OpenAI Launches €500K Grant Program for Youth AI Safety Research in EMEA

OpenAI has launched a new €500,000 grant program specifically targeting youth safety and wellbeing in the age of artificial intelligence across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. The EMEA Youth & Wellbeing Grant aims to fund organizations working directly with children, young people, families, or educators, as well as those conducting independent research on how AI affects youth development and safety.

Program Focus and Funding Scope

The grant program will support two main categories of work:

For NGOs: Projects focused on youth protection programs, AI literacy initiatives for young people and educators, and practical tools for responding to AI-related risks.

For research organizations: Studies on how AI can enrich youth development and education, research on child safety and adolescent wellbeing, and evaluations of youth-safety safeguards in real-world settings.

Grant amounts will range from €25,000 to €100,000, with consideration for multi-year awards for larger programs or networked partnerships. The total fund of €500,000 will be distributed based on project scope and scale.

Why This Matters

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into how young people learn, create, and communicate, there's growing concern about ensuring these technologies are beneficial and safe. OpenAI's initiative recognizes that collaboration between youth organizations, independent researchers, and AI developers is crucial for understanding real-world benefits while strengthening safeguards.

The program emphasizes practical outputs that can be used by others in the field, including reports, toolkits, policy briefs, and tested approaches. This focus on actionable results aims to create tangible improvements in youth wellbeing and safety rather than purely theoretical research.

Application Details

Applications opened on January 28, 2026, and will close on February 27, 2026. Projects are expected to begin in Q2-Q3 of 2026. Applicants must:

• Be 18+ and represent an operational NGO, research institution, or coalition
• Work primarily on youth safety, adolescent wellbeing, or AI impacts on minors
• Have the capacity to deliver work ethically and on time
• Be willing to share methodology and findings
• Be legally registered in an EMEA country (mandatory requirement)

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on weighted criteria:

• EMEA presence (mandatory): Legal registration in EMEA countries
• Alignment with program objectives (high weight): Advancing AI youth safety and producing actionable evidence
• Impact & scalability (high weight): Measurable improvements in youth wellbeing and potential to influence policy or product design
• Methodological rigor & ethical design (high weight): Research methods, protection of minors, consent processes, and data handling
• Feasibility & capacity (high weight): Team capacity, realistic timeline and budget, ethical safeguards
• Sustainability & amplification (medium weight): Potential for continuation beyond grant period

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• Project title
• Detailed proposal (max 500 words) covering objectives, methods, timeline, key deliverables, and value to stakeholders
• Detailed budget and justification
• Team CVs and institutional affiliations
• Ethics statement and data handling plan (if relevant)
• Letters of support or partnership confirmation (if relevant)

Applications are submitted through an online form, with questions directed to [email protected]. OpenAI notes that status updates will not be provided for applications that are not selected.

The grant program represents OpenAI's commitment to understanding and addressing the real-world impacts of AI on young people, supporting organizations that can provide independent research and practical solutions for youth safety in an increasingly AI-driven world.