Win a seed grant of up to US$1,000

Credit: WaterAid / Alex Macro

Youth-led Solutions to Clean Water and Sanitation

The challenge

Tapping Youth Innovation is a global campaign to identify and support youth-led solutions to clean water and sanitation.

WaterAid and Ashoka GenV, the world's largest network of young changemakers, invite young people around the world to submit proposals for youth-led projects designed to improve the water and sanitation services of people living in poverty.

The ten most innovative, effective or sustainable project ideas will receive seed grants of up to US$1,000.

Why?

Billions of young people today live without adequate access to life’s essentials. Millions die every year as a result. But young people are not just making do. They are coming up with creative answers to solving the planet’s water and sanitation crisis.

What do I need to do?

The challenge is open to everyone under the age of 21.  You need to design a solution to improving access to clean water and/or sanitation (i.e. safe disposal of human excreta) for people living in poverty. Ten finalists will be awarded a seed grant for their project, which must be undertaken by a team of at least three people under 21.

Grants will be awarded to projects that best meet the following criteria:

• Innovative – Project uses a new or creative approach to improving access to clean water and sanitation.
• Effective – Project has the potential to produce a significant or measurable impact on the issue it addresses.
• Sustainable – Project has the potential to produce on-going positive change. In other words, it’s not a one-time event.
• Youth-led and youth-driven – Leaders of the project should be under the age of 21.
• Appropriate - Project makes use of locally available materials and is affordable to buy, operate and maintain by the community for which it was designed. In the case of a water supply technology, it should aim to deliver water at less than one cent per liter over its design life. Design should be appropriate to local geographical and climatic conditions. Ideally it should address the needs of the most marginalized people within a community.

Eligibility criteria

• The challenge is open to all young people under the age of 21. (Proof of age will be required before grants can be approved.)
• Each participant is limited to one grant.
• Each participant will be required to submit an action plan showing what activities will be carried out and how the grant will be spent.
• Each participant will need to form a team with at least two other youths to qualify for funding.
• Participants under age of 18 must have the support and approval of their parents or guardians to receive grants and launch projects.

How to enter

Please write a brief summary of your project (maximum 200 words) in English or Spanish and complete the online entry form at www.genvcampaigns.org, or complete a printed application form and return it to your local WaterAid office.

Download Tapping Youth Innovation flier and application form ( PDF 261Kb)