Winners Announced for 'Youth Participation Budget – 2026' Project in Almaty

The online voting phase of the 'Youth Participation Budget – 2026' project has concluded in Almaty. More than 10,000 votes determined the leading projects submitted by young city residents in education, ecology, technology, social support, healthcare, and urban environment sectors.

The primary goal of the project is to engage youth in the decision-making process for the development of Almaty. Between July 6 and August 2, a total of 203 project proposals were submitted by young residents on the portal jasalmaty.kz. After review and expert evaluation, 122 projects—equivalent to 60.1% of all submissions—were approved for online voting, which ran from August 11 to 18. During these eight days, city residents could explore the proposed initiatives and support the most compelling ideas.

Topping the vote was INCLUSION LAB, a center for inclusive education practices proposed by Bақытжамал Шадиева. The second place was secured by Әсет Мадияр's 'Ana Akademiyası', and third by Jasyl Qala: the first educational city-farm and healthy eating lab by Мереке Іңірбаев.

Other prominent projects included KITAP HUB AI, aimed at fostering a reading culture using digital technologies and artificial intelligence, the BabyCare child development and rehabilitation center, ‘Idea’ projects, the engineering and development hub QUM TRACK, the application SÄT APP, and the media projects ‘Kәsіpkеr’ and ‘Senіm’.

Hence, among the most supported initiatives were projects ranging from inclusive education and family support to science, financial literacy, legal culture, and youth entrepreneurship development.

"The project fundamentally differs in that young people not only receive city programs but also become the authors of specific solutions for Almaty. They identify problems, propose solutions, develop projects, and get the opportunity to implement them with city support," stated project leader Samarkhan Abdugaliev.

Funding for each project can range from 500,000 to 5 million tenge. This year, 18 to 20 youth projects are planned for implementation, with a future goal to increase the number of supported initiatives to 50 per year.

'The Youth Participation Budget' becomes a practical tool enabling youth to take their ideas from concept to fruition and actively participate in Almaty's development, reports ЖКХ24 citing the Almaty City Akimat's official website.

Photo: gov.kz