Local recruitment: SUSTAIN Champion Awards: second call for youth-led innovations on water and climate resilience (Mozambique and Tanzania nationals)

Terms of reference  

Title: SUSTAIN Champion Awards – Youth Innovation for Water and Climate Resilience (second call) 

Location: Tanzania and Mozambique  

Target Group: Youth (under 30), residing in-country 
Duration: 6 months (February – August 2026) 
Support type: Small awards for selected innovations and capacity building (3 in Tanzania and 6 in Mozambique) 

Managed by: IUCN Water and Wetlands Team and country-based partners under the SUSTAIN initiative. 

1 Summary  

Across Mozambique and Tanzania, young people are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. At the same time, they are also drivers of change, introducing innovative solutions that protect natural resources, boost community resilience, and unlock green growth. The SUSTAIN initiative, implemented by IUCN and partners, recognises that achieving long-term resilience in landscapes depends not only on top-down strategies, but on empowering local actors especially youth to lead the way. These awards seek to spotlight and support young local innovators (under 30 years of age) from rural and semi-urban communities in the SUSTAIN landscapes who are working on or proposing bold, locally-rooted ideas for water and climate resilience including efforts to scale up climate adaptation or mitigation. These may range from nature-based business solutions, integrated water resources management, or community-driven restoration projects. The winning individuals or teams will receive small awards to advance their ideas and will be featured in SUSTAIN’s wider communication campaign as part of a dedicated youth champions series. Through this, SUSTAIN aims to strengthen inclusion, elevate emerging voices, and demonstrate how local innovation can shape the future of integrated, climate-resilient landscapes. 

2 About IUCN  

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development, and nature conservation to take place together. Headquartered in Switzerland, IUCN Secretariat comprises around 950 staff in more than 50 countries. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and some 17,000 experts. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools, and international standards.   

3 Programme Background  

IUCN’s Water and Wetlands Team (WWT) manages a large portfolio of initiatives and projects which, inter alia, look at innovative ways to bring financing of integrated water and land management to on-the-ground stakeholders, whether these are smallholder farmers, local groups engaging in agriculture collectives, water user associations, or groups looking to protect, restore and conserve their local ecosystems. The main objective being that funds get to the right people in a way that allows them to maximise impact, not only through immediate action, but to build-in sustainability to ensure their actions can be mobilised beyond the funding period.  

The Sustainability and Inclusion Strategy for Growth Corridors in Africa (SUSTAIN-Africa) was an IUCN-led initiative implemented from 2014 to 2020 in the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) and in the Zambezi Valley in Mozambique. SUSTAIN was conceived as a multi-year initiative focused on catalysing climate-resilient development that balances economic growth with ecosystem stewardship and social prosperity. The first phase of SUSTAIN established a solid foundation of partnerships with business, government agencies, local communities, farmer groups, and others in the landscapes to deliver on this vision. Building on these networks and the achievements of the initial phase, IUCN is leading the second phase of SUSTAIN through two complementary programmes, SUSTAIN Pro and SUSTAIN Eco, both underpinned by equity and inclusion and striving to accelerate a shift from business-as-usual to development paradigms that build resilience in economies, people, and nature.  

SUSTAIN Productive Landscapes for Inclusive Growth in Tanzania and Mozambique (SUSTAIN Pro) aims for sustainable food systems and healthy productive landscapes in Mozambique and Tanzania. The delivery strategy encompasses: (i) upscaling solutions for sustainable agricultural production; (ii) restoring land health through multi-stakeholder partnerships; and (iii) investing in sustainable and inclusive value chains to drive systemic change. The programme is being implemented in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (Kilombero and Ihemi) and the Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor in Mozambique (Vanduzi and Báruè districts). 

SUSTAIN Ecosystem stewardship to balance sustainability and growth in Tanzania (SUSTAIN Eco) a sister programme to SUSTAIN Pro, targets healthy ecosystems and prosperous communities in Tanzania through improved governance and rights, sustainable management practices and by catalysing investment in the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. The delivery strategy encompasses: (i) coordination strengthened amongst governance structures for sustainable and inclusive management of natural resources; (ii) integrated landscape management improves ecosystem health and generates inclusive business and livelihood opportunities, especially for women, youth, and vulnerable groups; and (iii) investment in the protection and restoration of ecosystems and their services strengthens climate resilience for people and ecosystems. It will be implemented in one landscape that overlaps with SUSTAIN Pro (Kilombero) as well as a separate landscape (Sumbawanga). 

