The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has opened applications for the 2026 Enhancing Capacities of Women and Youth-led Enterprises for Regional Trade (ECoWYERT) Program, a training and enterprise development initiative targeting young people, entrepreneurs, traders and businesses.

The programme is being implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB), the Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA) and the Trade and Development Fund (TDF).

ECoWYERT is being implemented across Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The five-year programme runs from 2025 to 2030.

The opportunity is structured into four categories to accommodate applicants at different stages of their employment, business and trade journeys.

The New-to-Trade Youth category is open to young women and men aged 16 to 35, young people who are not in education, employment or training, aspiring entrepreneurs, people transitioning from education or vocational training into employment or entrepreneurship, and those seeking to turn farming or other income-generating activities into sustainable businesses.

Participants in this category will receive training covering employability, entrepreneurship, financial management, business development and cross-border trade.

The Existing Traders category targets sole traders, rural and peri-urban traders, small-scale cross-border traders and informal businesses. Training will focus on business management, financial record keeping, marketing, customer engagement, digital business tools, business formalisation and regional trade.

For Growing Trade Enterprises, eligible participants include micro businesses, small businesses, home-based enterprises and small-scale processors. The training will cover business planning, financial management, marketing, customer development and market access.

The Scaling Trade Enterprises category is designed for medium-sized businesses, formal enterprises, aggregators and growth-oriented businesses. Participants will receive training focused on export readiness, supply chains, business systems and identifying opportunities to expand into regional African markets.

Depending on the category selected, participants can also gain practical skills in entrepreneurship and business management, employability, financial literacy and record keeping, business planning and growth strategies, marketing and customer development, digital business and selling tools, business formalisation, cross-border trade, export readiness, regional market opportunities and opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The wider ECoWYERT project aims to help young women and youth-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) access AfCFTA-related opportunities and regional value chains.

According to the Mastercard Foundation, the programme is expected to reach about 28,300 businesses and contribute to access to approximately 125,000 jobs across the six focus countries.

Applications are currently open to eligible participants in Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Applicants are expected to confirm that they are located in one of the programme’s six target countries before applying.

Applicants must complete the ECoWYERT application form and select the category that best reflects their current employment, business or trade stage.

Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. UNDP advises applicants to submit complete and accurate information. However, submitting an application does not guarantee selection, and only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Application: Apply for the UNDP ECoWYERT Program

Source: msmeafricaonline