INSPIRE SERIES_ ATTEND THE CONCORDIA ANNUAL SUMMIT 2026

To be eligible to apply for this opportunity, applicants must meet all of the below criteria:

• Be aged 18–25 at the time of travel (September 2026).
• Have participated in one of the following Diana Award programmes since 2022:‍
  
  • Anti-Bullying Ambassador Programme
  • Anti-Bullying Youth Board
  • Diana Award Recipient
  • Legacy Award Recipient
  • Mentoring Programme*
  • Young Advisors
  • Young Changemakers‍

‍*Please note that you will not be eligible for this opportunity if you are applying as a Volunteer Mentor, or as an Online Careers Fair attendee only.

Applicants will be asked to provide further details of their participation in the above programmes as part of the application process.

• Identify as having currently or previously experienced socio-economic disadvantage, meaning they have faced social or economic barriers that limited access to opportunities (for example related to income, education, employment, housing). This will be explored sensitively through the application form. Please see FAQs for more information and a detailed breakdown.‍
• Hold a valid passport, or be willing and able to obtain a valid passport prior to travel to New York. Candidates must also be willing to engage with the visa process if required. If the costs associated with obtaining a passport and/or travel documents would be a barrier to your participation, please detail this in your application and support may be available where this would otherwise prevent someone from taking part.
• Be able and eligible to travel internationally and not be subject to known restrictions that would prevent entry to the United States. U.S. entry requirements and visa restrictions may change. Applicants are encouraged to review the latest information on the U.S. Department of State website.
• Be fully available to:
  
  • Travel to and attend the event in New York from 20–23 September, with the possibility to travel to/from New York one day either side of these dates if needed due to flight times. You must also be available and willing to participate in a full schedule of events throughout these dates.
  • Be willing to engage in pre-event briefings and post-event reflection or evaluation activities as part of the programme.
  • Participate in Learning Lab x Conversations for Change: A joint event by Libra Philanthropies and The Diana Award. This will be an in-person session in New York as part of the schedule of events. You will also be expected to participate in two additional ‘Conversations for Change’ online sessions during Autumn (exact dates to be confirmed).  You may also have the opportunity to take a lead in the planning and/or delivery of one of these sessions (subject to availability). You can find more information on what these sessions may entail in our FAQ document.
• Be comfortable communicating at a good standard of spoken and written English, as the application process and programme will be delivered in English. Applications must be submitted in English.
• Be able to respond promptly and reliably to communications in the lead-up to the event, particularly where timely responses are required to support travel, accommodation, and programme arrangements.
• Be willing to adhere to The Diana Award’s safeguarding, code of conduct, and travel policies, including behavioural expectations while representing the organisation internationally.
• Be willing to adhere to the Libra Philanthropies Code of Conduct and policies for participation in this Rising Global Leaders opportunity.
• Be willing to take part in programme-related communications activity, including photography, filming, or media engagement, with appropriate consent.

Please note: We are committed to making this opportunity as accessible as possible. If you have questions about eligibility or access requirements, please contact us before applying.

Where applications are of equal strength, priority may be given to applicants who:

• Have had limited access to international opportunities, such as travel, global events, or spaces where international decision-making takes place.
• ‍Are under-represented in global policy or philanthropy spaces, meaning young people whose backgrounds, experiences or communities are less often included in international discussions, decision-making spaces, or funding conversations. This may include (but is not limited to) young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, communities with limited access to global networks or opportunities, or those who have not previously had access to spaces where policy or funding decisions are discussed.
• ‍Can demonstrate how this opportunity would be transformational for them, for example by showing how attending Concordia would support their personal development, leadership journey, or ability to create positive change in their communities.

Concordia is an independent nonprofit, non-partisan organization, part of Libra Phlanthropies' ecosystem, dedicated to fostering, elevating, and sustaining cross-sector public-private partnerships for social impact. Since its inception, Concordia has established a global community — including heads of state, leaders of industry, policy experts, and thought leaders and visionaries — committed to inclusive dialogue and meaningful action.

Held each September in New York City parallel to the United Nations General Assembly, the Concordia Annual Summit is the preeminent global platform for cross-sector dialogue and action. As the largest public and private sector gathering of its kind, the summit brings together heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, NGO leaders, and global influencers to drive forward impactful partnerships and real-world solutions through curated programming.

This programme will support five exceptional young people to attend the Concordia Annual Summit in New York 20th – 23rd September 2026. The initiative aims to elevate youth voices in global conversations and provide young leaders with access to international networks, ideas, and partnerships that can accelerate and inspire their social impact work and future aspirations.

This year’s Summit themes focus on strengthening democratic institutions, advancing economic opportunity, addressing geopolitical and security challenges, driving sustainable development and climate action, and exploring the responsible use of technology and AI. You can read more about the Concordia Annual Summit for 2026 here - https://concordia.net/event/2026-concordia-annual-summit/

Libra Philanthropies, established in 2023 by the Logothetis family as an independent 501(c)(3) foundation, is dedicated to perpetuating and scaling the legacy of social responsibility initiatives carried out by our sister organization, Libra Group, over the past decade. Libra Philanthropies redefines philanthropy by fostering international partnerships, creating innovative programs, and supporting changemakers, to tackle unresolved social needs across the world. Addressing many of the world's most complex and urgent challenges, our programming has worked with 400 organizations and has impacted more than 26 million people across 183 countries, transforming the trajectory of future generations.

This programme is delivered in partnership with The Diana Award, reflecting a shared commitment to championing young people as leaders, amplifying youth voice in global conversations, and enabling access to platforms where young people can influence positive and sustainable social development. The Diana Award is pleased to offer this opportunity exclusively to past programme participants, continuing its commitment to empowering them as innovators and changemakers as they develop their confidence, expand their networks, and grow their impact on a global stage.

