Call for Applications: UNITAR 2025 Entrepreneurship and Food Security Training for Young Innovators in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon

26 May 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - Aspiring entrepreneurs and agribusiness innovators in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon are invited to apply to the UNITAR RISE LAB Igniting Youth Potential in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon through Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Resilience. This programme will equip young entrepreneurs and innovators with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to transform their ideas into businesses or grow and scale their current business.  

Supported by the Government and people of Japan, the programme is open to 500 motivated and qualified young individuals aged 18–40 from Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon who have either an existing business or a concrete idea that can be developed into one that aims to enhance food security and develop the private sector.  

By the end of the programme, participants will have a launch-ready blueprint for their new businesses or be ready to pitch their existing businesses for growth. Participants will also build lifelong connections with fellow youth entrepreneurs in their country and beyond. 

The programme is scheduled to run from May 2025 to March 2026 in three phases. The first two phases will be held online, combining self-paced lessons, discussion forums, webinars and lectures by subject matter experts with both regional and global exposure. The third will be an in-person workshop, location to be confirmed, bringing together top-performing participants to represent each country. This phase is geared towards experiential learning, peer-to-peer networking, mentorship and study tours. 

The deadline for applications is midnight 20 June 2025 (UTC+3). Women and men from disadvantaged backgrounds and involved in agribusiness are especially encouraged to apply.