Submissions open for Meet and Code Awards 2024

They’ll also be awarding the most creative and successful events across three categories in the Meet and Code Awards. These awards not only recognize excellence but also inspire future events to close the digital skills gap.

This year’s awards focus on three categories aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• Girls do IT! promotes gender equality by encouraging girls’ interest in coding.
• Diversity seeks innovative events that empower under-represented communities in digital education.
• Code for the Planet combines coding with environmental action to tackle climate change.

Funding Information

• Every approved event will receive funding of 500 euros as start-up support. Haus des Stiftens reserves the right to increase or reduce the amount of funding in individual cases.

Period for Performing the Funded Events

• The funded event must take place between June 17, 2024 and October 31, 2024.

Funding Criteria 

• The following basic criteria apply to event ideas:
  • The submitted event idea should aim to inspire and introduce young people to the world of technology and coding, focusing on the theme of digital skills (coding, robotics, IoT, AI etc.).
  • The event must take place between June 17, 2024 and October 31, 2024.
  • The target audiences are children and youth between 8 and 24 years old.
  • Each event must cater to a minimum of 20 children and young people. The events should ideally be focused on and include children and youth with underserved and underrepresented (UU) backgrounds.
  • Participation in the event must be free of charge.
  • The event must be designed to last a minimum duration of 240 minutes. This timeframe can be achieved in one session or divided into multiple sessions.
  • To apply for a grant, charitable organizations must submit their ideas via their country Meet and Code Website.
  • The events must be initiated, managed, and run by the submitting non-profit organization itself. The submitting non-profit organization is responsible and liable for everything that occurs during the planning, organization, running, and follow-up of the project.
  • The funds are only paid out to charitable organizations able to evidence their non-profit status. Evidence must be provided during the validation process performed by the TechSoup Europe network partner in the applicant organization’s country.
  • Events can be held virtually, partly virtual, or on-site.
• Underserved and underrepresented groups mean, among other things people with migration and refugee background, from low income households/disadvantaged economic backgrounds, from socially deprived neighbourhoods, with no access to own IT device, ethnic minorities, and children and youth with disabilities.
• Funding must only be used for the submitted project and charitable purposes such as:
  • Trainer/s for the workshop
  • A license for online teaching tools or costs for premises
  • Learning materials for participants including curation and shipping, e.g. workings books or hardware
  • Communication to reach potential participants, e.g. flyers, posters, and/or online marketing
  • Professional external support to enable an online event, e.g. technical support.
  • Rent for space needed because of e.g. technical infrastructure
• Haus des Stiftens or, as necessary, its partner in the TechSoup Europe network retains sole discretion over the funding allocation once the organization meets the selection criteria.
• There is no automatic entitlement to reasons for rejection, nor is there a legal entitlement for the applicant to receive a grant. Furthermore, meeting the funding guidelines does not obligate Haus des Stiftens or its partners to provide funding.

Eligibility Criteria

• Charitable non-profit organizations from the following countries are eligible to apply for the Meet and Code grant: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

Ineligible

• The following event ideas are excluded from funding:
  • Events not developed and implemented in one of the participating countries
  • Political or religious initiatives
  • Projects benefiting only individuals
  • Projects not related to Meet and Code.

For more information, visit Meet and Code.