UNDP Enhancing Capacities of Women and Youth-led Enterprises for Regional Trade (ECoWYERT) Program 2026

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Applications are open for UNDP Enhancing Capacities of Women and Youth-led Enterprises for Regional Trade (ECoWYERT) Program 2026. The Enhancing Capacities of Women and Youth-led Enterprises for Regional Trade (ECoWYERT) Program is inviting applications from young people, entrepreneurs, traders and enterprises seeking to strengthen their skills, grow their businesses and explore opportunities in regional trade.

The Training will provide practical, market-focused support tailored to participants at different stages of their employment, business and trade journeys from young people preparing to enter employment or start a business to established enterprises seeking to expand into regional markets.

In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the program will be co-implemented by the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB), the Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA) and the Trade and Development Fund (TDF) across six countries: Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwefrom 2025 to 2030.

UNDP ECoWYERT Program Benefits

Depending on their selected category, participants will gain:

Practical employability, entrepreneurship and business-management skills
Financial literacy, management and record-keeping skills
Business planning and growth strategies
Marketing and customer-development skills
Digital business and selling tools
Business formalisation guidance
Cross-border trade and export-readiness skills
Knowledge of regional markets and opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

Eligibility Criteria & Categories

Applicants should select the category that best reflects their current employment, business or trade stage.

New-to-Trade Youth

This category is for:

Young women and men aged 16–35
Youth not in education, employment or training (NEET)
Aspiring entrepreneurs
Youth transitioning from education or vocational training into employment or entrepreneurship
Young people seeking to turn farming or other income-generating activities into sustainable businesses

Participants will gain practical employability, entrepreneurship, financial-management and business skills, as well as an introduction to cross-border trade and regional market opportunities.

Existing Traders

This category is for:

Sole traders
Rural and peri-urban traders
Small-Scale Cross-Border Traders (SSCBTs)
Informal businesses

The training will help participants strengthen their business-management and financial record-keeping skills, improve marketing and customer engagement, explore digital business tools and better understand business formalisation and regional trade.

Growing Trade Enterprises

This category is for:

Micro businesses
Small businesses
Home-based enterprises
Small-scale processors

Participants will gain practical skills in business planning, financial management, marketing, customer development and market access, helping them strengthen their operations and prepare for future growth and trade opportunities.

Scaling Trade Enterprises

This category is for:

Medium-sized businesses
Formal enterprises
Aggregators
Growth-oriented businesses

The training will support established enterprises to improve their export readiness, strengthen their supply chains and business systems, identify regional market opportunities and prepare to expand across Africa.