Apply To Become An African Cooperative Entrepreneur (ACE) Youth Ambassador and Learn How to Start a Cooperative

1. Why Is The Cooperative Business Model A Great Option For Youth-Led Start-Ups? 

The cooperative model is a great business option for youth entrepreneurs as it allows people to take control of their economic futures through democratic collaboration. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) defines cooperatives as people-centred enterprises owned, controlled and run by and for their members to realise their common economic, social, cultural needs and aspirations. Cooperatives bring people together in a democratic and equal way. Whether the members are the producers, employees, customers, users or residents, cooperatives are democratically managed by the 'one member, one vote' rule. Members share equal voting rights regardless of the amount of capital they put into the enterprise. As businesses driven by values, not just profit, cooperatives have social as well as economic goals. They share internationally agreed principles and act together to build a better world through cooperation. Putting fairness, equality and social justice at the heart of the enterprise, cooperatives around the world are allowing people to work together to create sustainable enterprises that generate long-term jobs, prosperity, and sustainability.

2. What is an ACE-Ambassador?

The ACE-Ambassador is a young person who has successfully completed a mentoring programme geared to them learning how to mobilise other young people to establish a cooperative. On completion of the mentoring programme the ACE-Ambassador will be able, and expected, to lead a group of other young people to establish viable and dynamic cooperatives for their communities.   

3. What will you have to do to become an ACE-Ambassador?

   For the purposes of this particular challenge, the ACE journey is designed to empower young people to turn their ideas into real cooperatives. Your journey will unfold in four stages. In response to our invitation to become an ACE-Ambassador:

   1. You will need to identify a local worker cooperative opportunity, around which you have reason to believe you can mobilise some of your peers.

   2. You will complete and submit an application form, which will outline your cooperative start-up idea for the ACE-Ambassador Worker Cooperative Design Challenge. This is your chance to highlight the challenge within your community and showcase your creativity, problem-solving skills, and vision for the worker cooperative enterprise you intend to start in your community.
   3. If successful, you will be invited to attend the International Conference on “Worker Cooperatives and Decent Youth Employment in Africa” in Lusaka, from 24^th to 26^th August, 2026, where you will receive mentoring and support to further develop your idea.
      1. Your colleagues in developing the idea will be able to participate in the conference online.
   4. Your idea for a cooperative will need to be judged among the top five ideas by your peers, also attending the conference.
   5. As a result of this, you will be invited to participate in an online training programme run by a group of experts in cooperative formation and organising, who will take you through the following stages:
      1. Coop Spark 1 — Let’s Cooperate!
         Support to explore your idea, identify shared challenges, and co-create the first version of your cooperative concept.
      2. Coop Spark 2 — Coopathon
         Take your ideas further in a collaborative hackathon-style event, designing practical and innovative solutions for your cooperative.
      3. Coop Spark 3 — Let’s Cooperate — For Real
         Move from ideas to action. Learn how to form your cooperative and take the first concrete steps towards its registration and operation. This will involve training in identifying a core business operation, membership selection, cooperative governance, cooperative business management, and registration.  

   6. On successful completion of this training programme, you will become an ACE-Ambassador.

       

4. What Will You Be Expected to Do as an ACE Ambassador?
   1. Having completed the ACE-Ambassadorship training you will be equipped with the skills required to realise your cooperative idea.
   2. As you proceed to build your cooperative, you will be provided with additional support which will include the following:
      1. Organisational Support: Implementing your cooperative governance and cooperative business management ideas.
      2. Operational Support: technical advice in succeeding in your chosen business operation (what your cooperative business will make and sell).
   3. You will be expected to help to establish a worker cooperative that will address a need of your community, and also be sustainable.

5. Who is Eligible to Become an ACE-Ambassador?

   i. You are female or male between the ages of 18 and 35

   ii. You are a citizen of an African country

   iii. You live in an Africa country.

   iv. You will set up your cooperative in an African country.

6. Why Should You Become An ACE-Ambassador?

   As an ACE-Ambassador, you will be provided a unique opportunity to lead a group of other young people to establish and register a worker cooperative in your community. This is an experience that will generate benefits for: 

   1. You as an individual by helping you to:
      1. Develop your strategic, organisational and business skills.
      2. Secure gainful and decent employment.
      3. Achieve more economic and social security than would otherwise be the case.
      4. Achieve greater levels of prosperity than would otherwise be the case.
   2. Your local community by helping it to:
      1. Fulfill a community economic or social need.
      2. Raise the level of community cohesion.
      3. Become a more self-reliant community.
   3. Your national economy by helping it to:
      1. Provide young people with a bigger stake in the national economy.
      2. Reduce the level of youth unemployment.
      3. Raise the technical level of young people.
      4. Reduce the level of imports for the country.
      5. Make the country less indebted.
      6. Produces more of what it uses, and uses more of what it produces.
7. Are you one of the youth ambassadors we are looking for? 

Are you between 18-35 years old and have an entrepreneurial idea that can solve a community need by setting up a worker cooperative? Are you an innovative person who enjoys solving problems? Are you a confident communicator who likes to mobilize youth and to work in a collaborative way?

If yes to the above, then apply to become a youth ambassador of the African Cooperative Entrepreneurs program!

8. What will you get out of the program?

At the end of the program, youth ambassadors will have had a chance to realise their cooperative business ideas by working with others to start their own cooperative businesses. At the same time, they will strengthen their network of like-minded youth in Africa and across the world.

a. Start the cooperative of your choice.

b. Get technical support from experts in cooperative start-ups.

Got a bold idea to change your community? Join ACE, turn your idea into a cooperative, and lead the change! Complete the application here. Only those candidates selected for the next steps will be contacted.