Zimbabwe Youth Innovation Hacklab 2026

The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, in partnership with the United Nations Youth Group chaired by UNFPA, invites young people ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe to submit innovative ideas addressing some of the country's most pressing development challenges.

The Zimbabwe Youth Innovation HackLab 2026 is anchored in the National Youth Empowerment Strategy 2026-2030 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The HackLab provides a structured pathway from idea to enterprise. Applicants will submit their ideas online, shortlisted participants will pitch their solutions to a judging panel at the National Youth Symposium, and winners will receive seed funding and business development support.

The challenge areas were validated by young people, government representatives, UN agencies and civil society during the July 2026 Problem Definition Workshop.

Job Summary

• Employer: Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, in partnership with the United Nations Youth Group
• Job Type: Temporary
• Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
• Category: Entrepreneurship
• Closing Date: 2026-10-20

Key Responsibilities

• Submit innovative ideas addressing some of the country's most pressing development challenges.
• Complete the online application form.
• Provide team details and select one of the three challenge categories.
• Submit a problem-solution summary (maximum 500 words).
• Submit an innovation description (maximum 800 words).
• Identify the root cause of the challenge and provide a 12-month implementation plan.
• Submit a proposed budget outlining the financial requirements for implementing the innovation.
• Explain how their project considers intersectionality (gender, disability, rural/urban, etc.).

Requirements

• All team members must be between 18 and 35 years old at the time of application.
• All applicants must be ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe.
• Each application must select one category only.
• Applications spanning multiple categories will not be considered.
• Ideas may be at concept, early prototype or early pilot stage.
• Fully operational businesses are not eligible unless they are pivoting to address a root cause in a materially different way.
• Applicants may be employed, students or self-employed.
• Affiliation with a university, NGO, private company or government body does not disqualify an applicant, provided the innovation idea is not proprietary to that institution.
• Applicants who previously received a UNFPA or UN agency innovation award in Zimbabwe cannot apply with the same idea.
• Previous award recipients may apply with a new idea addressing a different root cause.

How to Apply

To apply, please visit: forms.gle