Terms of Reference (TOR)
Call for Applications: Youth Sounding Board (YSB) Nepal
Background
The Youth Sounding Board (YSB) is a consultative space for Nepali youth to have an influence on the European Union’s actions in Nepal, through which Nepali youth contribute to shaping the European Union's development cooperation in Nepal. The YSB ensures that EU-supported policies and programmes are more participatory, relevant, and effective for young people, and that youth perspectives directly inform the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of EU actions in the country.
The YSB was launched globally in 2022, the European Year of Youth, and that same year the EU Delegation to Nepal established the first Youth Sounding Board for Nepal. Each cohort builds on the foundation laid by previous members, expanding the platform's reach and deepening its impact across Nepal's seven provinces.
This Terms of Reference (ToR) sets out the purpose, eligibility, responsibilities, and conditions of engagement for the recruitment of the 5th cohort, which will be onboarded from January 2027.
Objective of the Call
This call invites applications from eligible Nepali youth to join the 5th cohort of the Youth Sounding Board. The objective is to constitute a diverse, representative, and committed group of young people who will serve as a consultative and advisory body to the EU Delegation to Nepal for the duration of their tenure.
Strategic Priority Areas of Engagement
Throughout their tenure, YSB members will work across the following strategic priority areas:
Programmatic Engagement: Strengthening youth voice and perspective in the formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of EU-Nepal policies and programmes.
Event Engagement: Participating in events, consultations, field visits, and other activities linked to EU-funded projects in Nepal, gaining first-hand exposure to project implementation and contributing youth perspectives on the ground.
Networking: Building connections with team members from the European Union and its Mission to Nepal, and with other national and international organisations working with youth.
Communication and Advocacy: Working as a platform that amplifies the voices and concerns of young people across Nepal.
Action at Home: Designing and implementing community-level projects, supported by resources and grant funding, that protect and promote human rights and align with EU priority areas.
Mentorship: Receiving one-on-one guidance from an experienced mentor to support each member's personal, professional, and leadership development, including support in shaping their Action at Home initiative.
Capacity Building: Taking part in training, orientation sessions, and workshops that strengthen members' skills
Duration and Nature of Engagement
Members will serve an unpaid mandate of 15 months, beginning with onboarding in January 2027.
Engagement will not be full-time; however, members are expected to consistently participate in scheduled consultations, orientation sessions, project visits, and events for the full duration of the mandate.
The role is voluntary and is undertaken in the public interest of representing Nepali youth; it does not constitute paid employment or a contractual service engagement.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be Nepali citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 at the time of application.
Applicants must be able to commit to active engagement for the full 15-month mandate.
Applicants should have a working proficiency in English, as it is the main language of meetings, written materials, and communication within the YSB.
The YSB aims to be diverse and inclusive of a range of opinions and experiences across age groups, areas of interest and expertise, gender, socio-economic backgrounds, and geographic regions.
Applications from youth with disabilities or special needs, youth facing vulnerabilities, members of minority or marginalised communities are strongly encouraged
Applicants should demonstrate a genuine interest in youth issues, civic participation, and development cooperation, regardless of prior formal experience.
Exclusivity of Engagement
Given the level of participation and commitment the YSB mandate requires, selected members may not concurrently hold active membership or a formal engagement role in any other youth network, platform, or consultative body for the duration of their YSB tenure.
This condition exists because meaningful contribution to the YSB, including consistent attendance at consultations, timely delivery of Action at Home initiatives, and sustained representation of youth voices, requires undivided focus. Members already balance the YSB mandate alongside their ongoing studies or professional work; holding parallel commitments to other youth networks risks diluting that focus and may compromise the quality and consistency of engagement expected from a YSB member.
This restriction applies specifically to formal, ongoing engagement with other youth networks or platforms (e.g., another consultative board, fellowship, or coordinating body with regular obligations). It does not preclude continuing one's studies, employment, or occasional, non-recurring volunteer activities, provided these do not conflict with YSB responsibilities.
Applicants currently engaged with another youth network are required to disclose this at the time of application..
Roles and Responsibilities of YSB Members
Participate actively in periodic consultations, orientation sessions, and review meetings organised by the EU Delegation to Nepal and its coordinating partner.
Contribute youth perspectives to the design, monitoring, and evaluation of EU-supported programmes in Nepal.
Represent the views and concerns of young people from their communities and broader networks in a fair, balanced, and constructive manner.
Design and implement, where selected, a community-driven Action at Home initiative within the scope of available grant support.
Ensure all engagement with fellow cohort members, consortium partners, external stakeholders and the EU team is respectful and constructive.
Maintain regular communication with the YSB coordination team and submit any required updates, reports, or documentation related to assigned activities in a timely manner.
Uphold the values of inclusion, non-discrimination, and integrity expected of a YSB member at all times.
Benefits of Participation
Direct engagement with the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal and exposure to its priority sectors, including and not limited to education, green growth, climate change, and civil society.
Opportunities to travel across Nepal with EU officials to observe and engage with project implementation on the ground.
Networking opportunities with other European diplomatic missions, UN agencies, international and national NGOs, youth network and civil society organisations.
Access to resources and grant support to design and implement a community-level Action at Home project.
Structured opportunities for personal and professional growth as an emerging youth leader in Nepal's development sector.
Application Process
Applications will be invited through an open call published on the Youth Sounding Board Nepal Social Media Page.
Interested applicants must complete the official online application form within the specified deadline.
As part of the application, applicants must submit a video of up to 1 minute explaining why they want to join YSB and what they can contribute.
Applications will be screened against the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 5.
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed prior to final selection.
Selected applicants will be notified directly and will be required to confirm acceptance of these Terms of Reference, including the exclusivity condition outlined in Section 6, prior to onboarding.
Indicative Timeline
Call for applications opens: 28th October 2026
Application deadline: 28th November 2026
Shortlisting and interviews: 30th November 2026 – 15th December 2026
Final selection announced: 21st December 2026
Cohort onboarding and orientation: January, 2027
Coordination and Reporting Line
The recruitment and ongoing coordination of the YSB cohort is managed on behalf of the EU Delegation to Nepal by the designated YSB coordination team. Members will report and communicate through the designated coordination team for all matters related to their engagement, including scheduling, documentation, and the Action at Home process.
Other Terms
This is an unpaid, voluntary mandate; it does not constitute employment or create an employer-employee relationship between the member and the EU Delegation to Nepal, its consortium partners, or the YSB coordination team.
Selected members are expected to uphold confidentiality regarding any sensitive information shared during consultations or project visits, where applicable.
The EU Delegation to Nepal and the YSB coordination team reserve the right to amend these Terms of Reference, including the eligibility criteria, timeline, or benefits, as needed.
Failure to meet the commitments outlined in this ToR, including the exclusivity condition in Section 6, may result in review of continued membership on the Board.
Disclaimer: The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the positions and opinions of the European Union or the European Union Delegation to Nepal.