Application Deadline: 30 August 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
Applications are now open for the 2026 Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Youth Lab. The UfM Med Youth Lab 2026 is an introductory skills-building programme on entrepreneurship for young university students and recent graduates aged 18–29. It is designed specifically for participants with no or limited previous knowledge or experience in entrepreneurship.
The third edition combines online training from October to December 2026 with in-person workshops scheduled to take place from 14 to 16 December 2026 in Palermo, Italy. The programme will be held back-to-back with the UfM Employment Forum and the UfM workshop From Degrees to Ventures.
Through expert-led sessions, non-formal education and teamwork, up to 30 participants will develop foundational skills in entrepreneurial mindset, innovation, basic financial literacy, communication and problem-solving.
The programme follows a Training of Trainers approach. Participants will be supported in designing a simple, introductory awareness session on entrepreneurship that they can later share with peers at national or local level in 2027. This is not a professional trainer certification, and participants are not expected to become entrepreneurship experts. Instead, they will act as peer facilitators able to introduce basic concepts within their communities.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be between 18 and 29 years old at the time of application.
- Be a national and resident of a UfM Member State.
- Be currently enrolled in a university programme or have graduated no more than one year before the application deadline.
- Hold a valid travel document, such as a passport.
- Have at least a B2 level of English, or an equivalent ability to participate actively in discussions and group work.
- Have no significant previous knowledge, training or professional experience in entrepreneurship.
- Be fully available for both the online training and the in-person workshops in Palermo.
- This programme is intended specifically for beginners. Applicants with significant previous entrepreneurship training, experience running or funding a start-up, or experience working with business-support organisations are not eligible for selection.
Benefits
- Application and participation in the UfM Med Youth Lab are free of charge. Access to the programme’s training sessions and materials is also free.
- Nationals of the following UfM Member States may receive coverage of costs related to the in-person workshops in Palermo, including travel, accommodation and visa-related expenses, in accordance with UfM procedures and the available budget:
- Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Türkiye.
- Full sponsorship for travel, visa and accommodation costs related to the in-person programme is available to nationals of Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Türkiye.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Youth Lab
