UNITAR Fully Funded 2026–2027 Africa–Japan Programme for Youth and Women Leaders

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is launching a fully funded, seven-month programme to strengthen the capacity of African youth and women leaders to turn innovative ideas into scalable, investment-ready initiatives, with a focus on Africa–Japan collaboration.

What it offers

• Fully funded participation (no programme fee).
• Duration: 7 months (17 Aug 2026 – 28 Feb 2027).
• Location: Hiroshima, Japan (with virtual components).
• Four progressive phases: Foundations and Opportunity Development; Applied Innovation and Project Development; Leadership and International Engagement; and project operationalization.
• Structured mentorship, applied learning, ecosystem exposure, and international engagement opportunities.
• Training-of-Trainers (ToT) components to support local knowledge multiplication.

Who can apply

• Open to youth and women leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa.

What you'll do

• Design innovative, inclusive, and sustainable business or development solutions aligned with national and regional priorities.
• Apply digital technologies, AI, and emerging innovation tools to address challenges in food security, climate resilience, employment, trade, healthcare, industrialization, and service delivery.
• Develop operationally feasible and financially viable project concepts with clear implementation pathways and partnership strategies.
• Strengthen leadership, negotiation, stakeholder engagement, and cross-sector collaboration competencies.
• Integrate sustainability, gender equality, social impact, and SDG considerations into initiatives.
• Formulate partnership-ready and investment-oriented proposals.
• Communicate project value propositions effectively to investors, development partners, public institutions, and private-sector stakeholders.
• Build long-term professional networks across African and international innovation ecosystems.

How to apply

• Application-based selection process.
• Submit an application via the UNITAR website.
• Deadline: 31 Jul 2026.

Good to know

• Implemented by UNITAR with support from the Government and People of Japan.
• Programme contributes to building sustainable Africa–Japan relationships grounded in innovation, shared value creation, responsible investment, technology exchange, and inclusive economic transformation.
• Language of delivery: English.