Deadline: January 11, 2019 17:00 GMT-0500| Apply here
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Eligibility: Entrepreneurs and innovators between the ages of 24-35 as of November 15, 2018 with citizenship and legal permanent residence in any of the 45 participating countries (listed below) are eligible to apply for the fellowship. Applicants should currently be involved in founding or scaling a commercial or social venture.
Dates: April 1 - October 31, 2019

YTILI Fellowship 2019

Launched in 2016, the Young Transatlantic Innovative Leaders Initiative Fellowship is the flagship program of the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) of the US Department of State and is supported in its implementation by The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).

YTILI empowers young European entrepreneurs and innovators with the tools, networks, and resources they need to grow their enterprises and contribute more fully to economic development and job creation, security, and good governance in the region.

YTILI is also a vehicle for building a transatlantic network of innovators that can contribute to on an ongoing policy dialogue that strengthens the transatlantic relationship.

Program overview

In 2019, the YTILI Fellowship will engage young European entrepreneurs in a series of professional development and leadership activities that are designed to support the growth and development of commercial and social business ventures in their home communities.

The fellowship includes an Opening Summit in Europe, a week-long experience in a U.S. host city, a Closing Conference in Washington, DC, and online engagement-training opportunities.

The 2019 YTILI Fellowship year runs from April 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019 with U.S. travel components planned for September 2019. A detailed overview of the program elements, participation requirements, and expectations is available below in the Resources Section of our site.

Why apply?

• Gain professional experience, skills, and connections valuable to enhancing your business or social venture;
  Connect with a dynamic group of experts and mentors in the United States and Europe
• Expand your professional network and develop relationships with peers and counterparts on both sides of the AtlanticExplore the policy context, financial landscape, and networks of U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystems
• Join a growing network of dynamic European entrepreneurs committed to enhancing the transatlantic relationship and contributing to the growth of entrepreneurial ecosystems in their home communities.

Eligibility criteria

The YTILI Fellowship selection process is a merit-based open competition. To be eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:

*Eligible countries include: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

• Are between the ages of 24 and 35 on November 15, 2018
• Are the citizens of one of the participating countries and currently reside in one of them
• Are eligible to receive a U.S. J-1 visa
• Have at least two (2) years of entrepreneurial/leadership experience with a startup business or social venture
• Are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Are not a U.S. government employee
• Are proficient in reading, writing and speaking English
• After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed and scored against the published evaluation criteria available in the YTILI Overview Selection Process 2019 document.

Interested in applying for the YTILI Fellowship 2019? Register your participation by following the registration link and taking the suggested steps.

For more opportunities, check our opportunities section and subscribe to our weekly newsletters.