OpenAI announced a new grant programme targeting youth and wellbeing initiatives across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, according to a 28 January 2025 blog post [source]. The programme offers funding to organisations working on mental health support, digital literacy, and community safety for young people in the EMEA region.

The announcement does not specify total funding available, eligibility criteria, or application deadlines. OpenAI stated the grants will support "projects that leverage AI to improve outcomes for young people," but provided no technical requirements or examples of qualifying use cases.

This marks OpenAI's second regional grant initiative following a similar North America-focused programme launched in 2024. The company has previously faced questions about the transparency of its grant selection process and the extent to which recipients are expected to use OpenAI models exclusively.

The blog post includes testimonials from unnamed "community leaders" but does not link to independent evaluations of prior grant outcomes. OpenAI did not disclose whether funded projects will be required to share data, publish results, or undergo external review.

Youth advocacy groups have raised concerns about AI providers funding research into their own products' effects on young users, citing potential conflicts of interest. The announcement comes amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny in the EU over age verification and child safety features in AI systems.

OpenAI directed interested organisations to a forthcoming application portal but provided no timeline for its launch. The company did not respond to questions about whether the programme will include non-English language support or prioritise underserved communities within the EMEA region.