UNESCO/Nestlé Youth Impact Program 2025
Youth Impact – Because You Matter – For Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action is an initiative led by UNESCO in collaboration with Nestlé, powered by the Nestlé Youth Entrepreneurship Platform. The program aims to support young people in implementing climate action and environmental sustainability projects within their communities by providing resources and skill-building opportunities.
Themes
– Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies that support local communities
– Sustainable food systems
– Regenerative agricultural practices
– Packaging sustainability innovations
Benefits of the UNESCO/Nestlé Youth Impact Program
– Immersion training: Hands-on workshops on entrepreneurship, project management, and youth-led action, guided by Nestlé experts worldwide.
– Online contextualized training: Geographically tailored training aligned with the project theme, supported by UNESCO regional partners.
– Monthly online training and gatherings: Learn project management, key societal issue integration, and innovation skills, including ideation, consumer validation, prototyping, and pitching.
– One-on-one mentorship: Receive personalized guidance from a Nestlé executive mentor throughout the project duration.
Grant and Support
– 100 project leaders worldwide will be selected.
– Each project leader will receive a grant of USD 8,500.
– A six-month transformative journey of training and mentoring with experts from UNESCO and Nestlé.
– 100 grants available globally:
– 20 grants for each UNESCO region:
– Africa
– Arab Region
– Asia and Pacific
– Europe and North America
– Latin America and the Caribbean
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be:
– Aged 18-30 years old at the time of the project.
– Individuals or part of youth-led organizations, enterprises, associations, or networks.
– Engaged in activism, changemaking, or entrepreneurial initiatives.
– Leading a project that:
– Aligns with one of the program’s themes.
– Can be completed within six months.
– Has local or national impact.
– Is implemented by a team of at least three young people, with a clearly identified project leader.
Program Timeline
– Call for applications: March 18 – April 8, 2025
– Project evaluation: April 9 – June 9, 2025
– Award ceremony: September 18, 2025
– Capability building program: August 2025 – April 2026
Application Deadline
April 18, 2025
