The Young Water Fellowship (YWF) is our flagship programme. It aims to empower early-stage young entrepreneurs from low and middle income countries to set up social businesses that tackle water, sanitation & hygiene, water pollution and water scarcity issues, by offering them a fully-funded intensive training in business & WASH, seed funding grants for their pilot projects, and mentorship support from senior level experts during one year.
We provide the enabling conditions for young entrepreneurs to create water and sanitation social businesses.
Young Water Fellows are selected through an open call for applications according to criteria that include innovation, impact, feasibility, business potential, leadership potential of the candidate
Training
Selected Fellows attend a two-weeks start-up training delivered in partnership with local and international incubators. After completion, Fellows have a viable business model to tackle a water or sanitation issue, ready to pilot.
Seed funding for pilot implementation
Fellows can apply for a seed funding grant of up to €5000 to pilot their business models over 6 months following the training. So far, 97% of selected Fellows have received funding. The average amount awarded is €4400.
Coaching and mentor matching
During the pilot implementation, YWS offers regular coaching calls to Fellows, and matches them with senior experts according to their needs. They also join the YWF Alumni community, where they can meet and interact with Fellows from other cohorts.
Conditions to apply
Conditions to apply may vary in each YWF edition, but normally applicants must:
We provide the enabling conditions for young entrepreneurs to create water and sanitation social businesses.
Young Water Fellows are selected through an open call for applications according to criteria that include innovation, impact, feasibility, business potential, leadership potential of the candidate
Training
Selected Fellows attend a two-weeks start-up training delivered in partnership with local and international incubators. After completion, Fellows have a viable business model to tackle a water or sanitation issue, ready to pilot.
Seed funding for pilot implementation
Fellows can apply for a seed funding grant of up to €5000 to pilot their business models over 6 months following the training. So far, 97% of selected Fellows have received funding. The average amount awarded is €4400.
Coaching and mentor matching
During the pilot implementation, YWS offers regular coaching calls to Fellows, and matches them with senior experts according to their needs. They also join the YWF Alumni community, where they can meet and interact with Fellows from other cohorts.
Conditions to apply
Conditions to apply may vary in each YWF edition, but normally applicants must:
- Be 18 to 30 years old at the time of the application
- Be founder or cofounder of the initiative
- Be a citizen and resident of the eligible countries
- Have a valid passport (in case of global and regional editions)
- Speak the dominant language in the region (English, French or Spanish depending on the location)
- Have an initiative that addresses a water supply/sanitation/hygiene/waste management/water management issue and be willing to turn it into a social business. The initiative should be at an early stage (within the first 2 years) and ready to be piloted.
Moreinfo: http://youngwatersolutions.org
