Go to One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town for Free: Dutch Ministry Enterprising Futures Scholarship for Impact Entrepreneurs

There are scholarships that help. And then there are scholarships that move your entire chessboard.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Enterprising Futures Scholarship is in the second category. It’s fully funded, it drops you into One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town (3–6 November), and it’s aimed squarely at the people who don’t just talk about “impact”—they’re already building it, selling it, hiring for it, and sweating over unit economics at 2 a.m.

If you’re running (or helping lead) a start-up or SME that solves a real social or environmental problem—clean energy, circular economy, climate-smart agriculture, inclusive finance, health access, education, job creation—this opportunity is basically a passport to a global room where doors open fast. Picture 2,000 young leaders from 190+ countries in one place. It’s part summit, part pressure cooker, part reunion of the kinds of people who start sentences with “What if we tried…” and actually finish them with results.

Also: the money matters. Travel, accommodation, meals, visa costs, local transport—the scholarship covers the expensive stuff that usually blocks entrepreneurs from emerging and frontier markets from showing up. This program knows that “access” isn’t a motivational quote; it’s airfare and a hotel receipt.

One more thing: this is a tough scholarship to get, but absolutely worth the effort. If your venture has traction and your impact is measurable (or at least clearly evidenced), your application has a real shot—especially if you can show you’ll multiply the value of the Summit after you get home.

Enterprising Futures Scholarship 2026 at a Glance

What This Scholarship Actually Pays For (and Why That Matters)

Let’s get practical. “Fully funded” can mean anything from “we’ll waive the registration fee” to “good luck with everything else.” This one is the real deal.

You get access to One Young World Summit 2026 itself, plus additional events organized by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including a pre-programme. That extra layer is important: it means you’re not just another badge in a crowd. You’re part of a specific cohort with its own programming, context, and connections—often where the best conversations happen because it’s smaller and more focused.

Then there’s the logistics coverage, which is where this scholarship quietly becomes powerful. The program covers economy flights from your country of residence to Cape Town, domestic travel costs to reach the international departure airport, and transport between Summit accommodation and venue. It also covers hotel accommodation during the pre-programme and Summit dates, plus meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) throughout the program. If you’ve ever tried to attend a global conference while running payroll and keeping inventory moving, you already know: removing those costs is not a perk—it’s the difference between attending and staying home.

Visa support is included too: visa costs if applicable, and even one night of hotel accommodation (if required) for the visa application process. That detail tells you the designers understand reality. In many countries, visa appointments require travel to another city, overnight stays, and surprise fees that aren’t “big” in donor terms but are huge when you’re bootstrapping.

Finally, there’s the long-tail value: access to the One Young World Global Leadership Programme, the Action Accelerator, and lifetime membership in the One Young World Ambassador Community. Translation: you’re not done when the Summit ends. You join an alumni network that can help with partnerships, visibility, and credibility—especially useful when you’re pitching suppliers, funders, or government stakeholders who want proof you’re plugged into something bigger than your WhatsApp group.

Who Should Apply (and Who Should Probably Not)

This scholarship is designed for young entrepreneurs and business leaders who are already in motion. Not daydreaming. Not “building an idea.” Building a business—something with customers, pilots, distribution, partnerships, or clear evidence that it works in the real world.

You’re eligible if you’ll be 18–35 years old by November 2026, you have a working understanding of English, and you can commit to the program full time between 30 October and 7 November 2026 (and any additional pre/post programme dates the organizers schedule). That time commitment is non-negotiable, and it’s the first place people accidentally disqualify themselves. If you can’t step away from daily operations, start planning now—delegate, document, and set up a “Summit week operating system” so your business doesn’t wobble while you’re gone.

The program wants candidates who are leading or part of a scalable start-up or SME with demonstrable social and/or environmental impact. “Scalable” is the key word that separates this from a local community project grant. Scalability doesn’t have to mean venture capital or unicorn fantasies. It means your model can expand—across neighborhoods, cities, regions, or customer segments—without breaking. Think repeatable operations, a supply chain you can grow, or a service model that can be replicated through partners.

The impact requirement also deserves respect. If you claim impact, you’ll want to show receipts: reduced emissions, jobs created, farmers reached, women entrepreneurs financed, school attendance improved, waste diverted, households served, costs reduced, outcomes improved. Numbers are great, but credible stories work too—especially when paired with simple metrics.

Country eligibility (nationality + residency)

Applicants must be nationals of and residents of one of these countries:

Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq (including the Kurdistan region of Iraq), Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda.

If you’re from one of these countries but currently living elsewhere, read that requirement carefully. “National of and resident of” usually means you need both—passport and current residency. If your situation is complicated (dual citizenship, temporary study abroad, refugee status), check the official page and consider emailing the scholarship contact (if provided on the portal) before you invest days into the application.

Why One Young World Is Worth Your Time (Even If You Hate Conferences)

A lot of founders hear “summit” and picture panels, name tags, and polite networking that goes nowhere. Fair concern.

