Young Gamechangers Fund
Young Gamechangers Fund is a £4.5 million UK grant-making initiative (founded 2023) that channels flexible, youth-co-designed funding to 100 young activists and youth-led groups aged 10-25, delivered by Global Fund for Children and Restless Development and funded by Co-op Foundation, Co-op, and the #iwill Fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Young Gamechangers Fund does
Young Gamechangers Fund is a £4.5 million UK youth participatory grant-making initiative founded in 2023, serving young activists, campaigners, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs aged 10-25 who are working to transform their communities into safer, more sustainable, and more inclusive places. The fund's underlying mechanism is a co-designed governance model in which a Youth Steering Group has built the programme from the ground up — owning branding, application design, and grant decision-making — differentiating it from traditional adult-led philanthropy. Core deliverables include flexible grant funding, peer support networks, training, and mentoring; supporting documentation consists of a Theory of Change and Evaluation Framework covering engagement, feedback, evidence of change, and long-term impact. Round One (2023) awarded grants to 33 young gamechangers; Round Two (2025) added 67 more, bringing the total to 100 grantees.
The fund is capitalized by the Co-op Foundation as lead funder, in partnership with Co-op and the #iwill Fund, and is operationally delivered through a consortium of Global Fund for Children and Restless Development (the latter a youth-led international development organisation with 40 years of operating history). Young Gamechangers Fund is not a commercial entity and does not generate revenue from a product or service; rather, it is a programme vehicle that disburses grant capital to youth-led initiatives across the United Kingdom. Impact is communicated through published Midterm (2025) and Lessons Learnt (2026) reports, alongside case studies of named grantees such as Youth Climate Ambassadors for Wales, Ullapool Sea Savers, Safe Haven Youth CIC, and Beyond the Veil, which illustrate a portfolio that has diversified across climate, marine conservation, racial justice, cultural, and community safety verticals.
Young Gamechangers Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Young Gamechangers Fund
- Legal name
- Young Gamechangers Fund
- Website
- https://younggamechangersfund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Young Gamechangers Fund is a £4.5 million UK grant-making initiative (founded 2023) that channels flexible, youth-co-designed funding to 100 young activists and youth-led groups aged 10-25, delivered by Global Fund for Children and Restless Development and funded by Co-op Foundation, Co-op, and the #iwill Fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Young Gamechangers Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Grant Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where Young Gamechangers Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Young Gamechangers Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: The Young Gamechangers Fund is a £4.5m fund that provides flexible funding to young people aged 10-25 across the UK. The fund is funded by the Co-op Foundation, in partnership with Co-op and the #iwill Fund; and delivered by the Global Fund for Children and Restless Development. Successful applicants receive not only funding but also access to peer support networks, training and mentoring.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Young Gamechangers Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Young Gamechangers Fund is a £4.5m youth participatory funding initiative that provides flexible grants, peer support networks, training and mentoring to young people aged 10-25 across the UK. The fund supports young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs working to transform communities into safer, more sustainable and more inclusive places. Successful applicants receive funding alongside non-financial support including mentoring and peer networks, with all aspects of the fund co-designed by young people themselves.
Product overview
Young Gamechangers Fund is a single, unified grant-making initiative managed by Restless Development in partnership with the Global Fund for Children. The £4.5m fund operates as a youth participatory funding model where young people aged 10-25 across the UK can apply for grants to transform their communities. The portfolio consists of the core Young Gamechangers Fund offering flexible funding rounds (Round One in 2023 with 33 grantees, Round Two in 2025 with 67 additional grantees), supported by a Youth Steering Group that co-designs all aspects of the fund, and complementary resources including a Theory of Change document and Evaluation Framework for measuring impact.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Young Gamechangers Fund A £4.5m youth participatory funding initiative that provides flexible grants, peer support networks, training and mentoring to young people aged 10-25 across the UK. The fund supports young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs working to transform communities into safer, more sustainable and more inclusive places to live.
Companies that use Young Gamechangers Fund
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Young Gamechangers Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Young Gamechangers Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Global Fund for ChildrencoreDelivery partner alongside Restless Development, responsible for implementing the fund and managing grantee support. Contact: [email protected]
- Restless DevelopmentcoreDelivery partner alongside Global Fund for Children, responsible for implementing the fund. Restless Development is a youth-led international development organisation with 40 years of experience in youth-led change.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Young Gamechangers Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The National Lottery Community Fund: UK's largest community grantmaking body distributing Lottery funds to community projects, including significant youth and social-action programmes. Much larger and broader, but directly comparable mission around community empowerment and youth-led change.
- LankellyChase Foundation: UK foundation funding systemic change across multiple themes including people-led change and equity. Comparable in funding models that prioritise lived experience and participatory approaches, though broader in scope.
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: One of the largest UK independent foundations funding social change, including youth, communities and environment. Broader portfolio than Young Gamechangers Fund but operates in the same UK grantmaking landscape with overlapping priorities.
Direct peers
- Children in Need: Major UK grantmaker funding projects for children and young people aged 18 and under, including youth-led community initiatives. Closely comparable target demographic, grantmaking model and geographic scope.
- Youth Endowment Fund: UK charitable trust that funds and evaluates interventions for children and young people aged 10-18 affected by violence. Directly comparable UK youth-focused grantmaking vehicle with a similar age-target and rigorous evaluation approach.
- The Tudor Trust: UK independent grantmaker providing flexible, trust-based funding to small community-led organisations, with a strong emphasis on under-resourced groups. Comparable in its preference for flexible funding over restrictive programme grants.
- Paul Hamlyn Foundation: UK foundation that funds youth-led and community-led social action, including the #iwill movement partner fund. Highly comparable in focus on youth social action and participatory approaches.
- Global Fund for Children: International NGO that makes grants to community-based organisations working with children and youth. Acts as delivery partner for Young Gamechangers Fund and operates a directly comparable participatory grantmaking model globally.
- Co-op Foundation: Lead funder of Young Gamechangers Fund and the Co-op's charitable arm funding young people-led community change across the UK. Closely comparable mission and target demographic; also functions as the fund's primary capital source.
Emerging players
- The Blagrave Trust: UK grantmaker focused on young people aged 10-25 and the adults who work with them, with an emphasis on participation and youth voice. One of the closest direct comparables in terms of age range, mission and participatory ethos.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Young Gamechangers Fund social profiles
Digital presenceYoung Gamechangers Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Young Gamechangers Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Young Gamechangers Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Young Gamechangers Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Young Gamechangers Fund
What does Young Gamechangers Fund do?
The Young Gamechangers Fund is a £4.5m youth participatory funding initiative that provides flexible grants, peer support networks, training and mentoring to young people aged 10-25 across the UK. The fund supports young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs working to transform communities into safer, more sustainable and more inclusive places. Successful applicants receive funding alongside non-financial support including mentoring and peer networks, with all aspects of the fund co-designed by young people themselves.
Is Young Gamechangers Fund a public or private company?
Young Gamechangers Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Young Gamechangers Fund founded?
Young Gamechangers Fund was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Young Gamechangers Fund based?
Young Gamechangers Fund is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Young Gamechangers Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding.
Who are Young Gamechangers Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The National Lottery Community Fund, LankellyChase Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Direct peers are Children in Need, Youth Endowment Fund, The Tudor Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Global Fund for Children and Co-op Foundation. The Blagrave Trust is listed as an emerging player.
Does Young Gamechangers Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Young Gamechangers Fund.
What industry is Young Gamechangers Fund in?
Young Gamechangers Fund's product category is Youth Grant Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.