Call for Expressions of Interest: One Million Opportunities in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

UNICEF is inviting institutions in Rio de Janeiro to implement the Um Milhão de Oportunidades (1Mio) program in Pavuna, supporting vulnerable adolescents and young people aged 14–24 through skills development, leadership training, youth-led collectives, and pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, and income generation. The initiative prioritizes young people facing social and economic exclusion, including Black, Indigenous, peripheral, rural, and disabled youth.

About the Um Milhão de Oportunidades Program

Um Milhão de Oportunidades (1Mio) is a UNICEF-led initiative designed to expand economic and social opportunities for adolescents and young people in Brazil.

The programme brings together:

• UNICEF and other UN agencies
• Government institutions
• Private-sector organisations
• Civil society organisations
• Youth organisations and collectives
• Other partners working on youth development

The initiative focuses on helping young people develop the skills and connections required to transition from education into employment, apprenticeships, internships, entrepreneurship, and income-generating activities.

The programme forms part of the global Generation Unlimited initiative.

What Is the Rio de Janeiro Call About?

This call focuses specifically on Pavuna, Rio de Janeiro, which has been identified as a pilot territory under the UNICEF City Agenda.

The area faces challenges affecting adolescents and young people, including:

• School dropout
• Age-grade distortion
• Youth unemployment
• Exposure to violence
• Social exclusion
• Limited access to productive opportunities

The selected institution will implement an integrated territorial strategy that connects young people with skills development, leadership opportunities, youth organisations, and pathways toward productive inclusion.

Why It Matters

Young people experiencing poverty, violence, discrimination, or social exclusion can face significant barriers when attempting to complete education and enter the labour market.

The 1Mio approach seeks to address these barriers through an integrated model rather than treating education, employment, social protection, and community participation separately.

The programme aims to help vulnerable youth:

• Develop professional and life skills.
• Strengthen leadership capabilities.
• Participate in youth-led organisations.
• Access employment and apprenticeship opportunities.
• Explore entrepreneurship and income generation.
• Build connections with institutions and employers.
• Increase participation in community decision-making.
• Overcome barriers created by violence and social exclusion.

Target Young People

The broader 1Mio programme focuses on adolescents and young people aged 14 to 24.

Particular attention is given to young people who experience greater social and economic vulnerability, including:

• Black youth
• Indigenous youth
• Youth from peripheral urban communities
• Youth from rural communities
• Young people with disabilities
• Young people affected by violence
• Young people experiencing social exclusion

The Pavuna intervention is intended to prioritise those facing the greatest barriers to education, skills development, participation, and productive inclusion.

Main Objectives of the Programme

The selected organisation will contribute to several interconnected objectives.

Youth Mobilisation

The organisation will develop a territorial mobilisation strategy to identify and engage vulnerable adolescents and young people.

The strategy should help young people understand and access available opportunities for skills development and socio-productive inclusion.

Youth Leadership Development

Participants will receive leadership training designed to strengthen their ability to participate actively in their communities.

Training will include initial and advanced leadership development.

Strengthening Youth Collectives

The programme will support up to 10 youth-led collectives in Pavuna.

These collectives can provide spaces for young people to organise, develop initiatives, build leadership skills, and participate in community action.

Productive Inclusion

A major focus is connecting young people with concrete opportunities related to:

• Skills training
• Internships
• Apprenticeships
• Employment
• Entrepreneurship
• Income generation

Key Activities

The selected institution is expected to undertake several interconnected activities.

Territorial Mobilisation

The organisation will identify and mobilise vulnerable adolescents and youth in Pavuna.

Mobilisation should focus particularly on young people who are most affected by violence, poverty, exclusion, and limited access to opportunities.

Youth Collective Support

Up to 10 youth-led collectives will receive support.

The support should strengthen their organisational capacity and ability to participate in local development and youth-focused initiatives.

Leadership Training

Participants will receive structured leadership training.

The programme includes:

• Initial leadership training
• Advanced leadership training
• Practical development opportunities
• Ongoing support
• Monitoring of participation and results

Access to Opportunities

The organisation will help connect participating young people with opportunities that can improve their education-to-work transition.

These may include skills development, employment, apprenticeships, internships, entrepreneurship, and income-generation opportunities.

How the Programme Works

The initiative follows an integrated pathway:

Mobilisation → Skills Development → Leadership → Youth Participation → Opportunity Connection → Productive Inclusion

This means the programme does not simply recruit young people for training.

Instead, it seeks to create a continuing pathway from community engagement and skills development toward concrete social and economic opportunities.

Who Is the Target Beneficiary?

The primary beneficiaries are adolescents and young people aged 14–24 in vulnerable situations in Pavuna, Rio de Janeiro.

The initiative particularly seeks to reach youth who face barriers related to:

• Poverty
• Social exclusion
• Violence
• Educational disruption
• Unemployment
• Disability
• Discrimination
• Limited access to professional opportunities

Who Can Apply?

This call is seeking institutions capable of developing and implementing the required territorial strategy in Pavuna.

