The International AIDS Society (IAS) Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme 2026 awards USD 10,000 seed grants to five young leaders to design, launch, or scale HIV-related innovation projects. These projects run for six months, from April to October 2026, and recipients will participate in the AIDS 2026 Young Leaders Programme at the International AIDS Conference. 

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Location (country/city)

• The programme is global, open to applicants from any country.
  
  
• Selected Young Leaders will travel to attend AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, scheduled for 26–31 July 2026. 

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Funding

Each selected Young Leader receives:

• A USD 10,000 seed grant to implement or scale up their project over six months (April–October 2026).
  
  
• Capacity-building opportunities in monitoring & evaluation, reporting, communications, and networking.
  
  
• Funding for travel, registration, accommodation, and participation in the AIDS 2026 Young Leaders Programme.

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Eligibility Criteria

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Young Leader must:

• Be affiliated with an organization able to provide mentorship and logistical support.
  
  
• Be between 18 and 30 years old (ideally under 25).
  
  
• Be willing to travel to and participate in AIDS 2026 (26–31 July 2026).
  
  
• Communicate with IAS in English.
  
  

Host organization must:

• Be a registered charitable organization, open to eligibility checks.
  
  
• Provide an active mentor/contact.
  
  
• Offer day-to-day logistical support for project implementation.
  
  
• Be capable of receiving and managing grant funds and communicating in English with IAS.

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Application Date

The call opened on 3 September 2025

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Application Deadline

Applications close at 23:59 CEST on 29 September 2025

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Duration of Program or Opportunity

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• Project implementation runs for six months, from April to October 2026.
  
  
• Participation includes attending the AIDS 2026 conference in July

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Application Process

• Apply via the online portal on the IAS website (application link embedded in IAS’s Youth Hub page).
• You’ll be asked to submit:
  
  
  
  • Personal and host organization information
    
    
  • Motivation, project feasibility
    
    
  • Budget template
    
    
  • Letter of support from your host organization
    
    
• Selection is based on: clarity and innovation in project plan, sustainability, youth engagement, leadership potential, and organizational capacity reviewed by IAS representatives and prior Young Leaders.

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Application Website

Details and application are hosted on the IAS official Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme page. You can find it via the IAS website under the Youth Hub section.iasociety.org

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