Youth Adaptation Solutions (YouthADAPT) Challenge Awards Ceremony

Winners of the inaugural YouthADAPT Challenge will be announced at COP26, during a dedicated Awards Ceremony

Event description:

On 6th April 2021, during a virtual Leaders’ Dialogue on the Africa Covid-Climate Emergency, convened by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Global Center on Adaptation, and the African Union’s Africa Adaptation Initiative, more than 30 heads of state and global leaders rallied behind the bold new Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). It is built to address the impacts of Covid-19, climate change, and the continent’s worst recession in 25 years. Empowering Youth through Jobs and Entrepreneurship is one of the flagship programs of the AAAP. The overarching objective of the program is to promote jobs creation through social entrepreneurship and innovation for action on climate adaptation and resilience in Africa.

Under this program, the Youth Adaptation Solutions (YouthADAPT) Challenge is an annual competition and awards program jointly organized by GCA and AfDB. It aims to strengthen inclusive growth and broaden investment and economic opportunities for youth in Africa. With a strong focus on youth and gender, winners of the YouthAdapt Challenge will be awarded business grants of up to $100,000 each and the opportunity to participate in a 12-month business accelerator program to help them scale up their businesses, deepen their impact and create decent jobs. In addition, the winning youth-led enterprises will be provided with mentorship and support to expand partnerships, knowledge sharing and learning through a network of young entrepreneurs in climate adaptation. The first edition of the awards was launched on 6th September 2021.

Winners of the inaugural YouthADAPT Challenge will be announced at COP26, during a dedicated Awards Ceremony.

In the run up to the award ceremony, twenty (20) youth-owned/led businesses will be shortlisted from a pool of 2000+ applications from across Africa and invited to submit their business plans and a 3-minute video providing a clear value proposition to scale up their enterprises for greater social impact and to create specified decent and direct adaptation jobs. They will also undergo a one-week bootcamp to sharpen their pitches, undergo background checks and due diligence to ensure the best enterprises are selected.

Submitted applications and videos will be screened by a high-level jury and the 10 finalists will be announced and showcased at COP26.

Program:

Moderator: Alan Kasujja

Award Presentation/Recognition by:

• Dr. Akiwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank
• Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen, CEO, Global Center on Adaptation

Other high-level participants expected include:

• Heads of State and Government of African nations and regional partner governments
• Heads of major international and regional organizations supporting climate change adaptation action in Africa
• Special envoys on Youth affairs and African Youth Entrepreneurs