Register through the following link after carefully reading all the details of the call.

Objective and Framework

FEBEA, the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financiers is launching an award for the most innovative ideas from young European participants on Ethical Finance and related topics.

The objective of this prize is to assess the knowledge and interest of European youth in Ethical Finance and search for innovative ideas in the field. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the relationship between FEBEA and young individuals engaged in this field, while providing opportunities within the sphere of alternative finance.

Who can apply?

The FEBEA Youth Award on Ethical Finance and The Future is open to young Europeans between the ages of 18 and 35 residing in any European country. Participants must be at least 18 years old at the time of submission. Additionally, applicants who are 35 years old at the time of submission must not turn 36 during the year 2025.

For FEBEA, “Europe” is understood in geographical terms, meaning participants from non-EU countries are also eligible for the prize. Residents of European countries who do not hold legal citizenship but can prove their residency are also encouraged to apply.

Thematic areas

The research presented should address Ethical Finance and related subjects, including (but not limited to):

• Transformative finance and economies;
• Sustainable finance with a holistic approach that integrates economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions;
• Impact finance, with a focus on transformation.

Participants are encouraged to submit, and will be particularly evaluated, innovative ideas or original visions of future possibilities within the financial system, transformative proposals, strategies for youth involvement, critical analyses of the Ethical and Social Finance ecosystem, and more.

Examples of potential topics and guiding questions are provided below to help frame submissions. However, following these examples is not mandatory; they are intended solely for inspiration. Creative proposals will be valued: 

• What changes would you like to see in the current financial system?
• In your opinion, what role should financial actors (investment funds, banks, etc.) play in society?
• If you could design the perfect financial institution, what would it look like?
• How might our society evolve over the next 100 years if banks continue to operate as they do today? Conversely, what if all banks adopted the values of Ethical Banking?

Formal requirements

Interested participants must complete the application form available at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScL4yc75k6q_FrLNL41kaqLvkadcm0Ug098gK96U5sbA72s5g/viewform?usp=header 

In the form, applicants must upload a video in English, with a length between 1 minute and 5 minutes. For the submission procedure, participants can either upload the recorded file via the provided form or share a link to the platform where the video is posted (e.g., Instagram, YouTube). If posted online, participants must ensure the jury has access to the video.

Submissions in languages other than English will not be accepted, as English is the official working language of FEBEA. Additionally, as winners will be invited to participate in official events, applicants must demonstrate a sufficient level of spoken English proficiency.

For any questions regarding the award requirements, please contact: secretariat@febea.org.

Committee and judging criteria

Applications will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee appointed by FEBEA. The jury will be composed of:

• Member of FEBEA’s Board of Directors
• Members of FEBEA’s Executive Team
• A representative from Alternative Banque Suisse

The award decision will be based solely on the evaluation of the submitted videos. The Committee’s decision is final.

The jury will consider the following criteria:

• Relevance of the topic to FEBEA and Ethical Finance-related issues
• Originality and creativity
• Coherence and clarity of the ideas presented

Prize

The organizers may select up to two winners if the submissions meet the expected quality standards set by the jury.

The winners will receive:

• The opportunity to assist and present their ideas at the Youth Encounter organized within the framework of FEBEA’s General Assembly in Switzerland in 2025. 
• A round-trip ticket from their country of residence to Switzerland;
• Three nights of accommodation for the duration of the event (Check-in: September 30th, Check-out: October 3rd);
• The chance to network with leading figures in the Ethical Finance sector during the in-person event on October 2nd, 2025, at the FEBEA Annual Conference.

Non-selected participants will also be encouraged to join a youth community established by FEBEA, centered around Ethical and Alternative Finance topics.

Deadline and announcement of the results

Submission deadline: June 8th, 2025, at 23:59 CET

Evaluation period: June 8th – July 1st, 2025

Winners announced: no later than July 7th, 2025, via email.

The Jury may declare the award void, as well as establish different categories within the modality.