About Us
The POA Youth Awards celebrate and empower exceptional young individuals, visionaries, and changemakers across communities.
By bringing together youth excellence, leadership, and social impact, the platform aims to highlight young leaders, provide recognition, and create pathways for future development.
Eligibility & Participation Rules
To maintain fairness and maintain high standards across all award categories, all nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Age Limit: Nominees must be between 18 and 35 years old at the time of nomination.
- Nationality / Impact: Must be a Ugandan citizen or a youth-led initiative operating within Uganda.
- All work, metrics, and achievements submitted must be genuine, original, and verifiable.
Type of Nominations:
- Self-Nomination: Individuals or young founders nominating themselves or their own projects.
- Third-Party Nomination: Nominations submitted by mentors, peers, community leaders, or partner organizations.
Award Categories
Nominations are open across 40 award categories
- Youth Leadership & Community Empowerment: Young leaders spearheading grassroots change, civic engagement, and social advocacy.
- Innovation, Tech & Entrepreneurship: Young founders and tech builders creating scalable ventures and digital solutions to local challenges.
- Arts, Culture & Creative Industry: Visual artists, performing artists, designers, and cultural preservers enriching Uganda’s creative landscape.
- Environmental Sustainability & Climate Action: Individuals leading eco-friendly projects, conservation efforts, and green energy initiatives.
- Academic & Professional Excellence: Young scholars, researchers, and young professionals breaking barriers in their respective industries.
- Institutional Youth Supporter Award: Organizations, educational institutions, or hubs demonstrating exceptional support for youth development.
Nomination Process & Steps
Submitting a nomination on poayouthawards.com is completed in 4 simple steps:
- Category Selection: Choose one primary category that best reflects the nominee’s strongest achievements.
- Personal Profile: Enter full contact details, age verification, location/district, and background information.
- Impact Description: Provide a short summary detailing problem solved, target audience, and measurable outcomes.
- Media & Document Submission: Upload high-resolution photos, supporting PDFs (press, certificates, references), or links to online portfolios/videos.
Submission File Specifications
| Asset | Format | Size Limit | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominee Headshot |
PNG |
Max 10 MB |
High-resolution, professional portrait/photo |
|
Portfolio Document |
PDF |
Max 8MB |
Press links, awards, project brief, or metrics |
|
Project Video (Optional) |
MP4 or Video Link |
Max 80 MB / Link |
1–3 minute video highlighting project impact |
Judging & Selection Criteria
All submitted entries undergo a two-phase review process: Technical Screening followed by Judges’ Evaluation.
Entries are scored based on four core criteria:
- Impact & Reach (30%): Tangible results achieved within the community or industry.
- Innovation & Originality (25%): Creative problem-solving and unique approach.
- Leadership & Character (25%): Integrity, resilience, and ability to inspire peers.
- Sustainability & Future Potential (20%): Long-term vision and potential to scale.
Key Dates & Important Notice
Submission Channel: Submissions are accepted exclusively through the official website poayouthawards.com. Submissions sent via email or direct messages will not be considered.
Deadline Strictness: Once the submission portal closes, entries cannot be modified or updated.
Verification: The POAYA organizing committee reserves the right to request original proof or conduct background verification on shortlisted candidates.
Notification: Shortlisted nominees will be contacted directly via official phone call and email info@poayouthawards.com