The Riyadh-based Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) has invited nominations for the AGFUND International Prize for pioneering human development projects under the theme “Alleviation of unemployment among youth.”

Secretary-General of the award Abdullatif Al-Dwaihi said AGFUND would like to invite international and regional organizations under the UN umbrella, ministries and public institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), universities and research centers around the world to submit their nominations for this year’s prize.

Al-Dwaihi said this year’s theme aims to identify innovative projects in the field of youth empowerment through income generation and improvement in the living standards of their communities. The deadline for receiving nominations is May 31, 2015.

He said that the winners will receive a total cash prize of $500,000 divided among four categories; $200,000 is allocated for the category on “innovative projects in support of the developing countries.” It is exclusive to projects implemented by the UN, international or regional organizations.

The second category amounts to $150,000 and is intended for innovative projects undertaken by local NGOs that deal with unemployment alleviation among the youth.

The third category includes a cash prize of $100,000 for the governments’ role in implementing programs and policies for empowering the youth through creative projects.

This category is for ministries and public institutions only.

The fourth and last category with a cash prize $50,000 is for individual-led initiatives for local community development.

Al-Dwaihi noted that Interested participants could obtain nomination form and further information from the AGFUND website at http://agfund.org. The award committee includes a number of prominent international figures around the world, and winners will receive their awards at a gala annual ceremony attended by international organizations, development experts, diplomats and media representatives.