UN SDSN Youth partners up with Seedstars for an extended call for submissions for UN SDSN Youth Solutions Report 2020 to empower the next generation of innovators for sustainable development.
In 2015, 17 Sustainable Development Goals were agreed by 193 UN Member States to shape the global agenda for sustainable development in the next fifteen years and beyond. Achieving these goals will require an unprecedented mobilization of the energy and skills of young people and recognition of their significant role in promoting them.
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The Youth Solutions Report, a flagship initiative managed by the Youth Solutions Program of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, features 50 game-changing projects led by young people, allowing them to showcase their work, and presenting them with opportunities to draw interest from potential supporters.
With the help of an Advisory Panel comprising world-leading experts and a vast network of partners and opportunities, they strive to advance youth involvement in the realization of the 2030 Agenda while celebrating the invaluable contribution of young people to sustainable development.
Youth Solutions Report 2020 offers young innovators the recognition, training, and resources needed to scale their projects that are advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This year, 50 youth-led projects — 25 for-profits and 25 non-profits — will again be selected to have their work featured in the 2020 edition of the Youth Solutions Report, which will be launched in the Fall.
Furthermore, the leadership team of these 50 projects will be invited to undergo training and capacity-building opportunities, among which SDSN Youth’s flagship Investment Readiness Program, in an effort to support them in the scaling of their solutions. During this 16-week acceleration program, the innovators will be provided with valuable insights from leading experts in the field, given personalized 1-on-1 mentoring, and connected with impact investors.
Benefits
- Receive access to powerful training tools, including the Investment Readiness Program.
- Be featured in the 2020 edition of the Youth Solutions Report.
Eligibilities
- Are you a young leader (age 18-30) working towards the SDGs
- Six eligibility criteria were developed when selecting projects to be included in the Youth Solutions Report. The following criteria were also used by the Advisory Panel of the Youth Solutions Report for assessing the applications that were received.
- Relevance of the Challenge Addressed
In order to qualify, projects must seek to address a challenge which is relevant in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They must also describe why tackling said the challenge will help achieve the SDGs.
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- Innovative Character of the Solution
The projects must be founded by individuals aged 15-30 and they must showcase the skills and creativity of the proponent(s). Success is not the sole factor looked at when evaluating solutions. The Youth Solutions Report aims to celebrate innovative, game-changing ideas which have the potential to build transformative change and shift the behavior of people, businesses and countries.
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- Financial Viability
Solutions must be self-sustaining in the long-term. In other words, they must be able to become financially sustainable through the resources they generate and/or the investments and donations they attract.
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- Scalability
Projects must have the potential to perform as well or better after expanding in scope or size and/or being implemented in other regions. The Youth Solutions Report looks at projects which could potentially help others beyond their immediate community.
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- Current or Potential Impact
The solutions must be effective in solving the challenge(s) it seeks to address. Ideally, they should also go beyond short- to medium-term effects and show the potential to have positive long-term consequences for the consequences for the community(ies), country(ies) or region(s) in which they operate. This includes positive environmental impacts (e.g. innovations which are capable of reducing carbon emissions, developing sustainable consumption and production patterns, reducing the loss of terrestrial or aquatic biodiversity, or more generally respecting the earth’s planetary boundaries), as well as positive social impact (e.g. generating employment, eradicating poverty, or developing skills).
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- Integrated Approach to the SDGs
The solutions should take into consideration the synergies and trade-offs among the SDGs, beyond the immediate Goal that they try to address. They should demonstrate an attempt to create positive feedback or mitigate negative impacts in other areas. Finally, they should ensure that their impacts have been adequately measured and/or that they are in principle measurable, and if possible, that such measurement is aligned with the SDG indicator framework developed to monitor the implementation of the 2030 Agenda (UN Stats 2017).
Eligible Regions: Open for allApplication Process
Apply online through the Apply Now link.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Application Deadline: July 30, 2020
Application ClosedOfficial link
