Youth CO: LAB Innovation Challenge 2020

Deadline: 16-Nov-20

UNDP is inviting Timorese start-up entrepreneurs for The 2020 Youth Co: Lab Innovation Challenge, to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem and to promote innovation culture and policies that will support and enable young people to take the lead in finding and developing new solutions for social and environmental problems encountered in their surrounding communities and beyond.

The challenge is jointly organized by the UNDP Recycling Promotion Pilot Project and Accelerator Lab Timor-Leste_Knua Juventude Fila Liman.

The youth need to develop their business proposals and compete for receiving the opportunities for mentoring, incubation and scale up their solutions as well as broadening regional business network through springboard.

The Youth Co-Lab Innovation Challenge in Timor-Leste is looking for youth-led businesses that create environmentally friendly jobs/livelihoods for the rural population and truly help them receive/increase income while at the same time support to adapt and mitigate the impact of climate change.

Objectives and Focus Areas

Identify youth-led innovation that provides solutions to tackle unemployment, waste as well as health and malnutrition issues in Timor-Leste by empowering youth and providing them with the opportunity to develop, pitch, and scale up their innovative start-up in the following categories:
- Sustainable Waste Management: solving the waste problems through innovation and technology as well as promoting 4Rs (Refuse, Reduce, Recycle, and Recover) and circular economy.
- Sustainable food production and consumption: improve health outcomes by enabling start-up entrepreneurs to think and act creatively, innovate, and make food accessible, healthy, affordable, nutritious, and sustainable.
- Sustainable Community-Based Tourism: creating attractive and sustainable domestic tourist spots /places to benefit international & local tourists and the community, as well as the planet.
To build an innovation ecosystem and culture for Timorese youths and entrepreneurs by fostering the dialogue and partnership between youth, government, private sector, academia, and other stakeholders to identify priority issues and actions for the development of the innovation and entrepreneurial eco-system;
To inspire, empower, and engage youth as change-makers/problem solvers and partners for development.
To transform youth ‘job-seekers’ into ‘job-creators’ through innovation and entrepreneurship which lead to the reduction of unemployment and promotion of better health and nutrition in Timor-Leste

Benefits

Participate in 3 days capacity building training on topics such as Business model canvas, pitching training as well as how to deliver an impactful business presentation, received technical and advisory support on logo design and slide presentation.
Participate in National Youth forum on insight sharing from social entrepreneurs, governments, international experts and entrepreneurs, final pitching, products/services showcase, and award ceremony.
The winner will receive support and collaboration with the UNDP Recycling Promotion Pilot Project and Accelerator Lab Timor- Leste during the implementation of their enterprises.
Winners will have the opportunity to receive mentoring and incubation service through the UNDP regional springboard programme to scale up their business.

Eligibility Criteria

Timorese start-up entrepreneurs who are between 18 to 35 years old;
A scalable startup business that is looking for an attractive business model to provide innovative products or services that fit for the market to improve waste management, food production and consumption and tourism sector.
Must commit to attending:
- The pre-Bootcamp training session for selected qualified teams.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (3 days).
- Youth Co: Lab Innovation Challenge final pitching, and award ceremony.
- Mentoring and incubation through the UNDP’s springboard Programme that last until December 2021 to implement or scale the business (if selected).
- Submit the progress report and final report of their business implementation (if selected).

Selection Criteria

Applications will be shortlisted based on the following criteria: