UNITAR Capacity Development Programme 2026 – YOA

Deadline: July 31, 2026

Applications are open for the UNITAR Capacity Development Programme 2026. Implemented by the UNITAR with the assist of the Government and People of Japan, the Programme is designed not solely to strengthen entrepreneurial and management competencies, but in addition to assist individuals in formulating sensible, financially viable, and implementation-oriented tasks that may interact public establishments, monetary actors, ecosystem companions, and accountable personal-sector stakeholders.

Through structured mentorship, utilized studying, ecosystem publicity, and worldwide engagement alternatives, individuals will progressively develop tasks which can be credible, collaborative, and positioned for operationalization and lengthy-time period impression. The initiative contributes to constructing sustainable Africa–Japan relationships grounded in innovation, shared worth creation, accountable funding, know-how trade, and inclusive financial transformation.

By the top of the Programme, individuals will be capable of:

• Design progressive, inclusive, and sustainable enterprise or growth options aligned with nationwide and regional priorities.
• Apply digital applied sciences, AI, and rising innovation instruments to deal with challenges associated to meals safety, local weather resilience, employment, commerce, healthcare, industrialization, and repair supply.
• Develop operationally possible and financially viable venture ideas with clear implementation pathways and partnership methods.
• Strengthen management, negotiation, stakeholder engagement, and cross-sector collaboration competencies.
• Integrate sustainability, gender equality, social impression, and SDG concerns into entrepreneurial and innovation initiatives.
• Formulate partnership-prepared and funding-oriented proposals knowledgeable by market realities and public–personal collaboration ideas.
• Communicate venture worth propositions successfully to buyers, growth companions, public establishments, and personal-sector stakeholders.
• Build lengthy-time period skilled networks and collaboration alternatives throughout African and worldwide innovation ecosystems.

Benefits

• Certificates of completion might be awarded to individuals who full every part
• Participation is funded by the Government and the People of Japan. Selected individuals for the Japan immersion part could also be answerable for restricted private bills

Eligibility

The Programme is open to youth and ladies professionals aged 18–35 from the next Anglophone Sub-Saharan African nations: Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Applicants might embody:

• Aspiring or early-stage entrepreneurs
• SME founders and innovators
• Professionals and practitioners
• Researchers and know-how innovators
• Social entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders
• Individuals creating scalable options with financial or social impression potential

Participants working in, or aspiring to contribute to, the next sectors are inspired to apply:

• Agri-food Innovation and Bioeconomy
• Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Smart Digital Solutions
• Fintech and Financial Inclusion
• Clean Technologies and Strategic Resources
• Climate and Environmental Solutions
• Healthcare and MedTech
• Sustainable Cities and Mobility
• Blue Economy
• Creative Industries
• Light Manufacturing and Industrial Solutions
• Skills Development and the Future of Work
• Social Impact and Essential Services

Selection Criteria

The Programme seeks motivated people with sturdy potential to translate concepts into sensible impression. Particular consideration might be given to candidates who show:

• Innovation and drawback-fixing capability
• Leadership potential and dedication to group or financial growth
• Clear venture or enterprise concepts with implementation potential
• Openness to collaboration and partnership growth
• Commitment to studying, mentorship, and lengthy-time period engagement
• Potential for scalability, sustainability, and measurable impression

Progression to subsequent phases of the Programme might be aggressive and based mostly on efficiency, engagement, management, and the standard and feasibility of the proposed venture or initiative. Due to the excessive quantity of anticipated purposes, UNITAR and its companions will rigorously assessment all submissions and choose candidates with the strongest profiles and purposes.

Application

Click here to apply

For extra data, go to UNITAR Capacity Development Programme.