People Powered: Apply for Climate Democracy Accelerator and Rising Stars by June 26, 2026

Communities worldwide face tough climate problems like wild weather, damaged environments, and food shortages. These issues hit everyday people hardest, but many lack a real say in the fixes. People Powered offers two programs to change that: the Climate Democracy Accelerator and the Rising Stars Mentorship Program. Both help leaders build community involvement in climate and democracy work. Applications close on June 26, 2026, at 5:00 PM UTC.

About People Powered

People Powered works globally to grow participatory democracy. This means getting citizens directly into decisions. The group aids governments and community organizations with training, advice, and funds. They operate in over 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and more.

Since 2020, they have trained over 1,532 people in democracy skills. They backed 178 government programs with public input. Their efforts link climate action to strong local governance. When people join in, solutions last longer and fit better.

Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA)

Program Overview

The Climate Democracy Accelerator runs for six months. It helps governments, community groups, and climate workers create plans where locals join climate decisions. Key topics include renewable energy, regenerative farming, community climate leadership, and fair shifts to green practices. Teams from government and civil society partner up for real community input.

Support for Participants

Chosen teams get hands-on help. This includes one-on-one mentors from People Powered’s network. They guide project design for strong results.

Training covers live sessions, workshops, peer groups by country, and talks with world experts. Everyone gets the Participation Playbook, a tool kit for better public involvement.

Funding starts at $10,000 per project. Top five plans earn an extra $15,000, for up to $25,000 total.

Main Focus Areas

Projects target climate adaptation, clean energy, soil-restoring farms, community strength, public roles in green policies, fair leadership, and climate fairness.

Who Can Apply

Teams need a government-civil society link. Show real drive for public input and climate work. Open worldwide, but Brazil, Indonesia, India, and Mexico get first look.

Real-World Examples

In Nigeria, Fundlink International held a Citizens’ Climate Assembly in Plateau State. It drafted a climate policy, set up a public input office, and spread to 17 areas.

Himad Samiti in India ran an assembly in the Himalayas. Local councils adopted its forest plans.

In Brazil, Amazon groups built plans from local and Indigenous knowledge.

Rising Stars Mentorship Program

Program Overview

This program fits new leaders, groups, and democracy workers. It offers expert advice for starting public input projects or fixing ongoing ones. Mentors come from People Powered’s global experts.

Key Benefits

Participants get five one-on-one calls. Mentors aid in sharpening public processes, solving rollout issues, boosting community ties, and building solid models.

They also join a network of worldwide democracy workers. This gives fresh views to boost long-term wins.

Success Stories

Past participants launched Citizens’ Assemblies in Georgia. Others built youth online tools in Berlin. Many grew public governance in their areas.

How to Apply

Check rules and needed papers first. Fill the online form soon to beat deadline rushes. Open to community groups, governments, officials, democracy pushers, and climate doers.

Deadline: June 26, 2026, at 5:00 PM UTC.

Official Links

Apply here

For details, click here

Frequently Asked Questions