Youth Opportunities Fund – Youth Innovations Test Grant

Closing on: Jul 8, 2026
Artistic Discipline: Crafts Culture Dance Digital arts Film Inter-Arts Literary Media Arts Multidisciplinary Music Music Video Programming Theatre Visual Arts Writing
Grant Type: Project
Funder: Ontario Trillium Foundation
Applicant Type: Youth
Status: Currently Inactive

Grants support youth-led or youth-adult partnerships to test new ideas, explore different approaches, or research important issues.

Grassroots work is community-led and community-designed. Shared identities and lived experiences are essential to building relationships with those benefiting from the work and help set the stage for grassroots groups delivering impactful, local projects. A key requirement for Youth Innovations grants is that they must be led by and for priority populations.

Through this grant stream, the Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) invests in projects led by youth or youth-adult partnerships to improve the social and economic well-being of youth. YOF’s work is founded in the belief that young leaders have the tools and skills to come together based on shared experiences to address the needs of youth. Young leaders are driven to find solutions that can have lasting impact and design projects that reflect how culture and traditions can enhance learning and life-long skills development to improve wellbeing.

A Youth Innovations Test grant is designed to help groups:

  • Try out a new idea that has the potential to make a positive impact on the lives of young people.

  • Research, learn and understand more about a specific topic or issue.

  • Bring youth together to discuss an issue and explore new approaches collectively.

YOF prioritizes grassroots groups that are looking to address the experiences of Indigenous (First Nation, Metis or Inuit) and/or Black youth who continue to face systemic barriers and oppression.

Next deadline: 8 July 2026

Learn more / apply