More than 12,800 people have directly benefited from J-MED, the Monaco-France scheme to back young people and civil society groups around the Mediterranean, as the Principality marked the programme’s progress at an event on Friday, October 9.
Monaco’s Department of International Cooperation (DCI) hosted funding partners and four associations selected in this year’s 2026 edition. Discussions centred on inclusion, empowerment and social cohesion.
Since its launch in 2020, J-MED has put €2.2 million behind 110 projects in six countries. Women and girls make up 55% of the 12,800 or so direct beneficiaries.
The scheme was created by the DCI together with France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It is run on the ground by the European Institute for Cooperation and Development (IECD) and the Méditerranée Nouvelle Chance (MedNC) network, according to the Monaco Government, with further backing from the Fondation de France and the Région Sud.
Projects are put forward by civil society organisations on the Mediterranean’s southern and eastern shores, working with partners from the north, including Monaco. Past calls have prioritised education, vocational training, the economic inclusion of young women, social entrepreneurship and sport, with grants of up to €15,000 per project.
For Monaco, J-MED reflects its commitment to local civil society and inclusive development in the region. It sits alongside a wider cooperation agreement with France signed in 2010, which covers development work in Africa and the Mediterranean.
Image courtesy of Direction de la Communication / Manuel Vitali