Commonwealth Youth Awards For Excellence In Development Work 2025|Apply Now!

About Commonwealth Youth Awards

The Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work is an annual program organized by the Commonwealth Youth Programme to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of young people across the Commonwealth.

These awards honor individuals aged 15 to 29 who are spearheading impactful and sustainable development initiatives within their communities.

In 2025, the Commonwealth Youth Awards will be presented in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and the Khalili Foundation, offering additional grants and prizes to eligible applicants.

Key Objectives:

Highlight Contributions: Celebrate the exceptional efforts of young people working towards a future based on fairness, peace, prosperity, and sustainability, including those contributing to the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Encourage Youth-Led Development: Promote an environment that supports youth-led initiatives, empowering young leaders to create change within their communities.

Showcase Talent and Creativity: Display the immense talent, commitment, and creativity of young people across the Commonwealth, inspiring others through their success stories.
Motivate and Challenge Young People: Encourage young individuals to set high standards in their work at local, national, regional, or international levels.
Provide Special Recognition and Support: In partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation, offer Capacity Strengthening Grants to selected regional finalists based on successful reporting and assessment.

Recognize Peace and Development Efforts: Through collaboration with the Khalili Foundation, acknowledge three young changemakers with Peace and Development Prizes, highlighting their contributions to creating a peaceful and equitable world.

Nomination Requirements

Duration of Engagement: The nominee must have been involved in development work for at least 12 months, either professionally or as a volunteer.
Commonwealth Citizenship: The nominee must be a Commonwealth citizen, and the development work must be conducted within a Commonwealth member country.

Age Requirement: Nominees must be between 15 and 29 years old as of 31 December 2024.
Nominations: Individuals can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone familiar with their development work.

Awards Criteria:

Level of impact
Innovation and fresh approaches to problem-solving
Quality of achievement

Quality of the evidence provided
Sustainability of the project

Commonwealth Youth Awards Process

Regional Finalists: Four finalists of the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence will be selected from each Commonwealth region. The top entry from each region will receive the Regional Winner Award.

Pan-Commonwealth Award: The top Regional Winner will receive the Pan-Commonwealth Award and be named the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2025.
Grants and Prizes:
- Regional Finalists: Each will receive a £1,000 grant, a trophy, and a certificate.
- Regional Winners: Each will receive an additional £2,000 (total of £3,000), a trophy, and a certificate.
- Pan-Commonwealth Winner: Will receive an additional £2,000 (total of £5,000), a trophy, and a certificate.
- Khalili Foundation Peace Awards: Three additional youth PEACE awards will be presented, with potential grants offered by the Commonwealth Foundation based on eligibility.