Morocco Youth Award

A project dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of young people, giving them the opportunity to showcase their creativity, accompany their ambitions, and support their projects across various fields. The award was launched for the first time in 2024 under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

Objectives:

• Strengthen social cohesion and foster a sense of belonging.
• Support youth initiatives and enhance their capacity for creativity and innovation.
• Acknowledge the essential role of youth in societal development.
• Create programs and platforms for communication between youth and the state.

Duration of the Initiative:

• An annual award.

Positive Impact:

• Provide mechanisms and opportunities to empower youth, enabling them to achieve their potential and actively participate in political, social, and economic life for development purposes.
• Develop an electronic platform allowing interested youth to submit their projects digitally, ensuring transparency and ease of service.
• Establish a committee to evaluate nominated projects, determine winners, and rank them in each category based on merit, in accordance with Article 10 of Decree 2.23.361. The specific criteria are detailed in the internal regulations discussed below.
• Financial prizes for the winners were set as follows, per Article 4 of the decree:
  • 200,000 MAD for first place.
  • 100,000 MAD for second place.
  • 50,000 MAD for third place.
• The number of applications submitted in each category was as follows :

Preparation Phase:

• Issued Decree No. 2.23.361 on October 18, 2023, creating the Morocco Youth Award (Official Gazette No. 7244 dated November 2, 2023).
• Developed a dedicated electronic platform for the award.
• Defined the award’s fields:
  • Scientific Research
  • Technological Innovation
  • Artistic and Cultural Creativity
  • Volunteering
  • Entrepreneurship
• Established candidate eligibility criteria, including:
  • Applicants cannot submit entries in more than one category.
  • Applicants who have won the award in the previous four years are not eligible.
  • Members of the judging panel are not eligible to apply.
  • Submitted work must not have won other national or international awards.
• Appointed expert Moroccan professionals and specialists to the judging committees as per Ministerial Decision No. 783.24 of March 27, 2024.
• Set the application period from August 15 to September 30, 2024.
• Prepared a media plan utilizing television, radio, and social media platforms. 
• Formed a dedicated project team.
• Outlined the submission process and required documents.

Implementation Phase:

• Implemented the defined criteria on the electronic platform, enabling any Moroccan youth aged 18 to 35 to submit applications without restrictions. Applicants receive confirmation via email and a summary of their submission upon completion.
• Selected projects based on the decree’s objective criteria and Ministerial Decision No. 782.24, submitting the shortlisted entries to the judging committees.
• Judging committees evaluated submissions electronically, assigning scores and comments. The ranking was finalized digitally.

Post-Initiative Phase:

• Organized an awards ceremony to honor winners in each category of the 2024 Morocco Youth Award.
• Hosted a dedicated forum featuring:
  • An exhibition for young participants to showcase their projects.
  • Thematic discussions with judging panel members and award winners.
  • Panels on youth-focused topics, including “Youth in Service of the Moroccan Dream” and “Innovative Initiatives for Moroccan Youth.”
  • Musical performances.
• Initiated a follow-up process to monitor the progress of the winners’ projects and assess any offers to support or adopt them, facilitated by a call center contracted by the ministry.

The award introduced a new spirit, moving away from traditional approaches by focusing on three key phases:

1. Preparatory Phase: Legislative groundwork, technical preparations, and media planning.
2. Competition Phase: Hosting exhibitions, awarding winners, and fostering discussion.

Follow-up Phase: Ensuring post-award project sustainability and impact.