PARTNERS: VOTY-UP | ATENEO-HPAIR

Five (5) young entrepreneurs in Guyana, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa, and Turkey will simultaneously start their own business under the guidance of a youth organization and a mentor from the business community. Their experiences will be followed and presented to a youthful audience through an interactive Spark* website, a monthly Spark* e-zine, national and international youth networks and media channels, and potentially a TV program or documentary, if a suitable media partner and financial backing are found. The project will likewise be promoted in local newspapers, (youth) magazines, internet networks and schools. The progress and experiences will also be documented in an official Spark* report, which will include recommendations on youth entrepreneurship, useful tools, guidance structures, and internet network support at the end of the project. Through raising awareness and international cooperation, the project aims to spark new youth employment and entrepreneurship projects, partnerships, and funding opportunities. 

Spark* will give five young people (between the ages of 18-26) in five different countries the opportunity to start their own business.  The young entrepreneurs will be guided by one of the participating youth organisation and a mentor from the business community in their own country. The young entrepreneurs will obtain a normal business loan from a local or national bank through the provision of the Spark* guarantee fund that safeguards the loan during three years. This ensures that the participating organisations build sustainable relationships with banks in their own country. It also ensures that the businesses will be viable after the project ends.

The young entrepreneurs will be selected through business plan competitions and held separately in each participating country. In each country the winner(s) is/are matched with a mentor helping them further develop their business plan and start up their micro-enterprise.  All businesses will be launched simultaneously in February 2005.

The Youth Employment Spark* Project was showcased during the Youth Volunteerism Fair held at Clamshell, Intramuros last December 5, 2004. A public presentation about Spark* was conducted during the HPAIR Ateneo-UNDP National Conference on Sustainable Development at the Ateneo Campus in Rockwell, Makati City last January 15, 2005. There are on-going Spark* roadshows in different schools/universities in Metro Manila. These events aim to widely promote the project to encourage more young people to submit applications to the business plan competition.

In early February 2005, the Spark* Selection Committee/Jury will meet to review the business plans submitted and select the winner(s) of the Spark* guarantee fund and sub-category awards. The best business plan will be awarded a Spark* guarantee fund, worth almost PhP 300,000.00, as a start-up capital of the winning entrepreneur and be matched with a business mentor soon after. It is aimed that there will be three (3) Spark* award sub-categories for the best MDG business plans on Environmental Sustainability, Poverty Reduction, and Social Empowerment. Each sub-category awardee will receive a citation trophy and a cash prize sponsored by the National Youth Commission. The Awarding Ceremonies will take place before mid-February 2005.