2025 World Bank Group Youth Summit Pitch Competition – Win a Fully Funded Trip to Washington, D.C.!

Overview

The World Bank Group Youth Summit returns for its 12th edition, bringing together young people from across the globe to engage with the most urgent issues of their generation. This year, the summit will focus on youth-led innovation in three critical areas: climate action, digital transformation, and creative industries.

The Summit’s Mission:

1. Empower youth to explore innovative solutions to development challenges.
2. Equip youth with the tools to create and lead impactful projects.
3. Foster dialogue between youth, the World Bank Group, and other key global stakeholders.

Summit Theme: “New Horizons: Youth-Led Innovation for a Sustainable and Equitable World”

The 2025 Youth Summit will center on three transformative areas that offer significant opportunities for young changemakers to shape a sustainable future:

1. Digital Transformation & Data
   Explore how youth are using technology, including AI and big data, to drive economic growth, bridge the digital divide, and create a future-ready labor market.
2. Climate Action & Resilience
   Highlight the role of young leaders in creating solutions for green technologies, smart cities, and sustainable agriculture, addressing climate change while generating job opportunities.
3. Creative Industries
   Showcase how the arts, media, and fashion can contribute to social and economic change, promote sustainability, and preserve cultural heritage.

The summit will focus on three perspectives: underserved populations, fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV), and partnerships, amplifying diverse voices and fostering collaboration for global impact.

Why This Summit Matters:

Over 85% of the world’s youth live in low- and middle-income countries, many in fragile or conflict-affected settings. As nearly 800 million young people in developing nations risk exclusion from the job market, particularly those from marginalized groups, youth-led innovations are essential in creating new job opportunities and promoting inclusion.

The Youth Summit will highlight impactful youth-led initiatives such as using real-time data to improve agricultural resilience, launching digital platforms for financial inclusion, and driving creativity in industries to offer new solutions to youth unemployment and development challenges.

Join the Pitch Competition!

The World Bank Group Youth Summit invites young innovators to apply for the Youth Summit 2025 Pitch Competition. This competition offers a global platform to present your solutions and ideas in any of the three thematic pillars. The winning teams will showcase their innovations at the 2025 Summit, receiving exposure and support for their projects.

How to Apply:

1. Create your account on F6S and apply via the link below
2. Submit your proposal by January 26, 2025, 11:59 pm EST.
3. Your application must address at least one of the thematic pillars: Digital Transformation, Climate Action & Resilience, or Empowering Change through Creative Industries.

Finalists will join the 2024 World Bank Group Youth Summit hosted at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Travel expenses, including lodging and a nominal stipend for up to three nights, will be covered for one representative per team. The representative is required to obtain a valid U.S. visa for their travel. Other team members can participate in the event through the virtual platform.

Key Dates:

1. Registration Opens: December 18, 2024
2. Application Deadline: January 26, 2025, 11:59 pm EST
3. Pitch Competition Finalists Announcement: April 2025
4. Summit Dates: May 19-20, 2025

Eligibility

1. Team members must be between 18-35 years old on the date of the application deadline.
2. Each team member should be from a World Bank Group member country.
3. The solution must address at least one thematic pillar. Cross-thematic solutions are encouraged.

Still Have Questions?

Contact World Bank at youthsummit@worldbank.org with the subject: PITCH COMPETITION.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

GOOD LUCK