Here's what you need to know about the Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund

What is The Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund?

Coca‑Cola Ireland and its bottling partner Coca‑Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland have launched the Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund (“The Fund”), making €100,000* in grants available for projects to help young people develop the confidence, capabilities and practical life skills needed to successfully navigate education, training and employment pathways.

Now celebrating its 16th year, the Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund was set up in 2011 to mark the 125th anniversary of the company.

Over the years, the Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund has supported programmes including education and employability, community inclusion, and environmental leadership projects aimed at young people aged between 16–25-years-old. This year, the Fund will surpass €2 million donated, supporting nearly 200 non profit and community organisations across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund will once again be managed by official partner to the Fund, the Irish Youth Foundation in the Republic of Ireland, and with supporting partner Youth Action NI in Northern Ireland. Both organisations will play a pivotal role in helping to oversee the due diligence and credibility of the Fund and ensure that awareness of the funding being made available reaches the target sectors in communities throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland.

What is this year’s theme?

In 2026, the Fund will focus on one overall theme: Inclusion & Wellbeing for Future Work Readiness. Under this theme, the Fund is seeking applications from community-based projects and programmes across Ireland and Northern Ireland that are focused on empowering young people aged 16–25, particularly those experiencing disadvantage, to build the skills, confidence and resilience needed to succeed in education, training and employment.  

How will the Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund be allocated in 2026?

Awards of between €5,000 / £4,300 - €15,000 / £13,000 (sterling figures based on conversion rates at the time) will be available to registered not-for-profit and charitable youth-focused organisations working with young people across Ireland and Northern Ireland to drive positive change in their local communities, supporting inclusion, wellbeing and future work readiness.

Organisations applying for funding will be asked to submit a detailed budget breakdown of expenditure for the total funds being requested.

The final allocation of awards will be determined after all applications have been reviewed.

How can projects apply for the funding?

All applications should be made online via the Irish Youth Foundation grants platform, which will be linked from the Coca‑Cola Ireland website. 

The application forms will be live online from TBC

How are the winning organisations selected?

All applications will be accepted online through our website which links to an application form hosted on the Irish Youth Foundation’s grants platform. Please read our Terms and Conditions to check if your organisation and project is eligible for the Fund. We also have top tips for completing the online application form.

Organisations applying for funding will have to show how their proposed project will deliver impact in one or more of the following areas:

Employability and Skills Development
The Fund will support programmes that develop young people’s employability through a combination of technical training and essential soft skills, including communication, resilience and teamwork.

Education Access, Retention and Progression
Projects that support school completion and progression into further or higher education for young people at risk of disengagement.

Wellbeing and Personal Development
Programmes that enhance young people’s wellbeing, confidence and resilience, enabling them to navigate challenges and remain engaged in positive pathways.

The Irish Youth Foundation will assess all applications received using a scoring sheet to determine their suitability against the fund criteria.

A longlist of applications that meet all the criteria listed in the Terms and Conditions will be prepared by the Irish Youth Foundation and presented to Coca‑Cola’s selection panel for review, evaluation and final decision.

Who will make up the judging panel?

Following the judging process, successful 2026 Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund recipients will be awarded funding in amounts determined by the Coca‑Cola Thank You Fund panel, which will include representatives from Coca‑Cola Ireland, Coca‑Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Irish Youth Foundation and YouthAction Northern Ireland.

Grants of €5,000 / £4,300 - €15,000 / £13,000 will be awarded, with successful organisations notified directly and published on our website: www.coca-cola.ie/thankyou

*£86,600 based on exchange rate at the time