Jeugdverbinden 2.0 creates a permanent, youth-led structure in Nijmegen. A diverse core of 20–25 young people (≥25% with fewer opportunities) co-designs and leads labs, debates, City Hall visits and a citywide campaign, engaging directly with officials. Objectives: hold 6–8 structured youth–policy dialogues with written follow-up; recruit, train and support 8–12 spokespeople; reach ≥1,500 peers and collect ≥400 survey responses; publish a practical participation toolkit; establish a Youth Advisory Council with quarterly meetings and clear feedback loops; and confirm the 2027 handover (MoU, budget lines) so results continue beyond the grant. We respond to what youth say—“they talk about us, not with us”—by building skills, confidence and networks that turn lived experience into policy impact. Erasmus+ enables us to move beyond one-off projects by embedding participation structurally and linking Nijmegen’s practice to European peers.