This is Youth - FAQs

Nominations for This is Youth 2023 have now closed. Thank you so much for your nominations, we will be in touch soon with more information on next steps.

Applications close at 11:59pm on Sunday 17 September. Applications received after this time will not be considered.

Nominations for This is Youth 2023 have now closed. Thank you so much for your nominations, we will be in touch soon with more information on next steps.

Nominations for This is Youth 2023 have now closed. Thank you so much for your nominations, we will be in touch soon with more information on next steps.

Nominations can be made by anyone who has the knowledge and understanding to be able to demonstrate what the nominee has done as part of their DofE. This can include, but is not limited to: team members, friends, DofE Leaders and Managers, DofE Assessors, representatives from their Licensed Organisation, community members and those positively impacted by their activity. When nominating someone, please ensure you have spoken to them and received their permission to share their story before submitting the form.

You are welcome to nominate yourself. Applications should be supported by evidence of impact, so if you have any testimonials from other people who can endorse your application, that will help make your application stand out.

Absolutely! If you know more than one person whose story we should hear, then please put them forward. You will need to complete a separate application for each nominee, unless you are nominating a team for the Teamwork: All-stars of the Year category.

You are welcome to put someone forward in more than one category if relevant. However, a nominee will only be selected in a maximum of one category. You will need to complete a separate application for each category you wish to nominate them in.

As nominations include personal details and we will need to contact all those who are selected, it is essential that you have got their permission to nominate them before you submit the form. If they are under 18, you must also have secured the permission of their parent or guardian. There is a declaration as part of the nomination form to confirm that you have the necessary permissions.

We want to get to know your nominee, so use your answers to tell a story and let us know why they are special. Make sure that you answer the questions – we have given some suggestions on the nomination form for things to consider when answering, but if you have other things to add to your answers, please do – but make sure that you stay within the word count!

You can upload up to three additional pieces of evidence to support your application and to make your nomination as strong as possible. This could include:

• Photographs of the nominee doing their DofE activities, or before and after images of their work.
• Screenshots of social media posts or local press articles.
• Supporting statements from people who have been impacted by the nominee.

When saving the file, it would help us if you could include the name of the nominee and the category you are nominating them for in the file name.

The full nominations will only be viewed by DofE staff working on the project. All nominations will be anonymised when they are shared with the judging panel. After judging, those people whose nominations are selected will be contacted and will be asked to confirm that they are happy to be recognised as part of This is Youth 2023.

The judging panel for each category will be made up of a minimum of three people, including a current or recent DofE participant. Details of the judging panels will be released on DofE.org/ThisIsYouth.

The judging will be done based on the applications and supporting information submitted through the nomination form in response to the questions for each category. In all cases, the demonstration of impact will be an important consideration.

All nominees, and their nominators, will be notified by 31 October 2023 by email if they have been selected.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’s decision is final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into.

Young people who are resident in Northern Ireland are eligible to be nominated, regardless of whether they are working towards or have achieved a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or a President’s Award.