Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) is organizing its first BYLC Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge to encourage budding entrepreneurs of the country to come up with innovative business ideas that can lead to change in their local communities.
Supported by UKAid and Manusher Jonno Foundation, BYLC Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) will empower young individuals to design unique revenue generating business models that address social issues, such as developing inclusive services for underserved or marginalized communities, promoting gender equity in education and employment, changing mindsets and catalyzing positive behavioral change, and harnessing the power of technology to address gaps in the market. YEC is a part of BYLC’s efforts to nurture and encourage the passion of young entrepreneurs by connecting them to the right tools and networks, and help them grow as catalysts of change.
Aside from providing a launching pad for young entrepreneurs through financial and logistic support, applicants will also be offered the opportunity to learn and express their business ideas in a well-articulated and persuasive manner through the courses offered on our online platform, BYLCx.
200 applicants – competitively selected from the pool of applications submitted after completion of at least one course from BYLCx – will get the chance to attend a residential entrepreneurship bootcamp in Sreemangal for four days of transformative personal experience, leadership training, and career navigation.
Following the Bootcamp and a rigorous assessment process, the top five business ideas will be selected to receive BDT 800,000 for a year. The winning teams will be placed in an incubation hub for a six-month long training for startup management, which will include financial forecasting, financial reporting, team management, brand marketing, product commercialization, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and other necessary skills to champion their startups. Throughout this phase, BYLC will provide one-to-one mentorship and guidance to the teams.
At the end of the incubation phase, the top two projects with potential for scale-up and impact will each receive additional scale-up funding of BDT 1,500,000.
| ELIGIBILITY | DEADLINE |
|---|---|
| Have completed at least one course from BYLCx | August 31, 2019. |
| Between the ages of 18 to 35 years |
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BYLCx, the online learning academy of BYLC, provides online learning to equip young people with leadership, professional development and 21st century skills, and enable them to have high impact in public, private, and civil sectors.
You need to complete at least one BYLCx course and receive the course certificate. You will then need to fill out the application form and upload the certificate. You will be notified if your application is shortlisted.
You need to take at least one course on BYLCx to apply to YEC.
Aspiring entrepreneurs between ages 18 to 35 years, with innovative business ideas, can apply to the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Yes, as a participant, you will be required to stay for the entire duration of the Bootcamp to be a graduate of the program and to qualify for the subsequent steps of the YEC.
Yes, participants of the Bootcamp will receive shared-basis accommodation for the duration of the program.
