Strengthening Entrepreneurship Ecosystems for Youth Enterprise Models in India

UNICEF is inviting eligible organizations to submit proposals for projects that strengthen youth entrepreneurship ecosystems across selected states in India. The initiative aims to develop scalable enterprise models that improve livelihoods, promote self-reliance, connect young entrepreneurs with market opportunities, and build sustainable partnerships with government and ecosystem stakeholders.

Organizations will help identify, develop, scale, and institutionalize youth enterprise models that support employment generation, business growth, and long-term economic resilience, particularly for young women and marginalized communities.

About the UNICEF Youth Entrepreneurship Programme

UNICEF has launched this Call for Proposals to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems for young people across selected states in India. The programme recognizes entrepreneurship as a powerful tool for addressing unemployment, improving livelihoods, and enabling sustainable economic development.

The initiative seeks to create integrated entrepreneurship models that bring together skills development, enterprise incubation, mentoring, finance, market access, digital solutions, and government support into a coordinated ecosystem.

Rather than supporting isolated activities, UNICEF aims to establish comprehensive pathways that help young entrepreneurs successfully start, grow, and sustain their enterprises.

Programme Objectives

The programme aims to:

• Strengthen youth entrepreneurship ecosystems.
• Improve livelihood opportunities for young people.
• Support enterprise incubation and business development.
• Promote sustainable self-employment and self-reliance.
• Enhance market access for youth-led enterprises.
• Strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) linkages.
• Improve digital enablement for entrepreneurs.
• Build partnerships with government institutions.
• Institutionalize scalable youth enterprise models.
• Increase employment opportunities for young women and marginalized communities.

Why This Programme Matters

India has approximately 371 million young people, making it one of the world’s largest youth populations. While this presents tremendous economic potential, employment opportunities have not kept pace with workforce growth.

Many young entrepreneurs face barriers such as:

• Limited access to finance.
• Lack of business mentoring.
• Weak market connections.
• Fragmented entrepreneurship support services.
• Limited incubation opportunities.
• Poor awareness of government schemes.
• Inadequate digital business support.

UNICEF aims to overcome these challenges by creating connected entrepreneurship ecosystems where multiple organizations work together to support enterprise development from idea generation through business growth.

Priority Focus Areas

The programme focuses on:

• Livelihood development
• Youth entrepreneurship
• Community mobilization
• Self-reliance
• Enterprise incubation
• Market access
• Business mentoring
• Technical and vocational education and training (TVET)
• Digital enablement
• Business advisory services
• Government partnerships
• Entrepreneurship pathways
• Sustainable livelihoods
• Enterprise scale-up
• Youth employment

Selected States

The programme will be implemented in the following Indian states:

• Maharashtra
• Madhya Pradesh
• Uttar Pradesh
• Odisha
• Jharkhand
• Bihar
• Rajasthan
• Nagaland
• Andhra Pradesh

Programme Approach

UNICEF intends to support organizations that can build complete entrepreneurship pathways rather than standalone activities.

The approach includes:

Enterprise Identification

Organizations will identify promising youth entrepreneurs and early-stage enterprises with growth potential.

Capacity Building

Applicants will strengthen entrepreneurial skills through structured training, technical support, mentoring, and business development services.

Enterprise Incubation

The programme encourages incubation support to help entrepreneurs transform business ideas into sustainable enterprises.

Market Linkages

Organizations should help entrepreneurs access markets, customers, buyers, and supply chains.

Digital Enablement

Digital tools and technology will be promoted to improve business operations, marketing, financial management, and enterprise growth.

Government Integration

Successful models should be aligned with government programmes and institutional mechanisms to ensure sustainability and long-term adoption.

Expected Outcomes

Projects are expected to:

• Strengthen local entrepreneurship ecosystems.
• Increase youth employment opportunities.
• Improve income generation.
• Support sustainable enterprise development.
• Enhance business survival rates.
• Expand market opportunities.
• Improve collaboration among ecosystem stakeholders.
• Develop scalable entrepreneurship models.
• Strengthen government ownership and institutionalization.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible organizations should be capable of designing and implementing comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem programmes.