4 Objectives of the Awards 

The SUSTAIN Champions Awards aims to: 

• Identify and support promising youth-led innovations for water and climate resilience (inc. adaptation or mitigation). 

• Strengthen the role of youth in shaping local sustainable development pathways. 

• Surface grassroots solutions with potential to scale through community or institutional support. 

• Elevate diverse voices championing resilient change in SUSTAIN’s communications through storytelling and profiling. 

• Advance inclusion across SUSTAIN landscapes and build momentum for youth engagement in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Integrated Landscape Management (ILM). 

5 Eligibility Criteria 

Applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Be aged 18–30 years at the time of application. 

• Be a citizen and current resident of Mozambique or Tanzania.  

• Be working on or proposing a locally relevant innovation for water & climate resilience (inc. adaptation or mitigation). 

• Be willing and able to participate in follow-up storytelling and monitoring activities. 

• Innovations must be at idea, pilot, or early implementation stage (not fully commercialised). 

• Both individuals and teams (max 3 people) may apply.  

• The call is open to youth-led start-ups or small teams, but not to established consulting firms or fully registered companies. 

6 Scope and Focus Areas 

Eligible ideas and innovations should fall under one or more of the following thematic areas: 

• Catchment and ecosystem-based approaches (e.g. watershed restoration, riparian buffers, wetland protection, sustainable land use to improve infiltration and reduce erosion/sedimentation); 

• Indigenous knowledge integration into climate action (e.g. integrating customary water management practices into local planning and climate adaptation);  

• Climate and disaster risk management linked to water (e.g. drought/flood preparedness, risk awareness, youth-led climate and water advocacy); 

• Water management and monitoring (e.g. water quality/quantity monitoring, early warning, decision-support tools, sustainable irrigation and on-farm water saving, recharge and storage solutions);  

• Inclusive governance and coordination mechanisms (e.g. strengthening multi-stakeholder platforms, water user associations, local bylaws, transparency and accountability). 

Special attention will be given to proposals that: 

• Demonstrate inclusivity (especially of women, youth, and marginalised groups). 

• Show potential for replication or scale. 

• Are rooted in the SUSTAIN landscapes (e.g., Vanduzi and Báruè districts in Mozambique and Kilombero, Ihemi and Sembawang in Tanzania) or similar agro-ecological contexts. 

7 Support and Awards 

Selected applicants will receive: 

• A small financial award (max 5,000 – 7,000 USD) to scale or pilot their idea.  

• Visibility through IUCN/SUSTAIN’s social media and publications as part of a “Youth Champions” spotlight series. 

• Remote mentorship or coaching sessions from SUSTAIN technical partners (subject to availability). 

• Opportunity to participate in knowledge exchanges, webinars, or in-person landscape events. 

8 Application Process 

Applicants will be asked to submit: 

• A short business plan (max 3 pages) outlining the idea, objectives, activities timeline, budget and expected impact (and scale up strategy). 

• A brief personal statement on their motivation and background (max 500 words). 

• Optional: supporting media (photos, video clips, diagrams). 

• A signed declaration confirming age, residency, and commitment to the project. 

• The SUSTAIN team and selection panel will shortlist the top candidates, who will then be invited to record an elevator pitch of their idea before the final selection is made. 

Applicants are requested to submit their application online via this link.  

Deadline for submissions: Friday 16 January 2026, 23:59 CET. 

9 Evaluation Criteria 

Applications will be assessed by a selection panel based on the following criteria: 

• Relevance and clarity of the innovation (30%) 

• Feasibility and potential for local impact (25%) 

• Degree of inclusivity and community engagement (20%) 

• Innovation and originality (15%) 

• Communication and storytelling potential (10%) 

10 Timeline (Tentative) 

11 Contact and Coordination 

The competition will be coordinated by IUCN’s Water and Wetlands Team and country-based partners under the SUSTAIN initiative. For any questions, please contact: ala.al-dwairi@iucn.org.