Young people aged 18 to 35 can apply for funded participation in the first-ever UN Youth Townhall in Heidelberg, Germany, where more than 1,000 participants are expected to meet across generations and sectors.
The United Nations Youth Office has opened applications for a limited number of funded places at the 2026 UN Youth Townhall, scheduled to take place in Heidelberg, Germany, from 8–10 December 2026.
The inaugural gathering is expected to bring together more than 1,000 participants, including young leaders, youth-led organisations, entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators alongside representatives from governments, the United Nations, civil society, academia, philanthropy and the private sector.
For young people from Bangladesh and other countries in the Global South, the open call offers a particularly relevant route into an international policy space that is explicitly seeking broader representation.
The UN Youth Office says the Townhall will prioritise geographic diversity, gender balance and participation by young people and communities that have often been underrepresented in global decision-making spaces. Preference is also being given to applicants engaged with grassroots organisations and those with limited or no previous engagement with the United Nations.
More than another youth conference
The Townhall has been designed to move beyond simply inviting young people to share their views.
Organisers say the gathering will aim to turn discussions into practical recommendations, partnerships and opportunities for action, while building stronger connections between young people and institutions involved in global decision-making.
The initiative forms part of the broader UN Youth Compass and responds to calls for more meaningful youth participation within the United Nations system.
Applicants for sponsored participation should be 18–35 years old and available to attend the event in person. The application process also considers applicants' involvement in youth-led initiatives, grassroots work and community engagement. Working knowledge of English is requested, while applicants can indicate interpretation or accessibility requirements where needed.
Is the UN Youth Townhall fully funded?
The UN Youth Office's official event page uses careful wording: “a limited number of funding opportunities” are available through the open call. It does not describe every participant place as funded.
Published information based on the sponsored-participation guidance indicates that support for selected applicants can include international travel, airport-related transport allowances, a daily subsistence allowance, reimbursement of visa fees after travel, an invitation letter for visa procedures and reasonable accommodation support for participants with disabilities. Applicants should confirm the exact package in the official guidance attached to their application.
Applications close on 7 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Only successful applicants are expected to be contacted; candidates who have not heard from the organisers by 8 October should assume they were not selected for sponsored participation.
For young women and other emerging leaders working in communities that rarely reach international policy tables, the Townhall could offer something particularly valuable: not simply attendance at a UN event, but an opportunity to bring local experiences into a global conversation.
Category: Opportunity
Region: Global / Europe
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Event: 8–10 December 2026
Age: 18–35
Deadline: 7 September 2026, 11:59 PM ET
This story was independently prepared using the official United Nations Youth Office Townhall page and application information. Opportunities for Youth was used as the discovery source; the story is not a translation or reproduction of its article.
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