The Young Urbanist annual Small Grant Scheme application process is now open! Please read through the Scheme’s criteria and application process and send your 500-word proposal to Olga Gaitani at og@academyofurbanism.org.uk.

Deadline Extension – Please submit your applications no later than 13 December 2020.

Thank you for applying, please note that the application process has now closed.

Young Urbanists Small Grants Scheme 

The Young Urbanists Small Grants Scheme aims to support financially exciting new ideas and disseminate learning on urbanism with YU members and Academicians. After a call for submissions and a two-part application process, three inspiring and ambitious projects from YU members will be awarded Small Grants to facilitate their innovative project ideas.

Applicants are welcome to submit proposals addressing any issue that they believe to be relevant to the Young Urbanists network and the Academy of Urbanism. A total of three grants may be awarded each year, each up to a maximum of £400. We endeavour to support a wide range of projects from individuals or groups and encourage applications from YU members based across the UK, Europe and beyond. 

What do we fund?

We will fund activities and projects that seek to share learning on urban-related themes, and provide a tangible benefit to the YU Network and/or the Academy as a whole. We would like to support projects that are based on original research and that seek to explore solutions to urban problems.

Successful applicants will be eligible to receive up to £400 towards costs/expenses associated with the project, such as transportation, space rental, publicity, exhibition material, stationery and subsistence, which will be accounted for by providing receipts. Unfortunately we cannot provide remuneration for time spent working on the project.

As examples, in the past years of the scheme, successful applicants have used the grant to create interactive maps, produce videos, travel by Eurostar for a study on high-speed rail, produce an exhibition, or organise collaborative and creative workshops.

What do we mean by benefitting the Young Urbanist Network?

Benefits could be achieved through diverse means by providing the YU Network with tangible outputs, including but not limited to:

• Published articles for our website and/or newsletter
• Production of a video or other medium to be shared on the website or at a relevant event
• Running a seminar or sharing your findings at a relevant event
• The project itself could enable YU participation/experience (ie. project as a curated event)

Be creative – there are many ways in which you could bring a tangible benefit to the YUs, so use your imagination!

Who is eligible to apply?

You must be a paid member of the Young Urbanists network to be eligible to apply.

What is the process for applications?

We will be accepting applications throughout December 2020 – January 2021 as part of a two-stage process, outlined below in further detail.

Stage 1 – Call for submissions

Initially, applicants will be asked to submit a short 500-word proposal about their project (please submit your proposal to Olga Gaitani, Young Urbanist Coordinator). This will outline the idea, explain how it fits with the aims of the Academy and how it will benefit the YU Network. We ask that submissions also state how much funding they are seeking for their project, up to a maximum of £400 (a more detailed cost outline will be required at the next stage). The deadline for submissions is 13 December 2020.

Once we have received all the submissions, the YU Steering Committee will assess them based on the perceived overall benefit to the YU network and shortlist the successful ones. *Please note that although we are allowing for up to three grants to be distributed, it may be the case that not all the grants are allocated each year.

Stage 2 – Detailed proposal

The shortlisted candidates will be notified by email a week after the deadline  for Stage 1 has passed – by 21 December 2020 – and will be asked to submit a more detailed proposal of no more than 1,500 words. A template will be provided asking for a thorough description of the project theme, aims, outputs and costs, alongside a short biography of the project leader(s). The deadline for detailed proposal submissions from shortlisted applications will be 15 January 2021.

Once we have received all the detailed proposals, an expert panel will gather to make a decision on final grant recipients. At this point, shortlisted applicants may be asked to meet with the panel to further discuss their project proposal. Final decisions will be made, and successful applicants for the Small Grants Scheme 2020-21 cohort will be notified by 22 January 2021.

Stage 3 – Projects underway

Successful applicants will be able to begin their projects from 25 January 2021. Ideally, project outputs will be delivered by mid April 2021, but there is a degree of flexibility based on the output and timing of other YU activities.

What are the key dates for the Small Grants Scheme?

• Friday 4 December 2020, 17.00hrs: Deadline for 500-word project outline
• Friday 11 December 2020: Shortlisted applicants contacted and asked for more detailed proposal of no more than 1,500 words (template provided)
• Friday 8 January 2021, 17.00hrs: Final project proposals due
• Monday 18 January: Grant recipients announced and projects commence
• Mid April 2021: Completion of activities and final output delivered.

You can follow the Twitter conversation from the Scheme  throughout the year via the #YUgrants hashtag.

Please send completed submissions or enquiries to Young Urbanist Coordinator Olga Gaitani at og@academyofurbanism.org.uk.