Call for Projects – Opportunities For Africans

Application Deadline: 5 January 2026

Applications are actually open for the 2026 UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Initiative Program. After seventeen years of grassroots youth actions and worldwide cooperation, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative proceed to contain younger folks, communities and web site managers in constructing collectively new, inclusive societies the place World Heritage is a supply of resilience, humanity and innovation, past the challenges that faces the World. 

In the framework of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IYV 2026), this system sit up for welcoming historic companions and new actors to be part of the renewed actions that make this devoted neighborhood a strong pillar to maintain all future work for World Heritage safety, preservation and consciousness work all over the world.

The WHV Initiative was launched in 2008 to encourage younger folks to undertake concrete actions and to play an lively function within the safety, preservation, and promotion of World Heritage websites. It consists of motion camps organized by youth organizations or establishments in cooperation with a number of stakeholders and companions, who work collectively for the state of conservation of World Heritage websites. The initiative mobilizes nationwide and worldwide volunteers by means of hands-on and awareness-raising actions for the conservation of our frequent cultural and pure heritage.

Within the framework of the World Heritage Education Programme on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative was launched in 2008 in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) to mobilize and contain younger folks and youth organizations in World Heritage preservation and promotion. Today, the Initiative is coordinated by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in cooperation with Better World.

SELECTION CRITERIA

In order to be eligible for choice, each the making use of organisations and the proposed tasks should fulfil the set of obligatory standards detailed under. 

Organizations

• The applicant must be legally registered as a public or personal organisation or establishment within the nation the place the challenge takes place;
• All actions of the organisation associated to WHV must be non-profit. All native, nationwide and worldwide partnerships developed by the applicant within the framework of WHV must be submitted for approval to the WHV coordinators;
• First time candidates ought to submit two letters of help from recognised organisations and/or establishments recommending the applicant on the idea of previous or present confirmed cooperation;
• First time candidates ought to submit a duplicate of their Constitution / Bylaws of their most up-to-date exercise report in one of many UN official languages.
• Each organisation is eligible to apply for a most of 4 tasks to be carried out at completely different websites (chances are you’ll apply to run a number of tasks on the identical web site: these can be counted as one challenge until they contain a totally completely different set of native companions and differ considerably by way of actions and theme).
• In order for the brand new WHV proposals to be thought-about in 2026, organisations will need to have submitted the analysis type of the tasks carried out within the earlier years. 

Projects

• Should be organised in instant connection to a property inscribed on the World Heritage List or a web site on a Tentative List: ; http:// whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists;
• Should have a minimal 10 day period consecutive or not, (excluding arrival and departure dates); and embody the identical group of individuals for the period of the motion camp;
• Should ideally begin after 15 April and finish by 15 December 2026;
• Should contain as a lot as attainable, worldwide volunteers; e. Should embody awareness-raising actions, sensible hands-on actions and expertise associated to UNESCO World Heritage websites the place the motion camps can be performed (detailed definitions of awareness-raising and hands-on actions and expertise in Annex under);
• Should be developed in session with web site managers and native authorities, reflecting the wants of the websites;
• Should embody sensible hands-on expertise coaching actions in addition to reflection on points associated to World Heritage;
• Should contain the neighborhood to be able to deepen their data round points associated to World Heritage and the World Heritage Volunteers Initiative;
• Should respect contributors’ gender steadiness (ideally equal variety of female and male contributors) and geographical variety (ideally representing completely different international locations and areas). 

MICRO-grants AND MOBILITY FUND

The 2026 Campaign will supply once more micro-grants which can be meant to make sure that chosen organisations obtain at the least partial compensation for the essential administration work required by their involvement within the WHV Initiative. The funds can be routinely attributed upon completion of the challenge actions and reporting, with precedence given to tasks happening in Low Income Countries, Lower Middle Income Countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The quantities can be between a minimal of 100 USD and a most of 300 USD per challenge. 

How to Apply

In order to get entangled in and/or renew your dedication in direction of the safety, preservation, and promotion of World Heritage by means of the WHV Initiative, please fill within the following application type:

English French

And ship it by e-mail to Francesco Volpini at Better World ([email protected]) with a duplicate to Ines Yousfi ([email protected]) and Erik Eschweiler-Dienerowitz ([email protected]) on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Application Timeline:

• 5 January 2026 Deadline for the submission of challenge purposes.
• 12-31 January 2026 Additional info could also be requested from the organisations.
• 1 March 2026 Announcement of chosen WHV tasks. Confirmations can be despatched to the chosen organisations. Applications for the Mobility Fund can be open.
• End of March 2026 Official communication can be despatched to the National Commissions for UNESCO, Permanent Delegations to UNESCO, UNESCO Field Offices and web site administration authorities.
• 15 April 2026 – 15 December 2026 : Project implementation, documentation and monitoring.
• December 2026: World Heritage Volunteers Initiative Global Capacity Building Training Workshop, Kenya
• 20 December 2026 Submission of the analysis type and questionnaires together with photos, movies and a signed copyright settlement by the implementing organisations. 
• November/December 2026 WHV Call for Projects 2027 can be launched 

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Initiative Program.