Deadline for Application was 16 February 2026, 23:59 CET/Brussels time. The application is closed now.

Every year the YOU^thDIG Organising Team is compiled of former YOU^thDIG participants who design the programme for the upcoming edition. This is a chance to reflect and improve the programme from last editions, build further connections with YOU^thDIG alumni and the EuroDIG community and to provide an opportunity for young people throughout Europe to participate in the Internet Governance Ecosystem focusing on topics that are important to youth in the field.

The Youth Messages are an opportunity for the YOU^thDIG participants to share their knowledge and expertise about topics that are important to them that are related to Internet Governance. Using a systems approach, these messages are build with the group with the aim to exchange thoughts and ideas and bring forward their priorities and insights.

Have a look at the Youth Messages from YOU^thDIG participants.

• Youth Messages 2025
• Youth Messages 2024
• Youth Messages 2023
• Youth Messages 2022
• Youth Messages 2021
• Youth Messages 2020
• Youth Messages 2019
• Youth Messages 2018
• Youth Messages 2017

• To be eligible for the travel and/or accommodation grants, you must complete all components of YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG. This includes attending all online webinars, all in-person YOUthDIG days, all in-person EuroDIG days, including the YOUthDIG Keynote speech during EuroDIG, and other mandatory sessions during EuroDIG as will be indicated in further correspondence. Attendance will be recorded.
• You will pay your travel in advance and we reimburse you on successful completion after the event.
• We reimburse return travel with aeroplane/train/bus from the country of residence to Brussels, and/or we will provide accommodation. Travel to and from your national airport/main bus or train station, local transportation in Brussels, and daily needs will not be covered. You are also responsible for any costs related to health-requirements, insurance, visa, and other relevant.
• You are required to submit the EuroDIG Travel Approval form and your receipts in one (1!) pdf file during EuroDIG for approval. We will not consider any receipts that are received after approval.
• You will be reimbursed after the event by bank transfer for SEPA countries (EU/EEA). Those from non-SEPA (outside EU/EEA) countries will be reimbursed in cash on the last day of EuroDIG.
• You must submit your travel plan and costs for approval before you buy your ticket. We will guide you through the process of booking your tickets once you have confirmed your participation. However, we require you to try and find the cheapest option possible. We recommend using the website kiwi.com to find the cheapest booking options.

When will YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG be held in 2026?

You will arrive in Brussels on 22 May and in the evening we invite you to join us for a welcome drink in the evening to meet everyone. The YOU^thDIG programme will be held from 23-25 May, and you will join EuroDIG 26-27 May. Departure will be on 28 May. You will be expected to attend pre-event webinars, YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG.

When will the YOU^thDIG webinars be held?

Updated on 10 March 2026

• 8 May 2026, 18:00-20:00, Brussels time, YOU^thDIG Webinar 1: Introduction to Internet Governance
• 11 May 2026, 18:00-20:00, Brussels time, YOU^thDIG Webinar 2: Council of Europe Digital Policies
• 14 May 2026, 18:00-20:00, Brussels time, YOU^thDIG Webinar 3: EU Digital Policies
• 17 May 2026, 09:00-12:00, Brussels time, YOU^thDIG Webinar 4: Group Presentations
• 20 May 2026, 18:00-20:00, Brussels time, YOU^thDIG Webinar 5: YOU^thDIG Messages and How to participate in Internet governance

I can not make the dates or times of the webinars! Can I still apply?

Yes you can still apply. We will be making recordings for you to view, and you must be prepared to complete a small piece of homework, a quiz, or participate in a discussion over the mailing list to make up for the session that you missed. If you miss the group presentation, you will be required to submit a video with your contribution in advance in coordination with your group in addition to viewing the webinar and completing the homework.

What is included in the travel grant and accommodation grants?

