On Wednesday 7 January 2026, the European Parliament announced that applications for the 2026 edition of the annual European Charlemagne Youth Prize are now open.
The award is jointly run by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen (Germany). It is awarded annually to youth-led projects that foster democracy, promote active citizenship and bring communities together. It celebrates the work that young people do every day to shape a shared European identity and make a lasting impact on Europe’s future.
EU residents aged sixteen to 30 years are eligible to apply, with one national winner selected in each EU Member State. All 27 national winners will be invited to the EU-wide prize ceremony which takes place over four days in Aachen, where three EU winners will be selected. The winners will receive prizes of €7,500, €5,000 and €2,500 respectively. The overall prize winner will also be offered a traineeship at the European Parliament.
According to the European Parliament, it often receives only a small number of Luxembourg applications for the prize, which they advised increases the chances for a Luxembourgish project of progressing to the second round and the winners week.
Further information and application details are available at: https://youth.europarl.europa.eu/en/more-information/charlemagne-prize.html
