This year’s initiative shifts the focus to employability for low-income youth aged roughly 15–24, addressing an increasingly complex labour-market landscape characterised by skills mismatches and technological disruption. The International Labour Organization estimates some 65 million young people globally are unemployed, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
The RFP process opened in early February 2025, with registration closing on 4 March at midday Eastern Time, followed by full-application submissions due by 18 March. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit entities registered under local law, submit audited financials covering part of the 2023 calendar year or later, and propose programmes that reach one or more of Citi’s geographic markets.
Among the proposed solution areas the Foundation cited are technical and vocational training programmes that move youth into paid internships or formal employment; entrepreneurship initiatives that scale youth-led enterprises; and embedding financial-education tools into workforce-development models. The funding is positioned as catalytic, aiming to pilot or expand innovations that could be replicated across communities.
Executive leadership emphasised that this iteration of the challenge builds on more than a decade of investment. The Citi Foundation notes that it has already invested more than US$300 million over the last ten years via its “Pathways to Progress” initiative, having supported in excess of one million young people in developing skills, networks and career access.
Observers say the pivot to youth employability reflects wider philanthropic and corporate-strategy shifts, as employers report rising difficulties in recruiting entry-level talent with both technical and soft skills, and as automation and generative-AI tools begin to reshape job tasks. While foundations cannot solve systemic labour-market challenges alone, the emphasis on partnerships and scale in this effort is designed to amplify impact.
Stakeholders caution, however, that grant funding must be complemented by structural efforts in local education systems, regulatory reform and private-sector hiring practices. Without those, well-intentioned programmes may struggle to deliver long-term change beyond pilot phases.
Geographically, the eligibility criteria span Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Latin America & Caribbean, as well as North America. Although the organisation need not be headquartered in the region, the proposed initiative must serve one or more of these markets.
The timing of the launch comes as youth labour-market metrics stagnate in some economies and the gap between skills taught and employer needs deepens. By distributing funds across 50 organisations globally, the foundation aims both to diversify its impact and to surface locally-specific models that can scale in other settings.
Applicants can expect a competitive selection process, with the Foundation emphasising not only the innovation of the idea but also the strength of operational capacity, partnerships and potential for replication. Selected grantees will benefit from capacity-building, network inclusion and mentoring by Citi’s employee volunteers, in addition to the direct financial award.
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