Applicants should demonstrate experience in areas such as:

• Youth livelihoods
• Entrepreneurship development
• Community mobilization
• Enterprise incubation
• Technical and vocational education
• Business advisory services
• Market linkage programmes
• Government collaboration
• Digital innovation
• Sustainable livelihood programmes

Organizations with experience working with:

• Young entrepreneurs
• Rural communities
• Women entrepreneurs
• Marginalized groups
• Government agencies
• Enterprise support networks

may be particularly well positioned for this opportunity.

Who Will Benefit?

Primary beneficiaries include:

• Young entrepreneurs
• Rural youth
• Women entrepreneurs
• Marginalized communities
• Youth-led enterprises
• Start-ups
• Self-employed youth
• Community entrepreneur groups

Indirect beneficiaries include:

• Local communities
• Government institutions
• Entrepreneurship support organizations
• Business ecosystems
• Employers
• Local economies

Funding Information

The funding announcement highlights support for implementing comprehensive youth entrepreneurship ecosystem projects.

The provided announcement does not specify:

• Total available funding
• Maximum grant amount
• Minimum grant amount
• Project duration

Applicants should refer to the official UNICEF Call for Proposals for complete financial details.

How the Programme Works

The programme follows an ecosystem-based approach.

1. Identify youth entrepreneurs and local opportunities.
2. Assess entrepreneurship ecosystem gaps.
3. Develop integrated enterprise support models.
4. Deliver entrepreneurship training and mentoring.
5. Connect entrepreneurs with incubation services.
6. Improve access to markets and finance.
7. Promote digital business solutions.
8. Collaborate with government partners.
9. Scale successful enterprise models.
10. Institutionalize proven approaches for long-term sustainability.

How to Apply

Eligible organizations should:

1. Review the complete UNICEF Call for Proposals.
2. Confirm organizational eligibility.
3. Develop a comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem proposal.
4. Explain the implementation strategy and target beneficiaries.
5. Demonstrate experience in livelihoods and entrepreneurship.
6. Describe partnerships with government and ecosystem stakeholders.
7. Submit all required supporting documents before the application deadline.

Applicants should carefully follow all submission instructions provided in the official call.

Tips for Preparing a Strong Proposal

• Demonstrate previous experience in youth entrepreneurship.
• Present a scalable and sustainable ecosystem model.
• Include measurable outcomes and impact indicators.
• Show strong partnerships with government agencies.
• Address the needs of women and marginalized youth.
• Include digital innovation components.
• Explain long-term sustainability beyond project funding.
• Develop realistic implementation and monitoring plans.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Proposing isolated training activities without ecosystem integration.
• Failing to explain sustainability.
• Ignoring market access strategies.
• Weak collaboration with government institutions.
• Limited focus on marginalized youth.
• Missing implementation timelines.
• Unclear monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Incomplete application documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the main objective of this UNICEF programme?

The programme aims to strengthen youth entrepreneurship ecosystems by creating scalable enterprise models that improve livelihoods and employment opportunities.

Which states are included in the programme?

The initiative covers Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Nagaland, and Andhra Pradesh.

Who are the primary beneficiaries?

Young entrepreneurs, particularly women, rural youth, and marginalized communities, are the primary beneficiaries.

What sectors does the programme support?

The programme supports entrepreneurship, livelihoods, vocational education, enterprise incubation, market access, digital enablement, mentoring, and business advisory services.

Does the announcement specify grant funding?

No. The available announcement does not specify the funding amount or grant size.

What type of projects is UNICEF looking for?

UNICEF seeks projects that build integrated entrepreneurship ecosystems by combining skills development, mentoring, incubation, market access, digital tools, and government collaboration.

Why is government partnership important?

Government partnerships help institutionalize successful enterprise models, enabling them to be scaled and sustained beyond the project period.

Conclusion

UNICEF’s Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem initiative represents an important opportunity to strengthen sustainable livelihoods for young people across India. By supporting integrated entrepreneurship pathways that combine training, incubation, mentoring, digital innovation, market access, and government partnerships, the programme aims to create scalable models that generate employment, improve incomes, and build long-term economic resilience for youth and their communities.