But One Young World is less “sit politely and listen” and more “get thrown into conversations with people who build things.” It’s also a credibility signal. When you tell partners or funders you were selected as an Enterprising Futures Scholar through the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and One Young World, it communicates that someone did due diligence on your leadership and impact.

The real upside is density: mentors, peers, potential collaborators, and decision-makers in one place. If your business relies on partnerships—NGOs, government agencies, corporate buyers, accelerators, supply-chain partners—this kind of gathering can compress months of cold outreach into a week of warm intros.

Treat it like a business development sprint, not a field trip.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (The Stuff That Actually Moves the Needle)

Most applicants will say their start-up has impact. Most will say they’re passionate. That’s table stakes. Here’s how you separate yourself without turning your application into a novel.

1) Prove you’re scalable with one clean sentence

Write a simple scaling statement that a tired reviewer can understand on the first read. Example: “We’ve proven demand in two cities and can expand to ten more through distributor partnerships already in negotiation.” Or: “Our model scales because training is standardized, delivery is digital, and community agents handle last-mile onboarding.”

If your scalability depends on a fragile hero founder (you), fix that narrative. Reviewers want systems, not superhuman schedules.

2) Quantify impact like you’re reporting to a skeptical accountant

Use a few hard numbers and make them concrete. Not “empowering communities.” Try: “1,200 households switched from charcoal to efficient cookstoves, cutting estimated fuel spend by 18% and reducing indoor smoke exposure.” If you don’t have perfect monitoring yet, be honest and show direction: what you measure now, what you plan to measure next, and why that matters.

3) Show you understand the problem from the inside, not from the internet

Many strong ventures come from lived experience: you grew up with the problem, you’ve worked in the sector, or your team has deep field exposure. Explain that briefly. It’s the difference between “We chose this market” and “This market chose us.”

4) Make the “why now” argument

Why is 2026 the moment your venture can jump? New regulation? Falling costs of a technology? A distribution partnership? A procurement opportunity? Reviewers love momentum because it suggests the Summit can accelerate something that’s already moving.

5) Treat leadership as behavior, not a personality trait

Instead of “I’m a strong leader,” show what you’ve built: a team, a customer base, partnerships, a pilot program, a revenue model, a manufacturing process, a franchise approach. Leadership looks like decisions and outcomes.

6) Explain what you’ll do with the Summit, specifically

This is where many applications get vague (“networking,” “learning”). Be sharper. Name 2–3 concrete objectives:

• “Secure introductions to distributors in Southern Africa and pilot in one new market within six months.”
• “Meet climate finance actors to refine our MRV (measurement, reporting, verification) approach for carbon-linked revenue.”
• “Find manufacturing partners to reduce unit cost by 15%.”

The program is paying to send you; show you’ll turn that investment into measurable post-Summit action.

7) Write like a human, edit like a lawyer

Draft with energy, then edit for clarity. Remove buzzwords. Keep sentences short. Make sure every claim can be backed up if asked. If an impact number is an estimate, label it as an estimate.

Application Timeline (Working Backward From March 9, 2026)

If you treat March 9 as the day you start, you’ll produce a rushed application that sounds like every other rushed application. Give yourself room for thinking, proof, and polishing.

8–10 weeks before the deadline (mid-December to early January): Decide your core story: what your venture does, who it serves, and what proof you have that it works. Gather basic metrics—revenue (if any), customers served, beneficiaries reached, emissions/waste reduced, jobs created, partnerships signed. Also confirm you can truly be away full time from 30 Oct–7 Nov 2026.

6–8 weeks before (January): Draft your responses and ask two people to review: one who knows your sector and one who doesn’t. The second reviewer is your secret weapon—if they get it quickly, reviewers will too.

4–6 weeks before (early February): Tighten your impact evidence. If the application asks for links, references, or documentation, prepare them now. Identify a short list of “Summit objectives” so your motivation feels specific, not generic.

2–3 weeks before (mid-February): Do your final rewrite for clarity. Trim jargon. Align every answer with the scholarship’s priorities: scalable entrepreneurship, sustainability, real impact, and readiness for international engagement.

Final week (early March): Submit early. Portals behave badly near deadlines. Give yourself at least 48 hours of buffer so you’re not uploading documents while your internet decides to become philosophical.

Required Materials (What to Prepare Before You Open the Form)

The official page doesn’t list every field in the form upfront, but scholarships like this typically ask for a mix of personal details and venture evidence. Prepare a small “application kit” so you’re not scrambling.

At minimum, you should expect to provide:

• Personal information (age verification, nationality, residency, contact details).
• English proficiency confirmation (usually self-declared; sometimes they probe through written responses).
• Venture description: what you do, your business model, your role, and what makes you scalable.
• Impact proof: simple metrics, outcomes, and who benefits (with a clear time frame).
• Motivation statements: why you, why now, why One Young World, and what you’ll do afterward.

