Enabling Capable Citizens 2026

Digital literacy

We focus on enhancing the digital competencies of youth, enabling them to participate in an increasingly digitalised society. Young people must be able to use digital technologies as a central element of their future professional lives and at the same time handle the many challenges that digitalisation presents in their everyday lives and work. We welcome initiatives that incorporate digital literacy and digital education as part of their activities.

The green transition and sustainability

We fund educational initiatives that address the green transition or sustainable practices in general. This could be broad or locally anchored initiatives focusing on energy, recycling, biodiversity, or green technology. Activities should foster curiosity, train specific skills or provide students with new knowledge.

We fund activities such as:

• After-school initiatives.
• Development of new approaches and teaching methods in schools that foster 21st-century transversal skills such as collaboration, entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
• Development and implementation of innovative didactic approaches that utilise digital tools and methods to actively enhance learner engagement and improve learning outcomes.
• Facilities for new and inspiring learning environments: e.g. makerspaces, workshops, and outdoor learning facilities.
• Pedagogical approaches and initiatives that increase the inclusiveness of youth or engage at-risk youth in education.
• Holistic activities in disadvantaged areas aimed at ensuring a smooth transition to education.
• Professional development of teachers to strengthen their competencies within the green or digital transition. 

We do not support:

• Physical facilities alone, nor do we support property acquisitions or the construction of new properties.
• Projects that solely focus on mental health issues or youth with disabilities. 

We prioritise funding projects that have a systemic impact and it is essential to us that project learnings are anchored and continued beyond the project period. The projects must involve relevant stakeholders and partners to achieve lasting systemic change. Furthermore, we encourage projects to share their findings with similar organisations, integrate learnings into legislation or institutional practices, and foster new ways of thinking. 

We require projects to follow up on their objectives and results, and to evaluate and communicate their project learnings. Applicants must therefore outline their plans for monitoring goals and measures. 

Please note that we do not expect projects to initiate evaluations conducted by external researchers or consultants. However, the foundation may occasionally commission and fund cross-cutting external evaluations, and projects are expected to participate if deemed relevant.

• Early September 2025: The application portal opens for applications.
• 15 January 2026: Deadline for applications
• February - April 2026: Review of applications by an external review committee.
• May - June 2026: The foundation's Board decides on grant allocations and applicants are notified accordingly.

Who can apply?

Schools and educational institutions, civil society organisations, local innovators, and public authorities can apply. Applications from individual persons will not be accepted.

Please note that English is our primary language for communications with applicants and grantees. Applications and appendixes must therefore be submitted in English. Communication with project managers and key personnel must be possible in English without interpreters.

Which project setups are supported?

We prioritise projects that are:

• Developmental: Projects should preferably have a clear developmental perspective.
• Innovative: We support initiatives that are not only new and innovative but also those that have demonstrated success in promoting long-term sustainable and systemic development in other contexts.
• Long-term: Projects with longer durations, ideally spanning several years, are preferred. This allows sufficient time to enhance the likelihood of success and achieve systemic impact.

We encourage collaboration with partners who can provide additional competencies and capabilities.

Which project costs are eligible?

All types of costs can be included in the project budget, provided they are relevant for the project. 

Renovation and construction costs are eligible if they are necessary for the proposed activities and will enhance the sustainability of the activities beyond the duration of our grant. 

Fees for consultants, specialists and advisers can be included, such as specialised assistance in relation to tenders, renovation projects, legal compliance etc. 

All interested applicants must submit project proposals through our online application portal which opens early September 2025.

The foundation's application form, budget and CV template must be used. Form and templates are available on the portal.

Are cross-country projects eligible?

Yes, but is it not a requirement.

Can organisations from countries not mentioned in the current call apply?

Yes. However, we do not consider it likely that projects from non-prioritised countries will receive a grant.

We are applying from one of the prioritised countries and we plan to include activities in non-prioritised countries. Is that possible?

Yes. It is possible to include activities in non-prioritised countries, but the justification and added value must be very clear in the application. 

We represent a for-profit organisation. Can we apply for funding?

The Villum Foundation does not support for-profit activities. 

Can we use our own templates?

No. The Villum Foundation’s application form, budget template, and CV template must be used. They can be downloaded from the application portal after logging in.

Should we attach a full application dossier?

No. Only a completed application form, budget, CV, and annual report will be assessed by the expert committee.

What type of annual report should be uploaded?

All text entered in the form, including letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces, counts towards the character limit.

Should we upload letters of support with the application?

That is not required, but we encourage formal agreements between collaborating partners. For larger consortia or collaborations with authorities, letters of support can be helpful information for the Villum Foundation. Motivations for collaboration and partners’ roles should be described in the application form. 

If there are more project partners in the application, who will be responsible for managing the grant?

All projects must have one coordinating organisation, which is responsible for the overall financial management and reporting.

Can VAT-related expenses be included in the budget?

Yes, VAT can be included as part of the budget.

Is co-financing required?

Co-financing is not a requirement, but based on experience, we know that it strengthens both anchoring and the scale of the project. 

In the budget template, there is a mandatory field called ‘unspecified costs’. What does this cover? 

A budget item of 15% for unspecified costs is automatically added to the applied amount. Unspecified costs are expected to cover unforeseen costs, overhead and other expenses that cannot be specifically itemised in the budget.

How is the funding procedure?

The grant is typically transferred in yearly or half-yearly instalments, always in advance. 

When can we expect the project to start?

Applicants are informed about the results in May-June. If granted, time must be allowed for paperwork and legal arrangements. A realistic start date is approximately 10 months after the call deadline. 

Which age span is considered ‘youth’? 

The programme is aimed at young people in vocational education and training age groups. The age range depends on a country’s educational system. Reskilling of young adults is not within scope.

Can we get feedback before I apply?

No, but we’ll gladly read a one-page concept note to help determine if the project aligns with the scope of the call.

Why do you ask for descriptive different information in the registration process? 

As part of the registration, you will be asked to provide information about your region and the target group(s) your project aims to impact. This information enables us to have access to key data, facilitating analysis of the pool of applicants, future promotion efforts, and is used to inform future calls. While similar details are requested in the application form, collecting them at registration allows us to categorise and track regional and demographic focus areas without manual extraction later. This helps streamline our processes and supports better alignment of our funding strategy with regional needs and target group priorities.