Cricket One from Việt Nam is one of seven winning YSE teams in 2018. — Photo SIF

HÀ NỘI — The Singapore International Foundation’s (SIF) Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) Global programme is back this year as a digital experience, undeterred by restrictions imposed by the pandemic to continue nurturing young global change makers.

Applications for YSE Global 2021 are now open until the end of 25 April (Singapore time), welcoming youths from Vietnam, and all parts of the world, to embark on a journey to start or scale up their social enterprises.

The programme will start with the YSE Global Workshop (July – August 2021) comprising an intensive series of webinars and business clinics led by social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business strategists. Participants will get to gain skills to become effective social entrepreneurs through workshop sessions on finance, marketing, and impact measurement. At the end, teams will present their business plans to a panel of judges and 15 teams will be shortlisted to proceed to the next phase of YSE Global.

From September 2021 to February 2022, shortlisted teams will be mentored by leading business consultants from McKinsey & Company and global investment company Temasek International, and established entrepreneurs relevant to their sectors. The teams will have the opportunity to hone their business acumen, broaden their cultural perspectives, and tap on a global YSE Global alumni network of over 1,200 members. In March 2022, all teams will reconvene at the YSE Global Pitching for Change event. They will present their refined business plans to a panel of judges for a chance to receive seed funding of up to S$20,000.

“At the SIF, we believe in bringing people of different cultures together to inspire ideas and action for good. While we are unable to have the YSE participants physically in Singapore this year, the digital platform offers new opportunities to nurture the energy, innovative spirit, and passion of young change makers driven by a strong sense of social purpose. In current times of great economic, climate, and global health challenges, it is even more important that we accelerate the pace of social innovation,” said Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, SIF Chairman.

Now in its 12th year, YSE Global seeks to inspire, equip, and enable youth from different nationalities to start or scale up their social enterprises. Through its growing network of more than 1,200 alumni from 525 social enterprises across 39 nationalities, the SIF’s signature programme has enabled youths across the globe to harness the power of ideas, know-how and resources to effect systemic and sustainable change for a better world. — VNS