Call for Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator 2024 is open now!!!
The Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator, powered in partnership with Ashoka and funded by Yum!’s Unlocking Opportunity initiative, invites young people to share their social impact ideas to drive positive change in their communities. The Ambition Accelerator is a platform for young changemakers to access funding, grow their changemaking skills, and join a community of peers and mentors who are leaders in the social impact space.
Get the Youth Opportunities iOS App here for the fully-funded opportunities.
Here’s how it works: from now through March 14, 2024 (US) and March 15, 2024 (India), they’re accepting applications from young changemakers ages 16-26 with an idea to enact change in their communities. Applicants should be residents of India, the United States, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands and can apply to the Ambition Accelerator in either English or Hindi. They are looking for young people from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences with a restless drive to make a difference.
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1. Youth Opportunities: https://m.me/j/AbZTmgEzD1UchDte/
2. Fully Funded Conferences: https://m.me/j/AbZTfhFTiPCnXf2D/
3. Full Scholarships: https://m.me/j/AbbrjbkOMM6I68Cs/
4. Paid Internships/Jobs: https://m.me/j/AbaAskb6jFFnRser/
5. Circle: https://m.me/j/AbY0vVKSPJULUnE4/
For three decades, the Taco Bell Foundation has activated the potential of its Live Más scholars, changemakers who are pursuing their passions through education and community. The Taco Bell Foundation has awarded $155 million in grants and scholarships focused on education and career readiness. For the last 40 years, Ashoka has supported social entrepreneurs and young changemakers as they bring new ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and build a world where they all realize our power to create change. Together, they aim to activate young people working to challenge the norm and disrupt existing systems and mindsets within their communities.
Location:
IndiaBenefits
- All Eligible Ambition Accelerator Innovators can benefit from:
- An opportunity to articulate their project or idea
- Invitations to virtual learning session(s) where innovators will deepen their changemaking skills, connect with like-minded young people, and receive guidance on the application process
- Ashoka staff and Taco Bell Foundation network feedback on their entries
- An opportunity to offer and receive feedback from peers
- An invitation to join the Community review process
- 10 Early Entry Stand-Outs: All innovators who apply by the Early Entry Deadline on February 15, 2024 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time/ 8:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time) and February 16, 2024 (10:29 a.m. India Standard Time) will receive feedback to improve their application before the final deadline of March 14, 2024 (11:59 p.m. ET / 8:59 p.m. PT) and March 15, 2024 (10:29 a.m. India). Taco Bell and Ashoka will also select 10 Early Entry Stand-Outs among these innovators who apply by February 15, 2024 to receive the following prizes:
- $500 USD each if based in the United States or U.S. Territories
- ₹20,000 Indian rupees each if based in India
At least 1 Early Entry Stand-Out will be from the US, 1 from India, and 1 Taco Bell restaurant team member
- 250 Seed Prize Awardees: All eligible innovators who apply by March 14, 2024 (11:59 p.m. ET / 8:59 p.m. PT) and March 15, 2024 (10:29 a.m. India) will be invited to participate in our Community Review process, where they have an opportunity to evaluate peer projects, offer and receive feedback. Based on Community Review scores, we will select 250 Seed Prize Awardees who will receive the following prizes:
- $500 USD each if based in the United States or U.S. Territories
- ₹20,000 Indian rupees each if based in India
At least 50 Seed Prize Awardees will be from the US, 50 from India and 10 Taco Bell restaurant team members.
- 75 Summit Semi-Finalists: Taco Bell and Ashoka will select 75 innovators in total (at least 5 will be Taco Bell restaurant team members) to participate at the local Summits in their respective countries. They will receive the following additional prizes:
- 50 Summit Semi-Finalists in the US receive $1000 USD each
- 25 Summit Semi-Finalists in India receive ₹40,000 rupees each
- The Ambition Accelerator Summits are 3-day immersive in-person events and will feature skills-building workshops and networking events, fostering connections with young changemakers. Airfare, lodging, and meals will be provided, including:
- Domestic roundtrip coach airfare for semi-finalist and chaperone (if semi-finalist is under 18 years old at the time of Summit). Semi-finalist and chaperone must travel together. Flight to be booked by Challenge Partners.
- Four (4) days and three (3) nights in one (1) shared room standard double occupancy hotel accommodations at hotel selected by Challenge Partners.
- Ground transportation to and from the airport and hotel.
- Meals during the Summit.
- 10 Pitch Finalists: From the group of Summit Semi-Finalists, 5 innovators from the United States and U.S. Territories and 5 innovators from India will be invited to pitch their projects to a judges panel. Based on their presentations the following awards will be offered: US pitches:
- 4 Ambition Accelerator Finalists receive $5,000 USD each
- 1 Ambition Accelerator Grand Prize Winner receive a prize of $25,000 USD
India pitches:
- 4 Ambition Accelerator Finalists receive ₹200,000 rupees (2 lakh) each
- 1 Ambition Accelerator Grand Prize Winner receive a prize of ₹1,000,000 rupees (10 lakh)
All pitching innovators will also receive formal recognition of their contributions to the broader movement on the Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator website and social media platforms.
Eligibilities
- Applicants must be at least 16 at the time of application and not older than 26 by the end of the entry period on March 14, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET, March 15, 2024 10:29 a.m. (India).
- Applicants must be residents of the United States, U.S. Territories or India.
- Applicants can apply with a team member or as an individual.
- Limit one entry per person/team.
- Applicants based in the United States or U.S. Territories must apply in English.
- Applicants based in India must apply in English or Hindi.
- Applicants must be the founder or co-founder of the initiative their application represents.
- Ambition Accelerator 2022 semi-finalists, finalists and grand finalists are not eligible to apply. In other words, if the applicant were invited to the Ambition Accelerator Summit in 2022, they are not eligible to re-apply. If they won a $500 seed grant but were not a finalist for the Summit, they are still eligible to apply again.
- Taco Bell Corp. Employees that work at the Taco Bell Restaurant Support Center (RSC), All Employees and their immediate family of Ashoka, Yum!, Taco Bell Foundation, Inc. Taco Bell Corp., and participating advertising and promotional agencies directly involved in planning this Program are NOT eligible to apply or receive a prize through this program.
- Taco Bell Restaurant team members ARE eligible to apply to the Ambition Accelerator (from corporate and franchise restaurants).
- If based in the US: the applicant must be available to participate in the Ambition Accelerator U.S. Summit in the Greater Orange County Area, CA, week of August 2, 2024. For those who are under 18 years old at the time of the Summit, they will be required to be accompanied by ONE adult chaperone, who cannot be a team member and must be approved by their parent or legal guardian.
- If based in India: the applicant must be available to participate in the Ambition Accelerator India Summit in Bangalore, Karnataka, week of September 9, 2024. For those who are under 18 years old at the time of the Summit, they will be required to be accompanied by ONE adult chaperone, who cannot be a team member and must be approved by their parent or legal guardian.
Application Process
- Apply by going to the ‘Apply Link’ and filling out the form with the relevant details.
- The application consists of seven sections: Choose Image, Eligibility, Contact Information, About the applicant’s Idea/Initiative, Why is the applicant excited about the Ambition Accelerator, and Parent/Guardian Consent and References!
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024
Application ClosedOfficial link
