A new call from the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation is dedicated to individuals under 30 as activators of participation and civic engagement on issues, needs, and opportunities identified by them directly.

WHAT IT IS

The Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation believes in young people as a development resource for society as a whole. Therefore, it is launching the new call: SparkZ. Youth Activators. Consistent with the European Union’s youth strategy for 2019-2027, aimed at encouraging youth participation in democratic life, supporting social and civic engagement, and ensuring active participation, the Foundation supports paths that allow those under 30 to act as informed, aware, and active citizens. The call is addressed to young people so that they can:

• Identify urgent and/or important needs and issues
• Take the lead in conceiving and proposing solutions to the identified relevant needs
• Implement methodologies, techniques, and tools that facilitate the participation of citizens and local communities

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

• Informal groups consisting of at least 5 young people aged between 18 and 30 living in Piedmont, Liguria, Valle d’Aosta.
• Non-profit entities formally constituted, with at least 75% of young people between the ages of 18 and 30 in the governing body and operating in Piedmont and/or Liguria and/or Valle d’Aosta. The entity must be eligible for contributions from the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, as indicated in the Implementing Guidelines of the Foundation’s Institutional Activities Regulation.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Proposals can be submitted:

• Aimed at promoting active participation of the population, involving both the direct beneficiaries of the initiatives and the proposing group/organization actively
• Involving any area of intervention, as long as developed with participatory methodologies
• With different levels of definition: ideas, initiatives, projects
• To be implemented in the territories of Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d’Aosta

TIMELINES

Applications must be submitted by 2:00 PM on March 29, 2024. This call is the first part of a multi-phase process that includes, throughout 2024, the incubation of selected proposals through listening for the emergence of needs, training, and technical support to support the development of proposals and strengthen the group. Selected initiatives can be implemented in 2025 (Phase 2: implementation). For more information on timelines, refer to the call text at this link.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

To participate, it is necessary to fill out the FORM with your proposal.

INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS

For the full text of the call, click here. For further details on the themes addressed by the Participation Mission, click here. For questions before submitting applications, write to: sparkz@compagniadisanpaolo.it. Starting in February, the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation will kick off the SparkZ Roadshow! A real tour between Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d’Aosta in collaboration with various local realities where interested young people can explore all the opportunities provided by the SparkZ Call. To participate, check the schedule available at this link.