Applicants should demonstrate the capacity to:

• Work directly with vulnerable adolescents and youth.
• Mobilise communities.
• Strengthen youth organisations and collectives.
• Deliver leadership development activities.
• Connect young people to skills and productive opportunities.
• Monitor participation and outcomes.
• Work across education, social assistance, employment, and community-development contexts.

Organisations should ensure that their institutional experience and operational capacity match the specific requirements established in the official UNICEF call documentation.

What Should a Strong Proposal Demonstrate?

A strong proposal should present a clear understanding of the Pavuna context and explain how the proposed approach will reach vulnerable youth.

Key elements should include:

• A clear territorial mobilisation strategy.
• Identification of priority youth groups.
• A practical approach to youth engagement.
• A plan for supporting up to 10 youth collectives.
• Leadership training methodology.
• Connections with employment and skills-development opportunities.
• Measures for inclusion and accessibility.
• Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
• A strategy for sustaining youth participation.
• Clear expected outcomes.

How to Apply

Institutions interested in participating should follow the application process specified in the official UNICEF procurement or partnership documentation.

A practical preparation process is:

1. Review the official call requirements.
   Confirm the applicant eligibility conditions, required documents, deadlines, and contractual requirements.
2. Assess your territorial experience.
   Demonstrate experience working with vulnerable youth and communities, particularly in Rio de Janeiro or comparable contexts.
3. Develop the mobilisation strategy.
   Explain how adolescents and young people in Pavuna will be identified, reached, engaged, and supported.
4. Design the leadership programme.
   Present the methodology for initial and advanced leadership training.
5. Plan youth collective support.
   Explain how up to 10 youth-led collectives will be identified and strengthened.
6. Build the productive-inclusion pathway.
   Show how participants will be connected to skills development, employment, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, internships, or income-generation opportunities.
7. Define monitoring indicators.
   Establish measurable indicators for participation, training, collective development, and access to opportunities.
8. Prepare the required application documents.
   Submit all institutional, technical, financial, and supporting documents requested by UNICEF.

Monitoring and Expected Results

Monitoring should track both participation and meaningful outcomes.

Potential areas for monitoring include:

• Number of young people mobilised.
• Number participating in skills activities.
• Number completing leadership training.
• Number of youth collectives supported.
• Participation of vulnerable and excluded groups.
• Number of young people connected to productive opportunities.
• Youth participation in community initiatives.
• Progress of youth-led collectives.
• Continued engagement after programme activities.

The emphasis should be on measurable improvements in young people’s access to skills, leadership opportunities, and productive inclusion.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Programme: Um Milhão de Oportunidades (1Mio)
• Lead organisation: UNICEF
• Location: Pavuna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Target age: 14–24 years
• Target group: Vulnerable adolescents and youth
• Priority groups: Black, Indigenous, peripheral, rural, and disabled youth, among others facing exclusion
• Main focus: Skills development, leadership, youth mobilisation, and productive inclusion
• Youth collectives: Up to 10 supported in Pavuna
• Leadership support: Initial and advanced training
• Opportunity pathways: Employment, apprenticeships, internships, entrepreneurship, and income generation
• Broader initiative: Generation Unlimited

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Um Milhão de Oportunidades programme?

Um Milhão de Oportunidades, or 1Mio, is a UNICEF-led initiative in Brazil that connects vulnerable adolescents and young people with skills development, leadership opportunities, employment, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, internships, and income-generation pathways.

What area of Rio de Janeiro does this call target?

The call targets Pavuna, which is being used as a pilot territory under UNICEF’s City Agenda.

Who are the main beneficiaries?

The programme targets adolescents and young people aged 14 to 24, particularly those experiencing social and economic vulnerability, violence, exclusion, educational disruption, or limited access to productive opportunities.

How many youth collectives will be supported?

The selected institution is expected to support up to 10 youth-led collectives in Pavuna.

What type of leadership training is included?

The programme includes initial and advanced leadership training, together with ongoing support and monitoring of youth participation and outcomes.

Does the programme only provide training?

No. Training is one part of the intervention. The broader objective is to connect young people to concrete productive-inclusion opportunities, including employment, apprenticeships, internships, entrepreneurship, and income generation.

What should applicant institutions demonstrate?

Applicant institutions should demonstrate relevant experience, local or territorial capacity, youth mobilisation expertise, leadership-development capabilities, and the ability to connect vulnerable young people with skills and productive opportunities.

Conclusion

The UNICEF Um Milhão de Oportunidades programme in Pavuna, Rio de Janeiro seeks to create stronger pathways from youth engagement and skills development to leadership and productive inclusion.

The selected institution will play a central role in mobilising vulnerable adolescents and young people, strengthening up to 10 youth-led collectives, delivering leadership development, and connecting participants with concrete opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, internships, and income generation. The programme’s integrated approach is designed to help young people overcome barriers linked to educational disruption, unemployment, violence, and social exclusion while strengthening their participation in community development.