Citi Foundation announces 2025 Global Innovation Challenge to accelerate youth employability

Citi Foundation has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its 2025 Global Innovation Challenge, which provides philanthropic support for community organisations to pilot or scale solutions to social and economic issues around the world.

Photo: Citi Foundation

Despite recent progress, young people globally continue to experience challenges in their pursuit of employment, including skills mismatch and gaining access to quality jobs.

According to the International Labour Organization, 65 million young people globally are unemployed.

With this RFP, 50 community organisations will receive $500,000 each in grant support for innovative employment solutions for low-income youth, from upskilling and reskilling efforts to entrepreneurship programming, financial education and more.

The 2025 Global Innovation Challenge builds on Citi and the Citi Foundation’s long-standing investment in youth.

Citi Foundation invested more than $300 million over the last decade alone in programmes that supported over one million young people in expanding their skills, experience and networks through its Pathways to Progress initiative.

Citi provides banking services for clients expanding access to high-quality education and youth entrepreneurship opportunities, and invests in solutions for early career professionals.

The company has also financed and facilitated access to education in emerging markets through social finance bonds and other transactions.

Citi employees volunteer year-round, lending their talent and expertise in support of youth employability, including engaging in financial education and career development workshops and mentoring and coaching youth.

“From skills training to job placement programming and more, Citi and the Citi Foundation have long invested in scalable solutions to accelerate youth employability. But it remains a persistent and urgent matter, and we know there is more work to be done,” said Ed Skyler, Citi head of Enterprise Services and Public Affairs and chair of Citi Foundation. “Applying the Global Innovation Challenge model to this issue represents the next step in our funding journey and our continued investment in the young people poised to build thriving and resilient communities.”

The deadline for eligible organisations to register to apply is March 4, 2025 at 12pm New York time (Eastern time) and recipients will be announced later this year.

Citi Foundation works to encourage economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world.

The Citi Foundation's ‘More than Philanthropy’ approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to drive thought leadership and innovation.

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