2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work

📖 About Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work

The Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work is organized and delivered by the Commonwealth Youth Programme. This initiative aims to recognize and celebrate young people aged 15–29 across the Commonwealth who are spearheading impactful and sustainable development work in their communities.

Objectives of the Awards:

• Celebrate Youth Impact on the SDGs: Highlight exceptional efforts of young people contributing to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Encourage Youth-Led Development: Foster an environment that supports youth-led initiatives, empowering young leaders to drive change.
• Showcase Talent and Creativity: Share success stories of nominees to inspire others and illustrate the depth of talent across the Commonwealth.
• Inspire Excellence: Promote high standards of service and leadership at community, national, regional, and international levels.

🏆 Benefits of the Awards

• Regional Finalists:

  • 20 finalists will each receive:
    • £1,000 grant
    • Trophy
    • Certificate

• Regional Winners:

  • 5 winners will each receive:
    • An additional £2,000 (total £3,000)
    • Trophy
    • Certificate

• Pan-Commonwealth Winner:

  • The top Regional Winner will receive:
    • An additional £2,000 (total £5,000)
    • Trophy
    • Certificate
    • Title of Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2026

• Announcement: Winners will be officially announced during Commonwealth Week in March 2026.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Nomination Requirements:

• The nominee must have been engaged in development work for more than 12 months, either professionally or voluntarily.
• The nominee must be a Commonwealth citizen, and the development work must be taking place in a Commonwealth member country.
• The nominee must be aged 15 to 29 years old as of 31 December 2025.
• Individuals can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone who can accurately describe their development work.

Selection Criteria:

Awards will be decided based on:

1. Level of impact
2. Level of innovation/fresh approaches to problem-solving
3. Quality of achievement
4. Quality of the evidence provided
5. Sustainability

📅 Application Date and Process

Steps to Apply:

1. Register an account on the application portal.
2. Start your entry (you can save it in-progress until ready to submit).
3. Submit your entry before the deadline.

Important Dates:

• Entry Deadline: 17 October 2025 at 23:59 GMT (UK Time)

📩 Contact Information

For any queries, please contact:
Email: youth@commonwealth.int

🌐 Application Portal

View details and apply for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work via the official portal:
Commonwealth Youth Awards Application Portal

📆 Key Dates Recap

• Date Published: 5 August 2025
• Application Deadline: 17 October 2025

This is an incredible opportunity to celebrate and support young leaders driving impactful change in their communities. Don't miss your chance to apply! 🌍

• Four finalists for each Commonwealth region with the top entries receiving the Regional Winner Award.
• The top Regional Winner will receive the Pan-Commonwealth Award and be named the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2026.
• The 20 Regional Finalists will each receive a £1,000 grant, a trophy and a certificate.
• The 5 Regional Winners will receive an additional £2,000 (a total of £3,000), a trophy and a certificate.
• The Pan-Commonwealth Winner will receive an additional £2,000 (a total of £5,000), a trophy and a certificate.
• Winners will be officially announced during Commonwealth Week in March 2026.