Deadline: 13-Jan-23
Applications are now open for the SDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals, an opportunity for participating companies of the UN Global Compact to empower young talent within their organizations to collaborate and accelerate business innovation towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The programme aims to equip them with skills to advance sustainability efforts, drive innovation and deliver tangible sustainability solutions for your company
This nine-month programme activates future business leaders and changemakers to develop and drive innovative solutions through new technologies, initiatives, and business models and deliver on their company’s sustainability objectives.
The programme connects entry- to mid-level managers – aged 35 and younger – across diverse business units to generate bold yet viable solutions that can have a positive impact on the company and the SDGs.
Benefits
- Participant Benefits:
- Engage in accelerated learning opportunities that include online and in-person workshops, case studies, company visits and forum discussion
- Connect with other businesses and collaborate on innovative projects relative to your company and industry
- Build work relationships through coaching, mentoring and peer-to-peer networking opportunities
- Learn from some of the brightest minds working on sustainability and innovation from around the world
- Be part of a global network of leading young professionals from some of the top companies across every continent
- Company Benefits:
- Apply SDG innovation to solve real sustainability challenges your company is facing
- Integrate the SDGs into your company’s business strategy through collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing
- Increase your employee engagement and professional development opportunities
- Tap into an expert network of leading professionals from some of the top companies across the globe
- Gain global recognition for participation in the programme
Programme Experience
- Over the course of nine months, each team of young innovators will work on a challenge specific to their company with the goal of designing more sustainable business models, initiatives and products that will advance the company’s sustainability efforts while driving innovation and delivering tangible solutions with potential market value.
- The Accelerator takes participants through a design thinking approach to innovation by focusing on the SDGs. Participants run through each of the below five phases of the programme, equipped with resources, tools and methodologies that will guide them through the process of identifying a challenge, designing and testing solutions, and validating these solutions for business value and SDG impact.
Phases
- Phase 1
- SDG Exploration
- Explore the core concepts around business and the Sustainable Development Goals to understand challenges facing business today.
- Phase 2
- Challenge Identification
- Identify and prioritize specific SDGs and their relevance for your business as well as the business impact on the SDGs.
- Phase 3
- Challenge Definition
- Find out how to use SDG impact and assessment tools to build a challenge that is ambitious enough for breakthrough impact and speaks to real needs within their company.
- Phase 4
- Solutions Development
- Learn how to generate new ideas and use tools to move an idea from a concept into a fully defined project.
- PHASE 5
- Solutions Testing and Validation
- Move your project solution to a more refined version through testing and validation within the company and with external stakeholders.
Duration: The programme will run in annual cycles over the course of 9 months
Eligible Countries
- Young professionals working at companies participating in the UN Global Compact and based in the following countries have the opportunity to collaborate with their Global Compact Local Networks to participate in the programme.
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Ecuador
- Georgia
- Indonesia
- Malaysia & Brunei
- Mexico
- Norway
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Switzerland &
- Liechtenstein
- Turkiye
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
Eligibility Criteria
- High-performing employees at a participating company of the UN Global Compact 35 years or younger interested in business model innovation, sustainability and disruptive technologies
- Participating companies of the Global Compact Local Networks may apply
- New this year: Young professionals working for companies that are a participant in the UN Global Compact can now form a team of up to four people and nominate themselves for the Accelerator.
For more information, visit https://unglobalcompact.org/take-action/sdg-innovation-accelerator