Call for proposals: Implementing Partner to co-design and implement the ILO’s Youth -To- Youth Fund (Y2YF) model in Addis Ababa, Amhara Region, Benishangul Gumuz, and Somali regions

Agency: ILO | Reference: ILO | Type: Call for implementing partners The Government of the Netherlands is financing a partnership initiative entitled “ThePROSPECTS Partnership Programme”. The PROSPECTS is a global partnership that aims toimprove the access of host communities and forcibly displaced people to education, socialprotection and decent work. PROSPECTS operationalizes the humanitarian-developmentpeacenexus, creating strong partnerships between humanitarian and development actorsto leverage comparative advantages, and improve coordination and efficiency to boost theiroverall impact for refugees and host communities, as envisioned in the outcomes of the2016 World Humanitarian Summit under the New Way of Working. Spearheaded by theGovernment of the Netherlands, it brings together the International Finance Corporation(IFC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UNChildren's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank to help transform the way in whichgovernments and other stakeholders, including the private sector, respond to forceddisplacement crises.Young people in forced displacement contexts, particularly refugees, and those who areinternally displaced (IDPs), face specific legal, policy, social and economic constraints thatlimit their access to education, skills development, and decent work, and affect their abilityto realise their rights. Conflict and forced displacement can also negatively affect theircognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, further limiting their prospects for asuccessful transition into adulthood and sustainable employment.In response to these pressing challenges, the ILO implemented the Youth-to-Youth Fund(Y2YF) in 2022 as a youth employment intervention that combines employment creation andentrepreneurship development with young people's meaningful engagement andparticipation. The first phase of the Y2YF was implemented between 2022 and 2024 in AddisAbaba and the Somali Region of Ethiopia through an implementing partner that supported10 youth-led organizations. The programme sought to address youth unemployment incontexts affected by forced displacement while empowering young people and youth-ledorganizations to identify and implement locally relevant solutions. During its first phase inEthiopia, the Y2YF supported over 1,000 youth to start new businesses or strengthen existingenterprises through entrepreneurship training, coaching, mentorship, and access to financelinkages created through the program. In addition to creating direct employmentopportunities for participating youth, the programme generated wider benefits bycontributing to employment and livelihood opportunities for members of theircommunities. By promoting economic inclusion and collaboration among young peoplefrom refugee and host communities, the Y2YF also contributed to strengthening resilience,social cohesion, and peaceful coexistence.Building on the experience and lessons learned from the first phase, the ILO plans toimplement a second phase of the Youth-to-Youth Fund in Addis Ababa, the Somali Region,Amhara, and Benishangul-Gumuz. The second phase will seek to supports small‐scale youthentrepreneurship development projects implemented by youth‐led organizations. It willalso strengthen the capacities of youth-led organizations to design and deliver innovative,youth-driven solutions that benefit refugees, internally displaced persons, and hostcommunities.3The ILO is therefore looking for an implementing partner to support the design andimplementation of the Youth-to-Youth Fund (Y2YF) model, tailor it to the needs of youth inforced displacement contexts in Ethiopia and implement it Addis Ababa, Amhara andBenishangul Gumuz, and Somali Regions.2. Youth- to-Youth Fund (Y2YF)The Y2YF is a competitive grant scheme managed by a national implementing partner thatsupports youth-led organizations with funding, capacity strengthening and direct technicalassistance. It is designed for youth-led organizations to propose innovative project ideas onhow to create entrepreneurship and business opportunities for other young people. Theorganizations with the most innovative project ideas receive a grant and complementarycapacity building to help them implement their projects and test the viability of their ideas.The proposals should include project ideas that contribute to the promotion and/ordevelopment of business opportunities for young people as a means to create employment.The winning organizations, through their projects, are expected to create opportunities foryouth to start or improve their small enterprises or other entrepreneurial initiatives. Theproposed project ideas should thus focus on how to empower and enable young people toestablish enterprises, improve enterprises whether micro or larger to be more growthoriented.The Youth-to-Youth Fund supports youth led organisations in Ethiopia to support youth tostart and improving their business. The Youth-to-Youth Fund is not a Business Idea orBusiness Plan Competition. The Fund does not s DOCUMENTS AND LINKS: • Youth to Youth Fund Phase II Call from October 2026 ..pdf: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/DownloadDocument?noticeId=319842&documentId=2127310 • ILO- Y2YF template Budget template.xlsx: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/DownloadDocument?noticeId=319842&documentId=2127367 • Y2Yf Technical Proposal Template.docx: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/DownloadDocument?noticeId=319842&documentId=2127368 • Download all documents: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/DownloadAllDocuments?noticeId=319842 CONTACT: • Email: ADDIS_PROCUREMENT@ilo.org