Are you a young HR professional with ideas to make your workplace better for young employees? The UNICEF Yutopia Intrapreneur Fellowship gives you six months of training, mentorship and real project work. There is one big rule. You cannot apply alone. Your organisation must nominate you. And the nomination deadline is 30 October 2026.
This guide shows who can be nominated and what the fellowship offers. It also explains what your organisation must do.
Last Information Checked: 17 October 2026
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
| Programme | UNICEF Yutopia Intrapreneur Fellowship Programme |
| Run with | UNICEF YuWaah |
| Length | Six months |
| Format | Workplace based |
| Who it is for | Emerging HR professionals under 30 years old |
| Programme fee | None |
| Time needed | About five workshop days plus 12 to 14 more hours across six months |
| Nomination deadline | 30 October 2026 |
| Contact | ngogoi@unicef.org |
What the Fellowship Is
The fellowship is a workplace based programme. It helps emerging HR professionals build youth engagement and intergenerational collaboration inside their organisations. You learn leadership skills and get mentors. You also work on a real project at your own workplace.
At the end you produce a pilot-ready initiative. This is a plan that is ready to test. It must be based on talks with your colleagues. It must be backed by evidence. And your organisation must review it.
Fellowship Benefits
For fellows
- Leadership training through three workshops. Two are in person and one is online. They cover collaborative leadership consultation methods and how to turn evidence into action
- Mentorship and advisory support with check-ins, office hours and help with problems between workshops
- A practical leadership assignment in your own workplace
- Stronger skills in communication, collaboration, conflict resolution and decision-making based on evidence
- Experience in talking with colleagues and building support inside your organisation
- A visible project that can influence your organisation’s culture and people management
- Certification from UNICEF YuWaah once you complete the assignment and your senior HR sponsor confirms it
- No programme fee
For organisations
- A clear view of how younger employees feel about current policies and practices
- Evidence to improve
- Employee engagement,
- Cooperation between generations
- workplace relationships
- A way to turn youth inclusion promises into real action
- A chance to invest in emerging HR talent
Who Can Be Nominated
The fellow must meet all of these points.
- Be under 30 years old
- Work in HR, learning and development or a leadership-related role or people management
- Have at least six to twelve months with the organisation
- Have access to colleagues for consultation
- Be able to work with a senior sponsor in the organisation
- Have clear support from their line manager and the nominating HR leader
The organisation must also support the fellow. This gives the fellow the access and authority to build a real project.
What the Programme Includes
| Part | What happens |
| Workshops | Three workshops. Two in person and one online |
| Mentorship | Check-ins, office hours, and troubleshooting help |
| Workplace consultations | You talk with young employees to learn how they see current policies. The company must approve this |
| Initiative development | You build a pilot-ready project on youth engagement and cooperation between generations |
Success is judged on your workplace assignment. Attending the workshops alone is not enough.
What Your Organisation Must Do
- Nominate one eligible fellow with line manager approval
- Appoint a senior HR sponsor who gives guidance and quick decisions
- Approve the scope of the consultations and the data handling rules before any data is collected
- Help check that the project is practical and give the final approval
Data Protection Rules
All workplace consultations must be voluntary and anonymous. The organisation must approve them first. Findings are combined and kept safe. Nothing is shared unless the organisation has reviewed and approved it.
Key Dates
- 30 October 2026: Nomination deadline
- Six months: Length of the fellowship once it starts
The call does not give the start date or the workshop dates.
How To Apply
- Check that the fellow is under 30 and works in an eligible role.
- Check that the fellow has at least six to twelve months with the organisation.
- Get clear support from the line manager and the nominating HR leader.
- Choose a senior HR sponsor.
- Email ngogoi@unicef.org to ask about the nomination process.
- Send the nomination before 30 October 2026.
Questions To Ask the UNICEF Contact
The call does not state these details. Ask before you nominate.
- When does the six month programme start
- Where will the two in person workshops take place
- Which language will the workshops use
- What documents the nomination needs
Mistakes To Avoid
- Trying to apply as an individual without an organisation
- Nominating someone who is 30 or older
- Forgetting the line manager approval
- Not choosing a senior HR sponsor
- Starting consultations before the organisation approves the scope and data rules
- Missing the time commitment of about five workshop days and 12 to 14 more hours
- Waiting until the last day to send the nomination