As part of the EU project RuralVoices2030, SFYN has the possibility to finance the development of rural projects, with a focus on soil biodiversity, youth participation and gender equality. We are looking for a project in Greece (with a budget of maximum 7.500 euros) and Italy (with a budget between 7.500-10.000 euros). Submission deadline: August 31st 2026
Funding is available for projects that reach and actively involve young people up to the age of 30 in rural regions. The aim is to enable this target group to recognise and critically question global interrelationships and take effective local action. The focus is on soil protection and gender equality – two key global challenges with a concrete local relevance.
What is being funded?
The options are broad, as long as it is focussed on educating bigger groups of rural youth around soil quality, rural livelihoods and gender equality! Different forms of creative, participatory and educational formats can be developed and implemented as part of the funding programme. For example disco soup events, activities connected to Terra Madre Day, street actions, art and other cultural formats, installations in public space, actions at local festivals, pop-up actions, social media campaigns… you can get creative about it!
The project aims not only to inform young people in rural regions, but also to activate them, open up spaces for them to take action and make global issues tangible locally using creative methods. The aim is to create a sustainable educational impulse that has an impact beyond the project boundaries.
Important key data
Main target group: Young people aged between 15 and 30 in rural regions
Eligible budget: EUR 7.500 in Greece, EUR 10.000 in Italy
Indicative project duration: maximum 12 months
Indicative starting date: October 2026
Who can apply?
- Applicants must be legal entities and non-for profit making
- Be a Civil Society Organisation able to demonstrate a clear work relation to rural areas or based in rural areas, while working on a good, clean and fair food system for all
- Not exceed 10 FTE (full time equivalents of paid staff)
- Have not benefited from a project funded in the frame of the DEAR Programme (call for proposal 2022), either directly or indirectly (for instance through the financial support to third parties of a DEAR-funded action) and
- Have a proven track record of previously successfully managed similar projects in the past 2 years and
- Extra points will be given to entities that have been working for a good, clean and fair food system in the past years. If you are an informal community, you can join forces with a local legal entity to apply for this call!
Questions? Contact us at: hello@sfyn.org
Useful documents to download:
- Guidelines for Applicants
- Annex A – Project Idea
- Annex B – Budget template
- Annex C – Declaration of Third Parties
- Annex D – Declaration of non-award EU DEAR grants
Apply via this link before September 1st
The “Rural Voices 2030” project is co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the “Rural Voices 2030. Engaging young rural European citizens in a gender responsive approach to soil protection” project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
