imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge
We are bringing together bright young minds to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing their generation.
Young people are experts in their own lives and experiences. They have the ideas and energy to create a better world for themselves - if only we give them the chance. We recognise that while talent is universal, opportunity is not.
The imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge is a flagship holistic social entrepreneurship and youth engagement initiative that tackles skill- building, employability, and social impact while building confidence and empowerment among the most marginalized young people globally.
As of 2021, with presence in over 43 countries, reaching over 25 million young people, and involving over 200 organizations, in its first two rounds, the imagen Ventures Youth Challenge is truly a global initiative meeting young people where they are and working with them in supporting the realization of their full potential.
The third round of the imagen Ventures Youth Challenge, which was launched by GenU and its partners – UNICEF, UNDP, Plan International, USAID, and the World Organization of the Scout Movement - on November 10th 2021, aims to inspire more than 25 million young aspiring entrepreneurs to tackle the world’s most pressing issues by 2023. Together we seek to:
▪ Generate youth-led, gender- transformative and inclusive solutions and enterprises at the local level that support future employment and entrepreneurship;
▪ Empower young people, including girls and young women, and build resilience and transferable employability and entrepreneurial skills; and
▪ Focus on young people from marginalized and disadvantaged backgrounds and foster their participation and civic engagement, applying an intersectional lens.
The Generation Unlimited imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge calls on young innovators to design solutions to improve education, employment and civic engagement. It aims to inspire young people with brilliant ideas, but without the resources to bring them to life. This includes young refugees, those who face daily discrimination due to their ethnicity, their gender or their disability and those who are disadvantaged by poverty.
Past Editions
GENERATION UNLIMITED YOUTH CHALLENGE 2019/20
Launched in September 2019, the Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2019/20 took place in 36 countries worldwide and was co-hosted globally by four Generation Unlimited partners – UNICEF, UNDP, Plan International and the World Organization of the Scout Movement, with support from Irish Aid.
In December 2020, UNICEF, UNDP, Plan International, and the Scouts announced the global winners of the challenge, in an event that celebrated the efforts of the 15 million young participants and show-cased the transformative power of youth-led innovation!
The event saw the crowning of 8 winning teams that span all continents, which are set to receive further funding of up to $15,000 USD, along with a tailored global incubation programme from Generation Unlimited partners to support them to scale. Their creative ideas include Venus Arm, a team of teenagers who have created a 3D printed bionic arm that is 1/30th of the price of existing prosthetics and can ‘grow’ with children.
GENERATION UNLIMITED YOUTH CHALLENGE 2018/19
Launched in September 2018, the Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2018/2019 worked with more than 800 innovators across 16 countries to answer an urgent question: how can we ensure every young person has the education, skills and empowerment to build a better future?
Join us
“Give it a try! You will become the person who will lead by example, creating a change.”
Your creativity and passion can unlock new ideas and create a world without limits.
We hope you can be a part of the Generation Unlimited as we expand our reach across more countries and please follow us on Twitter or Instagram to be the first to hear our announcements in the coming months and to start an application.
Partner with us
We are inviting expressions of interest for global, regional and country level partnerships with the Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge. This is an exciting opportunity to empower young people, sponsor a rapidly growing initiative and join us in building sustainable impact throughout the world.
Alongside financial partnership, we welcome support for the challenge design, judging, mentorship and business development.
Want to hear more?