In 2018 AstraZeneca, which sponsors the Young Health Programme, launched the Step Up! global grants programme to support young people stepping up to the challenge of improving the health of young people.

Entrants who wish to try out a new idea; or take an existing concept to a new audience or a new level can apply for a grant of up to $10,000. In 2018 sixteen grants totalling over $150,000 were awarded to organisations with a charitable purpose around the world.

To be eligible for a grant projects should:

• Focus on health promotion/non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention
• Be aimed at people younger than 30
• Demonstrate innovation and scalability
• Have opportunities for youth involvement and leadership

Specifically, we are looking for promising ways of tackling the issues of youth health and NCD prevention, and evidence that they work. This could be in the form of case studies that help other people working in the area, or they could be provide evidence that attracts further investment and development.

The grants are available for projects in varying stages of development to help them to step up to the next level, for example one or more of the following:

• Research to explore, define and understand social needs
• Developing and testing ideas
• Taking an idea and rolling it out in the real world
• Extending it to different locations or audiences

We are particularly interested in projects that:

• Identify or meet new or unmet needs
• Try out new ideas or ways of working
• Are in low-income and middle-income countries
• Engage AstraZeneca employees and/or external stakeholders
• Have the potential to grow, scale up and access other forms of funding
• Are well thought through, with realistic and easy to measure outcomes

If you would like to apply for a grant please have a look at the Step Up! site for further information and make sure that you read the guidance on how to apply.

Here are some of the Step Up! grantees and their projects.