UfM Med Youth Lab 2026: Call for Applications
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.
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.
The UfM Med Youth Lab 2026 is organised by the Union for the Mediterranean, with the support of the German Development Cooperation, in partnership with the University of Palermo.
Applications deadline: 30 August 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
Programme components
1
Online training: October to December 2026
2
In-person workshops: 14–16 December 2026, Palermo
3
Follow-up activities in 2027
How can I apply to the UfM Med Youth Lab 2026?
1. Check your eligibility
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.
Participants from the 2024 or 2025 editions of the UfM Med Youth Lab may apply, provided that they meet all the eligibility criteria for this edition.
2. Consider the financial coverage
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.
Nationals of other UfM Member States are eligible to apply but must independently secure funding for their travel and participation in Palermo.
The UfM Secretariat will provide supporting documentation for visa applications where required. However, participants remain responsible for checking the applicable requirements and submitting their applications correctly. Visa decisions remain under the sole authority of the Italian authorities.
Unless expressly authorised in advance, expenses independently incurred by participants, including flights, visa fees or hotel reservations, will not be reimbursed.
3. Read the guidelines
Carefully review the Guidelines for Application before submitting your form. They contain detailed information on:
- Eligibility requirements
- Programme content and format
- Financial and visa support
- Required documents
- Evaluation and selection
- Participant commitments
4. Prepare your attachments
Applications must be completed in English and include:
- A video of no more than two minutes, recorded in English, explaining your background, your motivation and what you hope to learn from the UfM Med Youth Lab.
- Proof of current university enrolment or a graduation certificate demonstrating that you graduated within the past year.
- A copy of a valid travel document.
Applicants should ensure that all information and materials submitted are complete, accurate and original.
5. Submit your application
Complete and submit the online application form by 30 August 2026, 23:59 CEST
Applications will be automatically rejected if they:
- Are incomplete or submitted after the deadline.
- Do not meet the eligibility requirements.
- Demonstrate significant prior training or professional experience in entrepreneurship that is incompatible with the introductory level of the programme.
- Contain material that is not original, including applications produced entirely using artificial intelligence.
Previous editions
The UfM Med Youth Lab was launched in Fes, Morocco, in November 2024. Its second edition combined online training with in-person workshops in Tirana, Albania, in September and October 2025.
Both previous editions focused on project-development skills and supported young people in transforming ideas into structured project proposals.
Building on the experience of Fes and Tirana, the 2026 edition introduces a new focus on entrepreneurial and employability skills, while maintaining the programme’s emphasis on practical learning, peer exchange and regional cooperation.
Objectives of the UfM Med Youth Lab 2026
- Introduce university students and recent graduates to foundational entrepreneurship and employability concepts.
- Develop basic transferable skills in innovation, financial literacy, communication and problem-solving.
- Build participants’ confidence to engage with entrepreneurship despite having no previous experience in the field.
- Support each participant in designing a simple introductory awareness session for peers.
- Encourage the sharing of basic entrepreneurship knowledge at national and local level.
- Promote peer learning and cooperation among young people from across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Background
The UfM Med Youth Lab forms part of the UfM’s wider work to strengthen youth participation, skills development and access to opportunities across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The initiative contributes to the objectives of the UfM Youth Strategy 2030 and the UfM Youth Agenda: Call for Action, which recognise the transformative role of young people and call for stronger action in areas including education and employment, social inclusion and participation.
Emerging from the experience and feedback of the 3rd edition of the Mediterranean Youth Academy, and following two editions focused on project development, the 2026 programme responds to the need for accessible, introductory entrepreneurship and employability learning for university students and recent graduates. Its peer-facilitation approach also enables the knowledge gained during the programme to reach other young people at local and national level.
Got any doubts? Contact us!
We recommend that you carefully read the Guidelines for Applications document. If you have any doubts or challenges in submitting your application, please reach out to us via this email: medyouthlab@ufmsecretariat.org.
We wish you the best of luck! 🍀
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