Preparation advice: write your longer answers in a separate document first (Google Docs/Word), then paste them in. You’ll avoid accidental timeouts and you’ll have clean versions for future applications.

What Makes an Application Stand Out (How Reviewers Tend to Think)

Even without seeing the scoring rubric, you can safely assume reviewers are scanning for four things.

First, credibility. Does this person actually run (or meaningfully lead) a real venture? Do their responsibilities sound like leadership, or like “I attended a workshop”?

Second, evidence of impact. Not perfection—evidence. A venture with modest numbers but clear proof and a believable growth plan often beats a grand idea with zero traction.

Third, scalability and sustainability alignment. This scholarship is tied to sustainability challenges. If your venture touches climate adaptation, green jobs, circularity, food systems resilience, inclusive economies, or health/education access, connect the dots clearly.

Fourth, readiness. Can you represent your country and venture in English? Can you commit to the dates? Will you show up and contribute, not just collect a passport stamp? The strongest applications sound ready to participate tomorrow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (So You Do Not Accidentally Tank a Great Idea)

1) Writing like a brochure

If your application reads like a marketing flyer—big claims, vague benefits, no specifics—reviewers won’t trust it. Replace “transforming lives” with one measurable outcome.

2) Confusing “impact” with “good intentions”

Intentions are nice. Results are better. If you’re early stage, talk about pilots, early users, or validated demand. Show what you’ve tested and what you learned.

3) Ignoring the “full-time availability” requirement

This scholarship expects you to participate fully between 30 Oct–7 Nov 2026 (plus pre/post dates). If you have exams, harvest season, product launches, or major contracts during that window, plan around it or don’t apply.

4) Overclaiming your role

Reviewers can smell exaggeration. If you’re “part of” an SME, explain your leadership scope clearly: operations lead, product lead, co-founder, partnerships manager, etc. Honest clarity beats inflated titles.

5) Making your scaling plan sound like wishful thinking

“Next year we’ll expand across Africa” is not a plan. A plan has a route: which markets, why those markets, what channels, what costs, and what constraints.

6) Submitting without a final pass for clarity

Typos won’t kill you, but confusing writing might. If a reviewer has to reread a sentence three times, they’ll move on to someone who respects their time.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Is this scholarship fully funded?

Yes. The benefits listed include Summit access, hotel accommodation, meals, flights (economy), domestic travel to the airport, local transport, and visa costs if applicable. It’s designed to remove the main cost barriers to attending.

2) Do I have to be a founder to apply?

Not necessarily. The eligibility says you must be leading or part of a scalable start-up or SME in an entrepreneurial or similar role. If you’re a key leader (operations, product, growth, partnerships) with real responsibility, you may fit.

3) What counts as a scalable SME?

Think of an SME with a model that can expand without collapsing—repeatable delivery, replicable operations, a product/service with broader demand, and a plan that isn’t dependent on constant grant funding to survive.

4) Do I need to work in a specific sector?

The scholarship is aimed at social and/or environmental impact. Your sector can vary widely—agriculture, energy, waste, fintech, education, health, logistics—so long as the impact is real and clearly explained.

5) What if my impact is early and my numbers are small?

Small is fine if it’s credible. Show pilots, customer validation, retention, revenue (if any), partnerships, or concrete proof of adoption. Reviewers often prefer honest early traction over inflated claims.

6) Do I need perfect English?

You need a working understanding of English because the Summit and related programming run in English. You don’t need to sound like a BBC anchor—just clear enough to participate, collaborate, and represent your work.

7) Can I apply if I’m from an eligible country but live abroad?

The eligibility states you must be a national of and resident of one of the eligible countries. If you live abroad, you may not qualify. Confirm on the official page and clarify with organizers if you’re unsure.

8) What happens after the Summit?

You retain access to One Young World programming and join the Ambassador Community as a lifetime member. The bigger point: you should leave with partnerships, visibility, and a concrete plan—otherwise you’ve attended an expensive event on someone else’s dime and brought home only photos.

How to Apply (Next Steps You Can Do This Week)

First, confirm you meet the non-negotiables: age (18–35 by November 2026), nationality and residency in one of the listed countries, English working ability, and full-time availability during 30 Oct–7 Nov 2026 (plus any additional pre/post-program dates).

Next, spend one hour building your “impact scoreboard.” Write down 5–8 metrics that best prove your venture works—customers served, jobs created, revenue, repeat usage, emissions reduced, waste diverted, cost savings, training completions, yields improved. Don’t overthink it; pick what you can defend.

Then, draft your core narrative in plain language: the problem, your solution, why it scales, and what’s already working. If you can’t explain it clearly to a smart person outside your industry, rewrite until you can.

Finally, apply via the official One Young World scholarship portal. Submit before the deadline so you’re not wrestling the website at midnight.

Apply Now (Official Link)

Ready to apply? Visit the official opportunity page here: https://apply.oneyoungworld.com/scholarship/form/dutch-ministry-schol-26