OECS MEDIA RELEASE
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission has officially launched the OECS Youth Empowerment Project (OYEP) Small Grants Programme, a new initiative that will provide direct financial support to youth-led organisations and initiatives across the Eastern Caribbean.
Implemented through the OECS Commission’s Human and Social Division with funding support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the OECS OYEP Small Grants Programme represents a major investment in youth leadership by providing young people with the resources needed to design and implement innovative community-based projects that respond to some of the region’s most pressing development challenges.
The programme forms part of the wider OECS Youth Empowerment Project, which supports the implementation of the OECS Youth Empowerment Strategy (YES), a regional framework aimed at empowering young people across the nine English-speaking OECS Member States through meaningful participation, leadership and opportunity.
A total of fourteen (14) grants valued at USD $5,000 each will be awarded, creating a grant pool of USD $70,000 to support youth-led initiatives that strengthen communities while advancing the priorities of the OECS Youth Empowerment Strategy. Grants will be disbursed and managed by UNICEF on behalf of the OECS Commission, in accordance with UNICEF’s financial management and accountability standards.
Applications must be aligned with one of the following four thematic priority areas, each anchored in the pillars of the OECS Youth Empowerment Strategy and delivered in collaboration with the relevant OECS Commission technical area. To ensure balanced coverage across all priority areas, a fixed number of grants is allocated to each, the full details of which are listed in the OYEP Small Grants Programme Manual.
The list of priority areas of the YES includes:
Education and Training (YES I LEARN)
Healthy Lifestyles (YES I MOVE)
Citizenship and Identity (YES I BELONG)
Child and Youth Protection (YES I MATTER)
Creativity and Culture (YES I EXPRESS)
Employment and Entrepreneurship (YES I EARN)
Environment and Sustainable Development (YES I INHERIT)
Together, these thematic areas reflect the OECS Commission’s commitment to creating opportunities for young people to lead solutions that improve lives, strengthen communities and contribute to sustainable regional development.
The programme is open to youth-led organisations, registered organisations implementing youth-led initiatives, and unregistered youth entities such as youth groups, student councils, or any other similar body that is not formally registered, but which operates under the auspices of a recognised institution such as a school, college, faith-based body, or community organisation, and which applies with the written endorsement of that institution. Applicants must demonstrate that their initiatives are led by young people aged 18–29 and directly benefit youth aged 15–29 within the OECS.
Applications will be accepted until 14 August 2026, after which submissions will undergo an independent evaluation process based on published criteria including relevance, innovation, feasibility, youth leadership, impact and value for money.
The OECS Commission encourages youth organisations, student councils, National Youth Councils and other eligible youth groups throughout the OECS Member States to seize this opportunity to transform innovative ideas into projects that create lasting impact within their communities.
Interested applicants are encouraged to carefully review the Programme Manual before submitting their applications. Completed applications may be submitted via email to: http://ohhsd@oecs.int.
OECS Youth Empowerment Project (OYEP) Small Grants Programme Application Resources:
OYEP Small Grants Programme Manual (here).https://oecs.int/en/our-work/knowledge/library/social-development/small-grants-manual-oyep-v2
OYEP Small Grants Application Form (here).https://oecs.int/en/our-work/knowledge/library/social-development/annex-a-oyep-small-grants-application-form
OYEP Small Grants Programme Financial Report Template (here).https://oecs.int/en/our-work/knowledge/library/social-development/annex-b-c-oyep-small-grants-templates-1
