The Citi Foundation has opened applications for its 2026 Global Innovation Challenge, inviting registered nonprofit organisations to develop or expand programmes that prepare low-income young people for an economy increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence.

Under the fourth edition of the challenge, titled “Preparing Youth for AI,” the Foundation plans to award up to US$25 million in restricted grants to as many as 50 organisations. Each selected organisation will receive US$500,000.

The first-stage application deadline, through a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), is October 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. New York Time (Eastern Time).

The 2026 challenge will support programmes designed to help low-income youth gain the skills, access and employment opportunities required to participate in an AI-driven economy.

The Foundation is particularly interested in initiatives that bring together AI and digital capabilities with human-centred skills, including critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, resilience and adaptability.

The programme is primarily focused on young people aged 15 to 24. However, the grant is awarded to the nonprofit organisation implementing the programme rather than directly to individual beneficiaries.

Each successful organisation will receive a restricted US$500,000 grant, which is expected to be disbursed in two equal instalments: US$250,000 in 2027 and another US$250,000 in 2028.

The grant period will last 24 months and is scheduled to begin no earlier than June 1, 2027. The funding will support the piloting or expansion of initiatives that help young people prepare for employment in an economy shaped by AI.

Selected organisations will also join a learning community. The Citi Foundation said it will seek opportunities to support participating organisations through volunteerism and shared learning.

Eligible projects fall broadly into three areas.

The first is AI and human-centred skills. Organisations can propose initiatives covering AI fundamentals, ethical AI use, prompt engineering, digital content creation, AI-enabled tools, problem-solving, critical thinking, advanced reasoning and creativity.

The objective is to bring technical AI capabilities together with human-centred competencies that can strengthen young people’s employment prospects.

The second area is expanding digital access. Proposed initiatives may improve access to digital resources through community hubs with shared devices, open-source AI tools, low-connectivity or offline digital resources and other approaches designed to strengthen digital literacy or access to employment opportunities.

The third area is strengthening youth employment programmes. Existing employability initiatives can be enhanced through the integration of AI-enabled tools, training and other resources.

The Foundation is also interested in partnerships involving organisations from different sectors, including education, nonprofits, technology and business.

The funding opportunity is open to registered nonprofit organisations that satisfy the Foundation’s eligibility requirements.

Applicants must be registered as nonprofit entities under local law and have missions or strategic priorities focused on serving low-income individuals. Their proposed programmes must also impact at least one of the Citi Foundation’s target geographies.

Organisations must be able to provide externally audited financial statements covering part of 2024 or a subsequent year if they are invited to the full application stage. Applications must be submitted in English.

Organisations operating through fiscal sponsors are not eligible for this funding opportunity.

There is no minimum or maximum organisational budget requirement. However, applicants are expected to assess how a US$500,000 grant distributed over two years would fit within their legal and operational capacity.

Nigeria is among the countries eligible for the 2026 Global Innovation Challenge, as it is listed by the Citi Foundation as one of its target countries in Africa.

Other eligible African countries are Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.

Applicants do not necessarily have to be headquartered in one of the listed countries. However, the programme for which funding is being requested must affect one or more of the Foundation’s target geographies.

Organisations based outside the United States can apply directly if they meet the eligibility conditions. For successful non-US organisations, grant administration will involve Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America).

The application process consists of two stages, beginning with a Letter of Inquiry.

At the first stage, eligible organisations must submit an LOI through the Citi Foundation’s grant portal by October 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. New York Time (Eastern Time).

Submitted LOIs will be assessed using factors including strategic alignment, feasibility and potential impact.

Applicants are advised that the online LOI form cannot be saved. The Foundation recommends downloading its editable PDF version, preparing responses offline and then transferring the completed information to the online application.

Once an LOI has been submitted, applicants will no longer be able to access it. The Foundation therefore recommends that applicants retain a copy for their records.

The Citi Foundation expects to inform organisations by the end of November 2026 whether they have been selected to proceed to the second stage.

Organisations invited to the second stage will be required to submit a full grant application, with the deadline expected in early December 2026.

Final funding decisions are expected to be communicated no later than May 2027. An invitation to submit a full application does not guarantee that an organisation will receive funding.

The US$500,000 grant is restricted to the programme and expenses outlined in the application.

Potential eligible expenses include staff salaries, technology, programme materials, training, events, research, communications, marketing, monitoring and evaluation, convenings and overhead.

The Foundation may also permit regranting where there is a clear programme rationale and implementation plan.

The 2026 opportunity is the Citi Foundation’s fourth Global Innovation Challenge and carries the theme “Preparing Youth for AI.” It will provide US$500,000 to each selected organisation, with total funding of US$25 million available for up to 50 organisations.

The grant will run for 24 months and primarily target low-income young people aged 15 to 24. Registered nonprofit organisations are eligible to apply, and Nigeria is among the eligible countries.

The first-stage application is the Letter of Inquiry, with the LOI deadline set for October 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The full application will be by invitation, while the expected grant start date is no earlier than June 1, 2027.

There is no application fee.

Interested nonprofit organisations should review the official Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge guidelines and submit their Letter of Inquiry through the Foundation’s grant portal.

The official Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge page provides information about the programme, while the Citi Foundation funding application page provides access to the funding application process.

Source: msmeafricaonline