Ye! Boost Accelerator to be launched in the Philippines

Ye! Boost Accelerator, an accelerator programme to support and enhance the capacities of youth-led businesses in the Philippines to internationalize, will be launched early next year.

It will engage youth on internationalization training, investment readiness, IP protection and help them to connect with experts and access finance. The Ye! Boost Accelerator will be open to all youth (under 35 years old) operating established enterprises that are looking to expand internationally.

Young entrepreneurs interested in being the first to know when the application goes live, can enter their information here to receive the latest news.

This announcement was made at an online panel discussion held earlier this month during the Philippines Startup Week 2021 and attended by more than 900 people. Entitled Enhancing support for youth-led startups to ensure a resilient recovery, the panel featured policymakers, young entrepreneurs and key ecosystem enablers.

This discussion was organized to raise awareness about the critical role youth entrepreneurs can play in a resilient recovery and to jumpstart the International Trade Centre’s engagement with youth-led enterprises and aspiring youth entrepreneurs in the Philippines, through its ARISE Plus Philippines project.

The Philippines Startup week is the country’s largest 5-day virtual conference, with this year’s theme highlighting the Philippine startup ecosystem as an engine for recovery and long-term growth post-pandemic. The event was organized by QBO Innovation Hub, the local Ye! Chapter Anchor for the ITC’s Ye! Chapter in the Philippines, together with the Philippine startup community, including the Department of Trade & Industry, Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Information and Communications Technology. More than 5500 stakeholders registered for the week-long event.

Opening remarks were given by the European Union Delegation to the Philippines Head of Trade Maurizio Cellini. 

“Key ecosystem actors must collaborate to address service gaps in the business support ecosystem and identify potential synergies. Exercises like the ITC’s Network Analysis and Ecosystem Mapping, taking place under the Arise Plus Philippines Project, aim to shed light on the current service gaps and overlaps, and open up collaboration to enhance the startup ecosystem,” he said.

Napoleon K. Juanillo Jr. Assistant Secretary for Competitiveness and Innovation Group (CIG), Department of Trade and Industry, Katrina Chan, Executive Director of QBO Innovation Hub and Ideaspace Foundation Inc. and Mel Nava, Co-Founder of 1Export participated in the discussion. 

Each spoke from their respective position within the ecosystem and  emphasized the need for youth to think globally, whilst also receiving the proper support, in order to play a role in enhancing the Philippines economic recovery and ensuring the Philippines maximizes its export potential.

About ARISE Plus

The ARISE Plus Philippines project is a 4-year project, funded by the European Union (EU). It aims to foster inclusive economic growth in the Philippines through improved international trade performance and competitiveness as well as economic integration. Under the project, ITC will support government and private operators to better identify and implement export priorities.

Through the Arise Plus Philippines project and related activities, such as the Ye! Boost accelerator, ITC continues to place youth at the forefront in ensuring a resilient recovery for the Philippines through entrepreneurship and trade. 

To join the ITC’s Global Platform for youth entrepreneurs, create your profile on the Ye! Community here. Through this platform youth entrepreneurs can connect with mentors, opportunities, events, awards and tools to build their ventures. Filipino youth entrepreneurs can join the platform to connect with the Ye! Chapter in the Philippines and its additional support for youth entrepreneurs.