AXA launches the Claude Bébéar Grand Prize to support and amplify the social impact of associations working with young people

Daring to repair society, opening doors, creating concrete impact

The Claude Bébéar Grand Prize reflects this vision. It will support projects that give young people the means to become active participants in shaping their own future and society, and to meet the major challenges of tomorrow.

Selected initiatives will fall within one of the following three areas:

· Employment inclusion, helping young people access employment and autonomy, reveal their talents and open new opportunities for the future;

· Civic engagement, helping to develop informed citizens who can participate in democratic life, think critically and resist misinformation;

· Equal opportunities, promoting access for all young people to educational, cultural and social opportunities, reducing inequalities and strengthening social cohesion.

Two awards to scale solutions that transform lives sustainably

The Claude Bébéar Grand Prize will distinguish two categories of projects, corresponding to different stages of development:

· Audacity Award: intended for associations in a development phase, whose initial results are strong and need to be consolidated. The winner will receive a grant of €100,000 over two years, or €50,000 per year, as well as dedicated support.

· Conquest Award: intended for associations whose impact is already significant and which are ready to scale up. The winner will receive a grant of €200,000 over two years, or €100,000 per year, as well as dedicated support.

In total, six projects are in the running, with three in each category.

The public invited to choose the winners

From 12 October to 8 November 2026, the public will be invited to vote on Claude Bébéar Grand Prize – First Edition to support the finalist projects and help select the two winners.

The winners of the Claude Bébéar Grand Prize will be announced at an event on 3 December 2026.

Through this Prize, the AXA Foundation for Human Progress aims to support those taking concrete action to give young people the means to build their future, find their place in society and engage in service of the collective good.

A tribute to Claude Bébéar’s vision

A pioneer of corporate philanthropy, Claude Bébéar created the Institut du Mécénat Humanitaire in 1986, which later became Les entreprises pour la Cité. He was a pioneer in promoting corporate and employee civic engagement, fighting inequalities and advancing equal opportunities.

He initiated groundbreaking initiatives such as the Diversity Charter, anonymous CVs, and AXA Atout Cœur in 1990, to encourage AXA employees around the world to engage in solidarity initiatives.

This entrepreneurial vision in the service of solidarity was carried forward by his successors, Henri de Castries and now Thomas Buberl. It remains the guiding compass for the AXA Group and its teams.