Young entrepreneurs of developing countries with green, sustainable solutions have a chance to pitch their business ideas to win seed funding at a global conference organized by the United Nations and the Government of Mongolia.
The contest takes place as part of the World Export Development Forum, the flagship event of the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC). ITC is the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and focuses on connecting small businesses to global markets.
To enter, the entrepreneur must be under 35 years of age and the business must promote sustainability, circularity and/or the green economy. The company must be majority-run by a young person and be registered in a developing country. (See the list of eligible countries here.)
The top four finalists (one from Mongolia and at least three from other countries) will travel to Ulaanbaatar to pitch their businesses on 27 June, which is International Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day. Prizes include $5,000 to support business development; access to the Google Startups for Sustainable Development Programme; pitch training from ITC; links to investors for additional funding; international exposure through communications coverage from ITC; and a fully funded trip to Mongolia to attend the conference.