About this opportunity
Adolescent health work rarely fails for lack of ideas. It fails because the local groups doing the hardest reaching often cannot get steady funding or a seat at the policy table.
ALIGN is built around that problem. ALIGN stands for Advancing Local Innovations for Adolescent Health and Nutrition through Governance and Networks.
Action Against Hunger leads the consortium with The Youth Cafe and the Emergency Nutrition Network, under the World Bank Group GFF and CIVIC platform, a joint initiative of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents and CIVIC, the Civil Society and Social Innovation Alliance. The money is real and it is local.
ALIGN will award a total of USD 2,568,000 across 12 eligible African countries. One consortium in each country is awarded up to USD 214,000, and each selected consortium receives the grant over 18 months alongside tailored technical assistance, mentoring, peer learning and capacity strengthening.
This is a two year initiative running from August 2026 to July 2028. It looks for evidence based civil society and youth led innovations that can be integrated and expanded inside national systems, and it pays for more than cash: organizational, technical, financial, monitoring, evidence and policy engagement capacity, introductions to peers, governments, technical experts and development partners, and support for policy dialogue, financing, adoption, integration and pathways to scale.
Adolescents and young people are expected to be co creators throughout design, implementation, monitoring, learning, governance, feedback and accountability. That is the through line of the whole programme.
Nigeria is one of the 12 countries where ALIGN operates, together with Cote d Ivoire, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 5:00 PM EDT on October 21, 2026, so the practical step is to download the Call for Expression of Interest and the Expression of Interest template from the programme page, then get your consortium paperwork in order.
What you receive
- Up to USD 214,000 per country consortium, paid as an 18 month grant
- Tailored technical assistance and capacity strengthening across organizational, technical, financial and monitoring systems
- Mentoring and peer learning with other local innovators and with governments, technical experts and development partners
- Support for evidence generation on performance, implementation, impact and cost effectiveness
- A route into policy dialogue, financing, adoption, integration and pathways to scale
Who can apply
- Applicants are legally registered local nonprofit civil society organizations or youth led organizations
- The organization must be operating in one of the 12 eligible countries: Cote d Ivoire, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe
- ALIGN anticipates selecting one CSO-YLO consortium per country
- Partnerships must clearly define the lead organization, partner roles, governance, accountability and grant management arrangements
- The work should be a promising evidence based civil society or youth led innovation in adolescent health and nutrition that can be integrated and expanded in national systems
Documents to prepare
- Completed Expression of Interest template
- Proof of legal registration as a nonprofit civil society organization or youth led organization
- Consortium arrangement showing the lead organization and partner roles
How to apply
- Read the Call for Expression of Interest on the ALIGN programme page
- Download the Expression of Interest template
- Confirm your organization is legally registered and operating in one of the 12 eligible countries
- Agree consortium roles, governance, accountability and grant management arrangements
- Submit the Expression of Interest before 5:00 PM EDT on October 21, 2026
Selection process
- Expressions of Interest are assessed against the criteria set out in the Call for Expression of Interest
- One CSO-YLO consortium is anticipated per country across the 12 eligible countries
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
How much can a consortium get?
One consortium in each country is awarded up to USD 214,000, from a total pool of USD 2,568,000 across the 12 eligible African countries.
Can a Nigerian organization apply?
Yes. Nigeria is one of the 12 countries where ALIGN operates, provided you are a legally registered local nonprofit civil society organization or youth led organization working there.
What is the deadline?
Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 5:00 PM EDT on October 21, 2026.
Important disclaimer
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