Why take a place-based approach? Well, all places are different and have different needs, challenges and opportunities. Solutions should respond to these specific local characteristics in order to be successful within that community.
Ideas could include, but are not limited to:
Initiatives that use new technologies and ways of working to provide opportunities for youth based on local specificities and needs.
Ideas that promote and enable youth entrepreneurship and innovation using local assets, particularly among young people who may not otherwise have become innovators.
Ideas responding to current or future requirements in the local community for skills and experience, or ideas developed from locally-available skills and experience.
Solutions to improve the quality of life and financial or social security of young people in irregular work.
Innovations that provide information, advice and guidance to young people so they can navigate their options in the new economy.
Creative concepts that will provide young people with long-term projects, prospects and potential career opportunities.
You must have entered your idea by Friday 27 April 2018, 12:00 (noon) Brussels time.
You can read the Rules of Contest here and the Frequently Asked Questions here.
Our judging panel chose 30 of the most promising applications as semi-finalists, to receive business development support.
Semi-finalists were matched with a mentor and invited to a three day academy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in July 2018 to progress their ideas.
With the help of their mentors, the semi-finalists will submit a detailed project development plan to the judges by the end of August 2018. This factsheet contains further information on the mentoring.
Ten finalists will be selected to pitch their projects at the awards in Brussels in November 2018, where three winners will each be awarded prizes of €50,000 to develop their ideas.
In 2019 the 30 semi-finalists will have another chance to win €50,000 through the Impact Prize, which is awarded to the project which has demonstrated greatest impact in the 12 months since submitting their detailed project development plan.