The organization will provide technical and administrative support to the four selected Colombian municipalities, as part of the global expansion of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Fund to 300 new cities worldwide.

ICLEI Colombia was designated as the entity in charge of providing technical and administrative support for the implementation of Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund in four cities in the country: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and La Estrella. 

The Fund provides capital and technical expertise to support municipalities in mobilizing young residents aged 15 to 24, who design and implement solutions aligned with each city's priorities. The process will be carried out under the direct leadership of local governments, which will be responsible for implementing the Fund and strengthening the role of young people as key players in climate action within their communities.

The news comes as part of the global announcement of the expansion of the Youth Climate Action Fund to 300 new municipalities worldwide, tripling the program's reach since its launch in 2024. Of the 300 new cities joining the Youth Climate Action Fund, 76 are in Central and South America, 63 in North America, 60 in Africa, 58 in Europe, 35 in Asia, 6 in Oceania, and 2 in the Middle East. 

The role of ICLEI Colombia

In Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and La Estrella, ICLEI Colombia will support the mayoral offices at every stage of the process: from the design and opening of the innovation calls, to the selection of proposals and the monitoring of the winning projects. 

This support aims to ensure that the local implementation of the Fund meets the technical and administrative standards defined by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and that the youth of the four cities have the necessary support to lead their initiatives from beginning to end.

Through the Youth Climate Action Fund, municipalities launch calls for proposals inviting young people to submit their ideas. The strongest proposals are selected and receive funding, as well as technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Each municipality then appoints staff to support implementation from start to finish, assisting young people in the complete execution of their projects: creating public spaces, strengthening infrastructure, mitigating disasters, and building resilience.

With Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and La Estrella among the selected cities, and with ICLEI Colombia as a technical and administrative partner of the process, Colombia is positioning itself as a regional benchmark within this new phase of the program, reaffirming the commitment of its local governments to climate action led by youth.