How to Apply for YECO 2026/2027: Step-by-Step Guide to the US$10,000 Award and US$100,000 Funding Pool

The YE! Youth Ecopreneurs Programme (YECO) 2026/2027 is open until 22 November 2026. It is run by the International Trade Centre’s Ye! Community with the G20 Global Land Initiative of the UNCCD. It offers a US$10,000 award to winners in each category and a US$100,000 equity-free seed funding pool for land-restoration businesses.

We covered the full programme details in our main YECO 2026/27 post. This guide is about the practical side: which category and track to choose, the documents to prepare, and how to make your application stand out.

First, Understand the Money

Many headlines say “up to $100,000”. Here is what that actually means:

• US$100,000 is a shared pool for eligible land-restoration businesses. It is split among several businesses; no single applicant is promised $100,000.
• US$10,000 goes to the winner of each Youth Ecopreneur Award category.
• Award finalists get an all-expenses-paid trip to an international conference to pitch.
• Everyone selected gets training, coaching and masterclasses, IP and legal guidance, and investor connections.

The funding is equity-free, so you keep full ownership of your business. Applying is free.

Step 1: Check You Are Eligible

• you are under 35 on 22 November 2026
• you are the founder, co-founder or CEO
• the business is majority-run by young people
• the business is legally registered (an idea alone does not qualify)
• your work is in land restoration or green business solutions

The 10-week Global Bootcamp is open worldwide. The Accelerator and Awards stages may be limited to businesses registered in eligible developing or least-developed countries. Check your country in the official YECO FAQs before you start.

Step 2: Pick the Right Category

Land Restoration — choose this if your business restores degraded land or ecosystems: reforestation, agroforestry, soil rehabilitation, erosion control, carbon farming, river restoration, wildfire prevention, invasive species management, or technology for these. Only this category can access the US$100,000 pool.

Green Business Solutions — choose this for other sustainable products and services: renewable energy, recycling, sustainable packaging, energy efficiency and circular-economy businesses.

Tip: if your business does both (for example, a recycling company that also plants trees), pick the category where your main income comes from, and mention the other activity as extra impact.

Step 3: Choose Your Track

• Regular track — for early-stage businesses still testing their product or building their first customer base.
• Fast track — for ventures that can already show market traction: paying customers, steady sales or proven demand.

Be honest here. Claiming fast-track status without numbers to back it up will hurt your application.

Step 4: Prepare Your Documents

Have these ready before you open the form:

• Business registration certificate (e.g. CAC certificate in Nigeria, or your country’s equivalent)
• Valid passport (useful for the international conference trip if you become a finalist)
• Pitch deck (see the outline below)
• key numbers: revenue, customers, jobs created and environmental results such as hectares restored or tonnes of waste recycled
• short bios of your founding team

A Simple 10-Slide Pitch Deck Outline

1. Problem — the environmental issue and who it affects
2. Solution — what your business does
3. Business model — how you make money
4. Traction — sales, users, partners
5. Impact — measurable environmental and social results
6. Market — size and target customers
7. Competition — and why you are different
8. Team — who runs the business
9. Finances — current figures and projections
10. The ask — how you would use the award or seed funding

How to Apply

1. Visit the official YECO 2026/2027 application page on the Ye! Community platform.
2. Create a free Ye! Community account if you don’t have one.
3. Select your category (Land Restoration or Green Business Solutions) and your track (regular or fast).
4. Fill in the form and upload your registration documents and pitch deck.
5. Submit before 22 November 2026. Don’t wait until the last day — portals often slow down near deadlines.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• applying with an unregistered business
• describing impact only in words — use numbers
• ignoring the business side; judges want a company that can survive and grow, not just a project
• a co-founder over 35 running the business, which can break the “majority youth-run” rule
• submitting a generic pitch deck that does not mention land restoration or green solutions clearly

Related Opportunities

• Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) 2026/27: Full Programme Details
• 100x Impact Accelerator 2027–28
• Adaptation & Resilience ClimAccelerator Tanzania 2026–2027

Deadline: 22 November 2026. Apply free through the official Ye! Community platform.