Apply Now: ALIGN Adolescent Health Programme Offers Grants of Up to $214,000
Action Against Hunger, in partnership with The Youth Café and the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN), has launched the ALIGN Adolescent Health and Nutrition Programme.
This initiative is meant to support locally driven initiatives aimed at improving adolescent health, nutrition and access to essential services across Africa.
The initiative, known as Advancing Local Innovations for Adolescent Health and Nutrition through Governance and Networks, is supported through the Global Financing Facility (GFF) and the World Bank Group’s CIVIC Platform.
The programme seeks to strengthen community-led solutions, promote meaningful youth participation and help integrate successful health and nutrition interventions into national systems.
Funding and Benefits
Under the programme, selected country-level consortia can receive grants of up to US$214,000 for an implementation period of 18 months.
In addition to financial support, successful applicants will benefit from technical assistance, organisational capacity development, mentoring, peer-learning opportunities and support for generating evidence to inform policy and programme implementation.
The initiative also aims to strengthen partnerships between civil society organisations, youth-led groups, government institutions and other stakeholders working to improve adolescent health outcomes.
Who Can Apply?
The programme targets legally registered local nonprofit civil society organisations (CSOs) and youth-led organisations (YLOs) operating in eligible African countries.
Applicants are expected to form a consortium comprising a civil society organisation and a youth-led organisation, with clearly defined leadership responsibilities, governance structures, accountability measures and grant-management arrangements.
Eligible countries include Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Proposed projects should build on existing, evidence-based interventions with potential for expansion, adaptation or integration into national health systems rather than focus solely on testing entirely new ideas.
Priority Areas
The programme supports initiatives addressing key adolescent health and nutrition challenges, including adolescent pregnancy prevention, respectful maternal care for adolescents, adolescent nutrition and food systems, mental health and psychosocial support, and youth-led accountability in health systems.
Successful projects are expected to involve adolescents meaningfully in the design, implementation, monitoring and governance of interventions, with particular attention to girls and marginalised young people.
Application Process and Deadline
The initial application stage required eligible organisations to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) and submit it through the official ALIGN programme portal.
The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest was October 21, 2026. As of October 23, 2026, this deadline has passed. The published selection schedule indicates that shortlisted applicants are expected to submit full proposals by November 16, 2026.
Organisations that submitted applications should consult the official programme website for updates on shortlisting and subsequent requirements.
For programme details, application guidance and official documents, visit the ALIGN programme website.
