PPPA – Youth-Driven Social Media Design – 2026

Objective

To, through co-creation under youth participation, design and test a Fediverse based/Authenticated Transfer (AT) Protocol-based social media platform that is targeted specifically at young EU citizens and is focused on user well-being, and adapt a roll-out strategy based on market research and stakeholder consultation.

Priorities

• Priority 1 : involve young citizens from a wide variety of backgrounds and from at least eight Member States, including young persons with disabilities or neurodevelopmental conditions, in the conceptualisation of key aspects of the platform
• Priority 2 : based on the results of the youth participation process and in-depth research, analyse the market conditions for alternative and inclusive social media services in a decentralised ecosystem
• Priority 3 : create at least one functioning prototype or upgrade at least two existing services for a social media platform based on the ActivityPub or AT protocols, incorporating insights on minimising risks to mental health
• Priority 4 : test and refine the prototype
• Priority 5 : promote the prototype across EU countries to identified potential user audiences as well as to key stakeholder communities

Among financed actions

• Youth co-creation and consultation processes
• Software development
• Market research and economic analysis
• Stakeholder mapping and engagement
• Awareness and dissemination actions
• Activities seeking usage traffic and user engagement

Eligibility

• Be a legal entity (public or private body)
• Be established in one of the eligible countries:
  • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
• Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register before submitting the proposal.
• A consortium composed of at least 4 independent entities from at least 3 different eligible countries must be constituted, including:
  • At least one entity with demonstrated capacity in youth engagement
  • At least one entity with demonstrated capacity in software development
  • At least one entity with demonstrated capacity in supporting the scaling of businesses or non-profits

Additional information

• Initial duration of the action: between 12 and 24 months

Projects of longer duration may be accepted in duly justified cases. Extensions are possible, if duly justified and through an amendment.

• Contact: cnect-i4@ec.europa.eu

Useful

• Guidelines: Click here
• Other call documents: Click here
• DG website: Click here
• More information: Click here

• Total budget of the call: 1.480.000 euros
• Amount of the grant: up to 1.480.000 euros

The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.

• Funding rate: up to 80% of the total eligible costs