Youth and Trade Programme

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Young people are central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, both as beneficiaries and drivers. ITC’s Youth and Trade programme delivers specifically on Global Goal 4 (skills for entrepreneurship) and Global Goal 8 (decent work and inclusive growth).

Increasing the income opportunities available to young entrepreneurs, especially with trade, is good for future growth of our economy and inclusiveness of our society.

In order for youth-owned businesses to internationalise and grow, the programme will strengthen the environment in which young entrepreneurs operate and the level of assistance they receive. To this end, the programme will support:

Trade and Investment Support Institutions (TISIs) to provide an improved service offer to young entrepreneurs
Policy makers to consider the youth dimension in trade competitiveness strategies
Young entrepreneurs to increase their competitiveness
Market partners to share their know-how and establish relationships with young entrepreneurs

Beneficiaries

	Informal Producers The programme’s objective is to link these producers with international value chains and develop the necessary support infrastructure to achieve sustainable sales. This beneficiary group is likely to generate limited increases in revenue during the life of the programme, but is likely to contribute to increased employment and will have a positive livelihood impact.
	New SMEs The programme will work with partners to provide these young entrepreneurs and their companies with the support they require to grow into international value chains. This beneficiary group is likely to generate additional revenues due to programme activities, and have the potential to continue to grow and internationalise beyond the lifespan of the programme.
	Near export-ready SMEs The programme will provide these youth-owned businesses with intensive support – through trade accelerators and similar initiatives. This beneficiary group is likely to generate significant revenues over the lifetime of the programme and have the potential to become regular exporters in the medium to long term.