Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) 2026/2027

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.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Youth Ecopreneur Programme.

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

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)

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.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Youth Ecopreneur Programme.