The Liberty Communications Lab is a brand new project from Young Voices providing free training and consultancy for European think tanks.
When you're ready, click below to apply to the Liberty Comms Lab. Apply before 15 June 2025 to be considered. Contact our global projects manager Jason Reed with any questions on jason@joinYV.org.
The Liberty Comms Lab is a brand new programme, presented by Young Voices with support from the Rising Tide Foundation.
What is Young Voices?
Young Voices is a global non-profit PR firm and talent agency, based in the US but active across Europe. For more than a decade, Young Voices has been running programmes designed to help pro-liberty voices earn an audience in the mainstream media and beyond. Read more on our global website, joinYV.org and our European website, YVeu.org.
What is the Rising Tide Foundation?
The Rising Tide Foundation is a grantmaker supporting projects which contribute to enhancing freedom and prosperity. Read more at risingtide-foundation.org.
What is the ‘Liberty Comms Lab'?
There is an opportunity gap in Europe. Pro-liberty think tanks are doing great work but most people never hear about it. With a more effective communications strategy, European think tanks can reach more people and have greater impact with their ideas.
We believe there is a ‘wave of opinion’ passing through European media; twentieth-century-style analytical journalism is falling out of fashion while opinion-based commentary is booming. That’s our specialism. We want to help Europe’s pro-liberty think tanks ride that wave.
What’s on the curriculum?
Young Voices has devised an extensive, in-depth curriculum for the trainings in this programme. We believe strongly in the power of opinion journalism. Some of the training we provided will closely reflect the training we give to individual writers in our other programmes, such as:
Alongside those core PR skills, we will also provide lots of tailored content designed for organisations, such as:
What’s the timeline of the programme?
We will get back to all applicants in July 2025. The programme will begin in August.
What are the expectations for organisations participating in the programme?
We have a fixed number of places in the programme, so every organisation we accept must participate fully. Organisations will need to nominate one or two comms-oriented staff members to represent them at the programme. Attendance at every webinar is mandatory, as well as the in-person summit in Switzerland. During the consultancy phase in 2026, organisations must check in with Young Voices at least once per fortnight to discuss ongoing PR activities and the progress you are making towards the goals you set in your Strategic Plan.
Is my organisation eligible to apply for the programme?
Any pro-liberty policy think tank in any continental European country is eligible for the programme. (Organisations in the South Caucasus countries are eligible, but British ones are not.) Your think tank must exist as a formal, legal organisation, such as a non-profit or a charitable organisation. Your organisation does not have to be explicitly called a ‘think tank’ but it should undertake think-tank-like activities, such as publishing policy research and executing public campaigns. This is a broad definition; if you are unsure whether your organisation is eligible, please contact us on UK@joinYV.org before applying.
Which staff member(s) should my organisation send?
You can send one or two staff members. They should be permanent members of your team working on communications. They do not necesarily have to be spokespeople themselves. Even if you never personally expect to publish articles or go on TV, if you expect to work in a backroom capacity on PR campaigns or other communications-related work, this programme is still relevant to you.
Does the programme cost money?
The programme itself is free, but you will need to have some funds available for other costs. Attendance at the summit in Switzerland is mandatory. You will need to cover your own costs, such as travel and accommodation. (We will cover the other costs of the summit, such as meals.) You are likely to incur other expenses as we help you implement your communications strategy, such as needing to buy subscriptions to PR software, so you should have some money set aside in your comms budget before applying to the programme.
Will we need to do communications (e.g. write articles and give interviews) in English?
No. Your English needs to be good enough to communicate with the Young Voices team (our staff are British and American) and understand our training and our instructions, but when it comes to executing your comms strategy, you will likely do so in your native language. We can help you execute your comms strategy in your own language, if that’s what’s best for your organisation. If your English is good enough to read this sentence, it is probably good enough for you to take part in the Liberty Comms Lab!
What does the application involve?
This application is a series of questions about you, your organisation, your ambitions, and how Young Voices’ comms training and consultancy can help you make progress in achieving your mission. You will not need to make or upload anything to apply; you only need to type your answers into the text boxes in this form.
When do applications close?
This form will close at 11:59 pm BST on Sunday 15th June 2025. If you have any questions or issues with the application, please contact us as soon as possible before the deadline. We will not accept late applications for any reason.
What if I have a question which is not answered here?
Email Young Voices’ global projects manager Jason Reed on jason@joinYV.org