Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) 2026/27: Empowering Young Entrepreneurs to Build Sustainable Green Businesses - Global South Opportunities

The Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) is an international initiative designed to empower young entrepreneurs who are developing innovative business solutions to address environmental challenges, promo

The Youth Ecopreneur Programme targets ambitious entrepreneurs under the age of 35 who are actively leading businesses focused on environmental sustainability and green innovation.

Eligible applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be under 35 years of age by the application deadline.
• Be the founder, co-founder or Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the business.
• Operate a legally registered business.
• Ensure that the business is majority-run by a young person.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the environmental challenges being addressed.
• Present an innovative and scalable business solution focused on land restoration or green business development.

The programme welcomes applications globally for its bootcamp component. However, participation in the accelerator is restricted to businesses from eligible countries, as specified in the programme’s official country eligibility list.

The Youth Ecopreneur Programme offers a range of business development benefits designed to help young entrepreneurs overcome common barriers to growth.

Key benefits include:

• Capacity-building support to strengthen and scale sustainable businesses.
• Access to a shared seed funding pool of USD 100,000 for the land-restoration cohort, provided without equity requirements.
• Access to an international network of entrepreneurs, experts and industry stakeholders.
• Personalised mentorship and business coaching.
• Legal guidance to strengthen business operations and development.
• Intellectual property expertise and coaching through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
• Preferential access to pro bono legal services from international law firm Sidley Austin.
• Preferential access to Google’s Startups for Sustainable Development Programme.
• Individual coaching sessions with experts from Ernst & Young (EY).
• All-expenses-paid participation in an international conference for award finalists.
• An opportunity to win USD 10,000 in prize money, with one award available in each category.

These opportunities are intended to strengthen entrepreneurial capabilities, improve business sustainability and help innovative enterprises attract investment, partnerships and new markets.

Applications for the YECO 2026/27 programme are open through the official Youth Ecopreneur Programme website.

Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to review the eligibility requirements, confirm whether their businesses qualify and consult the official application guidelines before submitting their applications.

Official programme website: https://www.yecommunity.com/

Implementing organisations: International Trade Centre (ITC) Ye! Community and G20 Global Land Initiative/UNCCD.

Programme: Youth Ecopreneur Programme 2026/27.

Target applicants: Young entrepreneurs under 35 years of age.

Application: Through the official YECO platform.