Our Vision 

Imagine a world where all young European citizens are empowered with digital skills — including the knowledge and confidence to use AI responsibly — to shape their future.

Meet and Code is driven by this vision and believes that it can happen if we join forces, collaborate and work together. Now, in our 10^th edition, this vision is more relevant than ever.

We help non-profits organize grassroots coding events supporting communities of all sizes to make Europe more digital, starting at a local level. Thanks to our initiative, we strive for global change and work within the framework of EU Code Week and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Meet and Code is where young Europeans take their first steps as digital creators. They learn not only coding but also problem-solving, collaboration — and increasingly, how to navigate and use AI tools thoughtfully and responsibly.

Why are Digital Skills so Important?

According to “The Digital Skills Gap in Europe”, 9 out of 10 jobs will soon require digital skills. Every day, our ever-growing and changing digital world presents new challenges to business and societies. AI is transforming industries faster than ever before — making it essential that young people not only understand technology, but learn to use it ethically and critically. For this reason, it is important that tomorrow's workforce is prepared and ready to embrace the digital future.

How does Meet and Code Support Digital Skills Education?

Digital education has become the foundation upon which youth can build their future in modern society. And it is crucial to enable them to acquire basic digital skills — from coding and robotics to the responsible use of AI. Our mission is to support local non-profits to provide access to coding and digital skills for the next generation of young Europeans.

Meet and Code Grants

Over 10 years and more than 9,000 events, Meet and Code has been connecting children and young adults across Europe with the digital skills they need for tomorrow. In 2026, as we celebrate our 10^th edition, Meet and Code will continue to support non-profit organizations from 7 European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom) while providing free and equal access to coding and digital education — with a growing focus on responsible AI skills.

To receive a grant, the event must fulfil the following criteria:

• Each event must revolve around the theme of technology, AI or coding.
• The event must take place between 16th August and 31st October 2026.
• The target audiences are children and youth between 8 and 24 years old.
• Participation in the event must be free of charge.
• Each event must cater to a minimum of 20 children and young people. The events should ideally be focused and include children and youth with underserved and underrepresented (UU) backgrounds*. 
• The event must be designed to last a minimum duration of 240 minutes. This timeframe can be achieved in one continuous session or divided into multiple sessions. However, if the event is split into several sessions, the same group of participants must attend all of them - different groups for each session are not allowed. In other words, each participant must be engaged in a total of 240 minutes of learning. 
• To apply for a grant, charitable organizations must submit their ideas via the Meet and Code website.
• The events must be initiated, managed and run by the submitting non-profit organization itself. The submitting non-profit organization is responsible and liable for everything that occurs during the planning, organization, running and follow-up of the project.
• Events can be held virtually, partly virtual or on-site. 

*Underserved and underrepresented groups mean, among others things, people with migration and refugee background, from low income households/disadvantaged economic backgrounds, from socially deprived neighbourhoods, with no access to own IT device, ethnic minorities, and children and youth with disabilities.  

Funding must only be used for the submitted project and charitable purposes, such as: 

• Trainer/s for the workshop
• A license for online teaching tools or costs of premises
• Learning materials for participants; including curation and shipping, e.g. work books or hardware
• Communication to reach potential participants, e.g. flyers, posters, and/or online marketing
• Professional external support to enable an online event, e.g. technical support
• Rent for space needed because of e.g. technical infrastructure

All criteria and restriction are described in the Participation conditions.

Key dates for the 10^th edition:

• 20^th May – 15^th July 2026 — Call for projects (submit your event idea!)
• 16^th August – 31^st October 2026 — Implementation of events
• 1^st – 15^th November 2026 — Evaluation and reporting

Meet and Code Inspiration Library

Go ahead, now is the time to plan your own innovative project! If you need a little inspiration, please visit our Meet and Code Inspiration Library and learn from best-practice examples and other interesting resources, all available for free.

In the Meet and Code Inspiration Library, you can find useful resources, presentations, tool kits and links in your local language (and in English), for the different stages of learning - from beginner to advanced.

Go to the Inspiration Library.