SY-YCAF

The Youth Climate Action Fund is a global programme supporting cities and regions to engage young people (age 15-24) in climate action through the delivery of small-scale microgrants for locally led projects. The programme places a strong emphasis on youth participation and innovation, aiming to:

• Support regions to partner with young people to develop locally relevant climate solutions.
• Build long-term capacity for youth engagement and leadership.
• Strengthen trust between young people and local government through visible collaboration and results.
• Develop innovative local responses to the climate emergency.

South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, in partnership with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority are delighted to make this fund available to youth-led projects and groups based in, and for the benefit of, South Yorkshire.

How much can I apply for?

Grants should be between £700 - £4,500. The programme would like to support 8-10 projects across the region.

When can I apply?

Applications open at 9am, Thursday 10th September and will close at 5pm, Friday 23rd October 2026. Decisions will be made by a local and expert panel of individuals, including young people, committed to supporting climate action in South Yorkshire. The panel will meet in November, with decisions communicated soon after.

Activities and expenditure should start no earlier than 1st December 2026 and finish no later than 15^th April 2027.

Who can apply?

Applications are expected to be submitted through an eligible host organisation acting as the accountable body for the funding. This organisation will be responsible for receiving and managing the grant, supporting project delivery, meeting reporting requirements and ensuring funding is spent in line with programme conditions.

Projects must be proposed, designed and led by young people aged 15-24. The host organisation must be demonstrably youth-led, with young people playing a leading role in project design, decision-making and delivery.

Eligible organisations should:

• Work with children and young people aged 24 years and under
• Work in the heart of their communities and are trusted by young people
• Put the voices, experiences and skills of children and young people at the centre of everything they do, from design to delivery
• Have at least three unrelated trustees/members of the governing body
• Deliver work for and are based in South Yorkshire
• Groups should have a governing document, have at least three unrelated Trustees/Directors and have a bank account in the name of the organisation.

Please see SYCF’s Due Diligence Process information on the apply here page of our website for key governance information that you will need to have in place, particularly if you are a social enterprise and/or CIC.

• Schools or colleges are eligible to apply for this programme, where they are supporting a pupil(s) and school facilitated project. Please contact us in advance so we can agree the required governance documents so we can complete due diligence checks.

 Eligible Projects must:

• Be proposed, designed and led by at least two young people aged 15-24.
• Deliver activity within South Yorkshire.
• Align with one or more published programme themes.
• Demonstrate a clear climate, environmental or sustainability benefit.
• Include clear outputs and outcomes that can be monitored and reported.
• Be delivered through an eligible organisation able to receive and manage grant funding.

Programme Themes

• Nature and Green Spaces
• Green Skills and Careers
• Water and Climate Resilience

Please see the information packs below for more information on the themes and the sorts of projects the programme would like to support.