Youth Social Enterprise Initiative (YSEI) is glad to announce a call for proposals to the 2008 YSEI Fellowship Programme.

Youth Social Enterprise Initiative (YSEI) is a high-engagement social venture program for emerging young social entrepreneurs in developing countries. Through its Fellowship Programme, YSEI provides young social entrepreneurs with support in four key areas:

Financing: Up to USD15,000
Knowledge: Essential development knowledge & tools on social entrepreneurship
Mentorship: Technical consulting through mentorship
Networks: Access to diverse networks

The Fellowship Programme consists in a competitive selection process to provide support to young social entrepreneurs.

20 workshop finalists would be identified to attend the upcoming YSEI Capacity Building workshop scheduled for May 2008. The deadline for submission is EXTENDED to the April 6th, 2008.

The purpose of the Capacity Building workshop is to both identify the batch of YSEI Fellows 2008 and provide capacity building support to all the finalists participating. This would entail refining the workshop finalists business plans, conducting further due diligence and nurturing a network of young social entrepreneurs and mentors.

YSEI aims to invest in young visionaries who have big ideas and who need crucial startup support to turn their ideas into action. The following are characteristics of ventures we aim to invest in:

• Ventures are led by youth from developing countries aged between 20 to 35 years
• Innovative social ventures with blended values (creation economic, social and/or environmental value components)
• Information & communication technologies (ICTs) are recognized as an integral part of the venture/ solution-provided
• Ventures that are specifically designed to solve social or environmental problems
• Recognized as part of a legally instituted NGO/ Business OR become recognized by taking up volunteer/staff positions within a legally instituted NGO/ Business

This round would only cover the Asia-region (Asia - South and East) as YSEI is in the midst of exploring replication of the program with other partners in the other regions. The replication of the program is expected to happen in the near future.

To apply, please visit the following link (http://globalknowledge.org/ysei08/registration_form.cfm?action=register) and proceed to register and complete your online application.

Although we encourage you to complete the application online, if you encounter problems, please download the application form (YSEI application form 2008.doc) and submit it to apply@ysei.org

The deadline for submissions is EXTENDED to April 6th, 2008.

The workshop finalists results are expected to be announced by the April 21^st, 2008.

The applications will be judged based on the YSEI Program criteria. Click here for Judges' Profile.

YSEI is glad to announce the finalists who will be attending the Capacity Buidling Workshop organized between May 17 and 20 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.