Deadline: November 22, 2026
Applications are open for the Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) 2026/2027. The Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) is a global accelerator that powers the green and just transition by investing in young entrepreneurs as catalysts for sustainable development, environmental justice, and climate action advocacy. The project seeks to enhance the competitiveness and scale of youth-led green businesses, with a strong focus on land restoration.
Through a Global Bootcamp, Accelerator, and Youth Ecopreneur Awards, it provides comprehensive support, including training, mentorship, and financial support, to youth-led green businesses.
The programme is powered by the ITC and the G20 Global Land Initiative/UNCCD in partnership with WIPO, Sidley Austin LLP, Google Startup for Sustainable Development and EY. The five-year programme is designed as a multi-stakeholder initiative that allows ITC projects and partners to opt-in, leveraging and scaling within the existing structure. The acceleration program onboards new participants every year.
Benefits
Capacity-building for scaling your venture
Seed Funding ($100,000 USD for the land-restoration cohort, equity free)
Access to a Global Network & Exposure
Mentorship & Coaching
Legal and IP Guidance
Preferential access to Pro-Bono Legal Services from Sidley Austin
Preferential access to the Google StartUp for Sustainable Development Programme
One on One coaching with experts from EY
All-Expenses-Paid Trip to International Conference for Award Finalists
Win the Youth Ecopreneur Award and get 10,000 USD prize money (1 Award per category)
Eligibility
They are looking for candidates that meet the following profile:
Applicant
Must be under the age of 35 (by the application deadline)
Must be a Founder, Co-Founder, or CEO.
The Business
Must be majority run by a young person
Must be legally registered
The bootcamp is open globally, the accelerator is reserved for eligible countries
Must promote land restoration, sustainability, circularity, and/or the green economy
Application
The application will take around 30 to 40 minutes to complete.
Please ensure you have all your documents (Passport, Business Certificate, Pitch Deck) ready before you begin your application.
This application can be completed in on one sitting or you can save it and continue it later.
For more information, visit Youth Ecopreneur Programme.