If your application is successful, you are offered a travel and/or accommodation grant to attend YOU^thDIG and EuroDIG 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. You must attend the pre-event webinars, YOU^thDIG (including social programme) and EuroDIG (including mandatory sessions) in full to receive your reimbursement. You will pay your travel in advance and we reimburse you on successful completion after the event. We reimburse return travel from your country of residence Airport A to Airport B in the host country, and will provide shared accommodation. You are responsible for any costs related to health-requirements, insurance, visa, travel to and from your national airport, local transportation in Brussels, and daily needs. We ask participants to keep costs as low as possible, this will give us the opportunity to invite more participants to join us.

What about meals?

For those who are staying with us in the YOU^thDIG accommodation, breakfast is served on all days.
On 22 May, we will have a welcome drink however you will organise your own dinner.
23-25 May (YOUthDIG), we will provide a social programme and dinner on all days
26-27 May (EuroDIG), you are responsible for your own meals so that you can network and join members of the EuroDIG community. There may be social events organised where food is served. This will be confirmed nearer to the date.

Am I eligible to apply?

Anybody between the ages 18–30 (by 21 May 2026) residing in the Pan-European region is eligible to apply.

Who are we looking for?

We especially welcome newcomers to Internet Governance to apply, those who do not have any prior experience and want to learn something new or those who work on a specific subject area (e.g. AI, cybersecurity, law, art, communications, biology, medicine, or other) and want to broaden their understanding on how digitalisation or Internet policies would impact their fields.

Who are we not looking for?

Young professionals with more than 3 years of professional work experience do not need to apply for YOU^thDIG, you are welcome to attend EuroDIG directly. We believe that you have the necessary confidence to participate in our community.
Former recipients of the Internet Society’s IGF Ambassadors scheme or ICANN fellowships are also welcome to attend EuroDIG directly. At YOU^thDIG, we will be addressing many of the same topics that you learned during your fellowship, and we believe that these fellowships have prepared and empowered you to directly contribute to the topics and events that we are holding at EuroDIG.
If you need support with funding, please check out our Funding FAQ below.

What should I include in my submission?

You can tell us about your background, interest or connection with Internet governance but we are also very interested in finding out why you find the topic interesting and what you would like to achieve with YOU^thDIG.

Note that we ask in our application for your motivation:

• Please do not write about the state of the Internet or a quote from an Internet pioneer. Write about you!
• Please do not write that you want to join YOU^thDIG because you want to share your experiences. Be specific about what you want to share: which topics? Which experiences? What unique perspective or circumstance?

Did you receive my application?

After submitting your application, you should be forwarded to a success page which indicates that your application was submitted. You will also receive a copy of your application form by email, and receive instructions to confirm your application.

How are participants selected?

We use blind peer review to select participants. The YOU^thDIG Organising Team consists of former YOU^thDIG participants who know what it is like to experience YOU^thDIG. Submissions are anonymised and every one of them are read by the entire YOU^thDIG Organising Team who will give them a rating following a grading matrix from 0 (not eligible) to 5 (good candidate). Based on these ratings, we create a cohort that is geographically diverse, gender balanced, with/from various interests and backgrounds.

What if I don’t get selected?

• You can still come to EuroDIG! EuroDIG is free of charge and you can come and join us for our main event. If you do not have funding, please see our Funding FAQ below. You are also welcome to join us online – EuroDIG has always been and always will be – hybrid.
• You can reapply for YOU^thDIG next year if you still meet the age and residence criteria.
• You can reach out to your national IGF and participate in their events.

Funding: I would like to come to EuroDIG, but I cannot afford going!

If there are any funds available, EuroDIG will launch a travel grant programme, in that case, this would be communicated through the newsletter (you can sign up here!). But to ensure beyond doubt that you can attend EuroDIG, we recommend finding alternative support. Here’s some food for thought:

• Ask your university/school faculty/students’ union. Make a plan why you want to attend, a budget, which sessions you are interested in and indicate speakers that you want to meet. Sometimes they are willing to sponsor you!
• Ask your employer whether there is funding available for professional development.
• Ask for private sponsorship from businesses.
• Check if your country offers travel grants.
• Reach out to your embassy in the host country to ask if there are any travel grants.
• Hold a cake sale, they are surprisingly profitable.