
Needs assessment and customised support	Late February 2027
In-person summit	Mid-March 2027; exact dates and location to be confirmed
Public announcement of participants	Late March 2027
Collaboration funding and projects, optional	From March 2027 onwards
Check-in calls	Three 90-minute online sessions throughout the programme

The supplied information also describes an earlier cohort that is already in progress. Its activities include a summit in Malaysia from 11–15 August 2026, collaboration projects beginning in September 2026, and ongoing customised support.

The upcoming East Africa and Gulf cohort should not be confused with that earlier cohort. Applicants should use the dates associated with the current application cycle.

How to prepare a strong Equality application

Applicants should begin by identifying the specific inequality their initiative addresses and explaining how it affects the community they serve.

They should then describe the practical solution they have developed, the people who benefit, and any evidence of progress or impact.

It is particularly important to explain how the initiative addresses barriers rather than only providing general services. For example, an educational initiative could describe how it expands access for children excluded from existing learning opportunities, while a livelihood initiative could explain how it improves access to decent work for underserved groups.

Applicants should also consider whether their work has a credible pathway to sustained impact. The programme generally does not support isolated activities without a clear strategy for reducing inequality over time.

Finally, applicants should explain how tailored support, peer learning, and cross-regional collaboration could help them strengthen their initiative.

Visit HERE to apply for the Changemakers for Equality: East Africa and the Gulf Programme.

Comparing the Three ChangemakerXchange Opportunities

Although all three programmes support social innovation and community impact, their geographic focus and thematic priorities differ.

Feature	Changemakers for Youth	China x Europe	Changemakers for Equality
Main focus	Youth empowerment and social entrepreneurship	Social innovation and collaboration between China and Europe	Community-centred solutions to inequality
Programme supporter	Drosos Foundation	Stiftung Mercator	Julius Baer Foundation
Main target group	Social entrepreneurs and changemakers with existing initiatives that empower young people	Young social innovators with tangible initiatives and results	Young changemakers and social entrepreneurs tackling inequality
Age requirements in supplied information	A precise age range is not stated	18–35; exceptions possible up to 40	18–35
Geographic focus	Egypt, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Switzerland, and Tunisia	China and Europe	East Africa and the Gulf; consult the official FAQ for eligible countries
Cohort size	Part of a three-year programme targeting 80 changemakers	20 participants: 10 based in China and 10 in Europe	15 participants for the upcoming cohort, according to the supplied information
In-person gathering	Five-day summit; exact location and dates to be confirmed	Six-day summit in Berlin in May 2027	Five-day summit; exact location and dates to be confirmed
Tailored support	Yes	Yes	Yes
Collaborative funding	Available for cross-border collaboration	Optional collaboration funding	Optional collaboration funding
Application deadline	9 November 2026	9 November 2026	9 November 2026

The programmes share a commitment to strengthening changemakers through learning, collaboration, and access to a wider support network. However, applicants should choose the opportunity that most closely matches their existing work, geographic eligibility, and intended impact.

Important Application Tips for All Three Programmes

Before applying, prospective participants should take the following steps.

1. Choose the programme that matches your work

Do not apply based on the programme name alone. Review the objectives and determine whether your initiative is primarily focused on youth empowerment, collaboration between China and Europe, or tackling structural inequality.

2. Demonstrate tangible impact

All three opportunities are designed for people who are already taking action. Explain what your initiative does, who benefits, what progress has been made, and what challenge you want to address next.

3. Explain your development needs

Describe how tailored capacity building, mentoring, peer learning, or organisational support could strengthen your initiative.

4. Show your interest in collaboration

These programmes emphasise peer-to-peer learning and cross-regional relationships. Explain what you can learn from other changemakers and what knowledge or experience you can contribute.

5. Check the geographic requirements carefully

The three programmes have different country and regional requirements. In particular, applicants should verify the eligible-country list for Changemakers for Equality and the detailed country requirements for China x Europe before submitting an application.

For Changemakers for Youth, remember that projects based in Germany must create tangible impact in Eastern Germany.

6. Confirm your availability

The programmes include online activities and in-person gatherings. Check the published schedule and ensure that you can participate in the required sessions and summit.

7. Submit before the deadline

Applications for the three upcoming cohorts close on 9 November 2026. The interview periods and final decision dates differ, so applicants should keep track of the schedule for their chosen programme.

8. Consult the official application information

The supplied programme descriptions do not include complete application URLs or every formal requirement. Applicants should access the relevant programme pages through the official ChangemakerXchange website and verify the current instructions, required documents, country eligibility, and submission process before applying.

Conclusion

ChangemakerXchange offers three distinct opportunities for young social entrepreneurs and community changemakers seeking to strengthen their initiatives and create meaningful impact.

Changemakers for Youth is particularly relevant to social entrepreneurs whose existing ventures empower young people in eligible countries across Europe and the MENA region. China x Europe is designed for social innovators based in China and Europe who want to exchange knowledge and develop solutions across regions. Changemakers for Equality focuses on young changemakers using practical, community-centred approaches to address structural inequality.

Across the three programmes, participants can benefit from customised capacity building, peer learning, international networking, and opportunities to explore collaborative projects. Some participants may also access collaboration funding, subject to programme arrangements.

The application deadline for all three upcoming cohorts is 9 November 2026. Interested applicants should review the requirements carefully, identify the programme that best fits their work, and prepare an application that clearly demonstrates their existing impact, development needs, and commitment to collaboration.

These programmes may provide valuable opportunities for changemakers who want not only to strengthen their own initiatives, but also to build relationships and contribute to broader, sustained social change.

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