About the Springboard Programme
The Youth SDG innovation platform for Asia-Pacific
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Bangladesh
Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh leverages social innovation and entrepreneurship to create a new generation of Bangladeshi leaders and empowers them to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Launched in 2018, Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh has quickly become one of the most active chapters of Youth Co:Lab across Asia and the Pacific. Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh works closely with multiple stakeholders across the country including government, civil society and the private sector, to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem and policy environment to better enable young people to take the lead on new solutions that will help meet the SDGs. Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh is a widely-trusted platform for sharing knowledge and evidence-based insights, providing capacity development training on 21st century skills, global networking opportunities and business incubation support for youth-led startups and social enterprises based in Bangladesh.
At present Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh has three key components i.e., the National Dialogue, the Springboard Programme and the Movers Programme, which are working to:
● Promote policy dialogue for youth innovation and entrepreneurship
● Provide mentorship and funds to youth-led impact enterprises
● Facilitate 21st century skills development and SDG awareness
Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh also commissions research, exploring scopes and recommending ways to promote youth entrepreneurship across the nation.
Our Impact in Bangladesh
62+
580,000+
560
7,632
Startups Supported in Bangladesh
Young People Engaged Across APAC
National Dialogue Delegates Engaged
Young People Upskilled
7
7.11M
Years Of Operation (2018–2025)
USD Follow-On Capital Mobilized*
National Dialogue
The Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh National Dialogue brings together hundreds of entrepreneurs, young business leaders, and representatives from the government, private sector, NGOs, academia and social incubators to share knowledge and influence policy initiatives on youth entrepreneurship and encourage social innovation leading to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Springboard Programme
The Springboard Programme of Youth Co:Lab Bangladesh is a platform for young social entrepreneurs to contribute towards achieving the SDGs through tailored mentorship and wide-ranging national and global networking opportunities.
Since 2018, seven cohorts of the Springboard Programme have supported over 64 social enterprises and startup teams through intensive boot camps and tailored capacity-building initiatives. Each cohort has engaged 8–10 impact-driven enterprises, equipping young entrepreneurs with skills in pitching, storytelling, business development, impact measurement and management, and investment readiness. Over the years, the programme has contributed to the growth and visibility of several promising social ventures.
Notably, Avijatrik, a winner from Springboard Programme Cohort 1.0, went on to win the Youth Co:Lab Social Innovation Challenge Award in the Community Development category at the Second Youth Co:Lab Summit in Hanoi, Viet Nam, for its work in empowering local communities through tourism.
Most recently, the Springboard Programme has expanded its support beyond boot camps by providing selected enterprises with grant funding, tailored mentorship, and ecosystem connections to help scale their social impact and sustainability. Through seven successful cohorts, the programme has continued to strengthen Bangladesh’s social entrepreneurship ecosystem by nurturing innovative, youth-led solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges.
Springboard Startups in the News
Startups Showcase
Borac Energia
Tackled issue: lack of environmentally friendly energy sources
Borac Energia produces recycled Li-ion Batteries which are cost-friendly, with the goal to replace harmful Lead-acid batteries. Besides perfecting their recycled Li-ion Batteries, they have also built their own E-Bikes and developed affordable Solar and Wind energy systems and Solar Boat Motors.
Movers Programme
Launched in Bangladesh in December 2019, the Movers Programme is a grassroots movement of youth volunteers who develop SDGs awareness, entrepreneurial mindset, and 21st-century skills by conducting workshops. The Movers Programme uses a train-the-trainer approach and works with key community partners to target harder-to-reach groups to make sure that no one is left behind.
The first Movers workshop in Bangladesh took place in December of 2019, with only 20 participants. Since then, the Movers Programme in Bangladesh has gone on to upskill the most number of young people across Asia Pacific, over 7500, through mostly online workshops focusing on the development of Digital Literacy, Soft-skills and Global Citizenship.
Metrics:
-
24 Community Organizations Engaged
-
1600 Marginalized Community Members Mobilized
-
7632 Young People Upskilled
Nadia Momen, Movers Envoy
"Movers Programme is the platform where people can nurture their professional behaviour and skills. It helps me build a huge community network all around Asia and the Pacific. By joining the movement, I have learned how to mentor and speak confidently, facilitate a session, and take action. For me, the Movers Programme is a lifelong learning process."
Partners
Information and Communication Technology Division
PreneurLab
Startup Bangladesh Limited
EMK Center
Islamic Development Bank
The Earth
Light Castle Partners
YGAP
Partnerships and Collaborations
If you are keen to know more about the Youth Co:Lab initiative in Bangladesh and would like to explore partnerships and collaborations, you can write to us to Afruza Khatun Tanzi (afruza.khatun.tanzi@undp.org)