The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the President’s Office – Youth Development (PO-YD) in Mainland Tanzania and the Second Vice President’s Office (SVPO) in Zanzibar, is implementing the Dumisha Amani II: Promoting Peace and Security for Sustainable Development Project. The project seeks to strengthen peacebuilding efforts, enhance community resilience, and promote inclusive development across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
In line with the Tanzania Development Vision 2050, the Empowered Future Initiative (EFI), implemented under the Dumisha Amani II Project, aims to promote peace and resilience by empowering youth, women, and vulnerable groups. UNDP invites eligible youth-led grassroots organizations to submit proposals for community-based initiatives that contribute to peacebuilding and development.
Applications are invited from organizations that are legally registered and operate at the district level with an active office presence in the following target locations:
-
Kyela District and Mbeya City Council, Mbeya Region
-
Mbozi District, Songwe Region
-
Nyamagana District, Mwanza Region
-
Geita Town Council, Geita Region
-
Zanzibar
What Are We Looking For?
The grant scheme will support innovative youth-led initiatives that respond to local community needs, promote sustainable peace, and strengthen the resilience and livelihoods of young people in the target areas.
Organizations must be youth-led, with at least two members of the senior management team aged between 18 and 35 years.
In addition to funding, selected organizations will receive capacity-building and mentorship support to strengthen organizational development and enhance their ability to implement social cohesion and peacebuilding initiatives effectively.
Priority Areas
Proposed initiatives should address one or more of the following areas:
-
Promoting Social Cohesion and Peaceful Coexistence.
-
Addressing Socio-Economic Drivers of Youth Grievances.
-
Supporting Mental Health and Social Well-being.
-
Promoting Digital Peacebuilding and Responsible Online Engagement.
Applicants are encouraged to design initiatives that combine community engagement, knowledge sharing, and local participation to maximize impact and sustainability.
Special Consideration
Preference will be given to initiatives that:
-
Strengthening dialogue, confidence-building, and community resilience. For example, facilitating dialogue between youth and local government leaders to increase awareness of economic opportunities, including government youth loans and empowerment programmes.
-
Engage women and young people as agents of positive change through leadership development, peacebuilding initiatives, and social media campaigns that counter misinformation and promote positive community engagement.
-
Promote social inclusion and equal opportunities for all through activities such as capacity building for local government officials, community leaders, and youth groups to enhance youth participation in peacebuilding and development processes.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications are invited from locally registered, youth-led, non-profit grassroots organizations in Mbeya, Songwe, Mwanza, Geita and Zanzibar.
For the purpose of this call, grassroots organizations are defined as small community-based organizations that are legally registered and operate primarily at the local level within the target locations.
Applicant organizations must:
-
Be legally registered in the district where they operate.
-
Have an active presence and demonstrated experience in youth development, peacebuilding, social cohesion, or community engagement.
- Be youth-led, with at least two senior management members aged between 18 and 35 years, including at least one female member
-
Demonstrate the capacity to effectively implement grant-funded activities.
-
Promote gender equality and the inclusion of marginalized groups.
Funding Guidelines
-
Grants will range between TZS 3,000,000 and TZS 5,000,000.
-
Projects may be implemented for a period of up to two (2) months.
-
An additional one (1) month will be allocated for project reporting and close-out activities.
How to Apply
Applications should be submitted electronically through the designated Google Form.
For inquiries regarding this call for proposals, please contact: edmund.mbigili@undp.org
When communicating about this grant opportunity, please use the subject line:
“Youth-Led Peace Innovation Initiative – Small Grant”
Note: Only organizations registered and operating within the specified target districts will be considered for funding. Women-led youth organizations are strongly encouraged to apply.
Deadline for Submission: All applications must be submitted no later than 11 September 2026 at 11:59 PM East Africa Time (EAT). Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
