Creating Youth Civic Leadership for Engaged Democracy and Equitable MObility

forthcoming

BYCS is an Amsterdam-based NGO that empowers civil society through cycling as a vehicle for community transformation, social equity, and democratic participation. With a network of 85 partner member organisations representing 17 EU member states, BYCS promotes the development of cycling cultures by supporting grassroots leaders and community-based initiatives. Its work focuses on strengthening what it defines as the human infrastructure of cycling—awareness, access, skills, and stimulation—complementing physical infrastructure to foster inclusive and lasting behaviour change. BYCS applies for operational funding under the ERASMUS+ Civil Society Cooperation framework to expand its core activities in support of EU youth and civic engagement objectives. These activities include applied research, engagement programmes, technical assistance, communications, and a global network coordination of changemakers like the Bicycle Mayor and Bicycle Heroes initiatives. Through these programmes, BYCS prioritises youth participation, particularly among marginalised groups, to advance democratic innovation, active mobility, and environmental justice. The organisation directly contributes to EU policy priorities by promoting inclusion, sustainability, digital transformation, and democratic life. It implements structured interventions that increase the diversity and reach of cycling advocacy while enabling young people to lead community change efforts. BYCS also supports public authorities and civil society actors in building the capacity to include youth perspectives in policy and planning. Through a two-year multi-annual plan, BYCS aims to scale its work, professionalise its internal systems, and strengthen cross-European youth civic leadership. The operational grant will ensure continuity and growth of its high-impact, replicable programming, further embedding BYCS’s work in EU youth strategies and civil society development.