Deadline: March 24, 2019
The Young Water Fellowship 2019 is now open for applications. The Young Water Fellowship program aims to empower young leaders from low and middle income countries to implement initiatives to tackle water, sanitation &hygiene (WASH) issues, by offering them an intensive training program, seed funding grants for their pilot project, and mentoring support by senior level experts during one year.
Each year, this program brings about 10 young community leaders capable of successfully designing and implementing sustainable and inclusise water initiatives that significantly improve living conditions in their communities, while contributing to the achievement of SDG#6 (water and sanitation for all).
The YWF 2019 focuses on social entrepreneurship. Young people with social business ideas (or projects that can be turned into social business) that address water-related issues are welcome to apply.
Cost and Benefits
- All training costs are covered by the organization (flights, transportation in Europe, accommodation, meals), but participants must cover their visa expenses and transport costs to the closest international airport in their country of residency.
Other benefits:
- Startup Training: The training is delivered by a partner organization, cewas, a Swiss water start-up incubator that since 2011 trains water entrepreneurs. The training in 2019 lasts 35 days. It starts in Willisau, Switzerland, where Cewas has its training center. After three weeks working on Fellows’ business models, the group goes for one week to Stockholm to attend the World Water Week and start pitching their initiatives to the global community. From Stockholm, we will go to Brussels, where we will spend the last week that culminates with the Pitching Night, an event where you will have the opportunity to pitch in front of 100+ investors, policymakers, and representatives of different water organizations.
- Seed Funding: After the training, you will be asked to submit within two weeks a proposal to apply for seed funding to pilot your initiative in the 6 months that follow. You will be asked about your business model and the pilot project plan. Young Water Solutions will coach you through it. If you meet the conditions (such a completing the training, going back to your country and submitting a proposal for the same project you were elected), you will be offered seed funding between €3000 and €5000. The amount is decided based on your specific needs and the available funds.
- Mentoring: After seed funding is assigned to you and you begin the implementation phase, we will assign you at least one mentor whose profile matches your needs and can complement your skills. This mentor will guide you and provide you advice through the pilot project.
- Do you have 5 or more years of experience in WASH/business and want to become a Mentor? Register here.
Eligibility
- Be 18 to 30 years old at the time of the application
- Be the founder or co-founder of an initiative that contributes to the solution of a well-defined water problem in your country. The initiative should be in its initial stages and have the ability to be turned into a social enterprise (i.e have a long-term sustainability component or business model).
- You are a citizen and resident of a low or middle-income country. See this list
- Have a valid passport and be available to attend a workshop in Europe from August 3rd to September 7th 2019 (note that these dates might be subject to change), Exceptions can be made only in cases where the applicant can obtain a passport within two weeks from being selected.
- Plan to stay in your country for at least 1.5 years after the training and spend at least 15 hours per week to work on your social business.
- You are not a business expert. Candidates having no or basic business knowledge will benefit the most from the content delivered in the training.
- Be able to communicate in English (intermediate level at least). Be able to understand and express opinions in this language (the workshop will be held in English).
Application
- The application process is online.
- Your application must be received before midnight CET time, March 24th, 2019. Applications received after this deadline, regardless of technical difficulties, will not be considered.
- If you live in an area without a stable internet and you are experiencing troubles to access the application form, please contact us at [email protected] up to two working days before the deadline. After that, they cannot guarantee to reply and give you a solution in time.
- Your application includes submitting a video and your CV, as well as a reference letter at a later stage. For further information read the application guidelines.
- You may only submit one application. Any applicant who submits multiple applications for the same project or for different projects will be automatically disqualified. The same happens if two different people apply with the same initiative.
For more information, visit Young Water Fellowship.