• Provide young leaders with exposure to global decision-making spaces
• Support youth-led solutions to global challenges
• Build leadership capacity and international networks
• Enable participants to bring learning and partnerships back to their communities
• Ensure diverse youth perspectives and experiences are represented in global conversations

Applicants must meet all the eligibility criteria outlined to apply for this opportunity.

We consider socio-economic background as part of the selection process to help ensure that this opportunity is accessible to young people who may not otherwise have access to international leadership spaces. Our aim is to reduce barriers to participation, recognise resilience and achievement in the context of individual circumstances, and support a diverse group of young leaders whose experiences and perspectives reflect the communities they represent.

We recognise that socio-economic disadvantage can take many forms and cannot be captured by a single definition. While we are unable to provide an exhaustive list, we consider a range of indicators that reflect structural, financial, educational, and social barriers experienced by young people in different contexts.

In the UK, this may include (but is not limited to):

• Eligibility for or receipt of Free School Meals (FSM)
• Being looked after, previously looked after, or currently in care
• Being a young carer (responsible for caring for a family member)
• Being a parent under the age of 18
• Having faced or currently facing barriers to accessing education, including being at risk of, or having experienced, exclusion
• Having faced or currently facing barriers to employment or economic opportunity
• Being the first in your family to attend university or further education
• Living in areas identified as experiencing high levels of deprivation (e.g. based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation)
• Experience of housing insecurity or temporary accommodation
• Living in a low-income household or experiencing financial hardship

Globally, this may include (but is not limited to):

• Limited access to quality education or educational resources
• Living in low-income or marginalised communities
• Barriers to employment or economic opportunity
• Living in rural or underserved areas with limited infrastructure
• Being looked after, previously looked after, or currently in care
• Being a young carer (responsible for caring for a family member)
• Being a parent under the age of 18
• Experience of housing insecurity or temporary accommodation
• Limited access to healthcare, digital connectivity, or other essential services
• Being the first in your family to attend university or further education
• Structural discrimination or systemic barriers affecting economic opportunity

We understand that disadvantage is often intersectional and context specific. So far as they feel comfortable to do so, applicants are encouraged to share relevant personal circumstances in their application so that we can take a sensitive and equitable approach to assessment.

‍

Yes — this opportunity is open exclusively to those who have participated in one of the following Diana Award Programmes since 2022:

• Anti-Bullying Ambassador Programme
• Anti-Bullying Youth Board
• Diana Award Recipient
• Legacy Award Recipient
• Mentoring Programme*
• Young Advisors
• Young Changemakers

‍*Please note that you will not be eligible for this opportunity if you are applying as a Volunteer Mentor, or as an Online Careers Fair attendee only.

Yes. The programme welcomes applications from eligible young people internationally, subject to visa requirements and travel eligibility.

Applicants will be assessed based on:

• Demonstrated leadership and initiative
• Evidence of social impact
• Alignment with programme values
• Potential to benefit from and contribute to the Summit
• Commitment to sharing learning after participation

• Attend Summit sessions and panels
• Participate in networking and partnership opportunities
• Engage with global leaders and organisations
• Contribute youth perspectives to discussions where appropriate
• Participate in Learning Lab x Conversations for Change: A joint event by Libra Philanthropies and The Diana Award, an in-person session at the Concordia Summit.
• Represent the programme and partner organisations

Yes. Participants are expected to:

• Share learning through reports, presentations, or community engagement
• Act as ambassadors for youth leadership and social impact
• Participate in post-Summit reflection or communications activities
• Participate in two additional ‘Conversations for Change’ sessions online in Autumn (exact dates TBC).

Yes. Participants must be available for the entire Summit period and any associated programme activities. As this is a fully funded opportunity to attend the Summit, attendance for all three days is expected and required.

Participants typically arrive Sunday the 20th and depart on Wednesday 23rd in the evening or afternoon. Participants will have the opportunity to curate their own schedules across the three days aligned with their interests and professional goals, as multiple sessions take place concurrently.

During the week, Libra Philanthropies typically arranges small-group meetings with key leaders within the Libra Philanthropies ecosystem (subject to availability), providing participants the opportunity to learn directly from their leadership journeys and engage in thoughtful Q&A.

In addition, Libra Philanthropies and The Diana Award are excited to host a joint Learning Lab X Conversations for Change session in-person alongside the Summit’s activities. This session will centre on democracy and civic engagement and is an interactive, solutions-oriented dialogues that convenes students, partners and practitioners to explore and address pressing global and societal challenges. A select number of participants across both organisations will serve as panellists, offering a platform to meaningfully highlight youth perspectives.

Beyond session attendance, the Summit is a great networking opportunity – young people are seated alongside world leaders, policymakers, business executives, innovators, and fellow young leaders from across the globe.

The programme is expected to cover:

• Summit access
• Flights and accommodation, including travel to and from airports
• Meal stipends

The programme doesn’t cover the cost of:

• Travel insurance
• Passport and Visa costs  

If this would be a barrier to participation, we would encourage anyone interested to apply and outline this in your application, as we can review this on a case-by-case basis.  

The programme doesn’t cover the cost of any additional personal activities participants might wish to do whilst in New York before or after the Summit.  

Participants are responsible for securing and paying for any required travel visas, although guidance may be provided where possible. It is the responsibility of each participant to understand their individual visa and travel requirements.

Yes. Appropriate safeguarding and duty-of-care measures will be implemented in line with organisational policies. All successful participants will be expected to review our Safeguarding policy and code of conduct to confirm their place.

Yes, extensions may be permitted at the participant’s own cost and responsibility.  However, this must not interfere with programme commitments.

For any queries not covered in these FAQs please contact us via [email protected] with ‘Concordia Summit’ in the email subject.