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For every child, HOPE!

Vacancy Announcement:  Consultant

Consultancy Title: Youth Ventures- Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Generation Unlimited (YPA) Secretariat

Duration: August 1, 2025 to July 2026

Home/Office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF has partnered with leading public and private organisations to launch a global partnership dedicated to expanding opportunity for young people, aged 10-24. Generation Unlimited (GenU) is centred on finding new ways to help every young person to get into school, learning, training or livelihoods by 2030 — with a focus on those in the greatest danger of being left behind, including girls, the poorest, those with disabilities, young people on the move and those affected by conflict and natural disasters.  

UNICEF’s GenU brings together leaders from governments, UN agencies, the private sector, academia, international and civil society organizations, and young people. The partnership identifies, co-creates, resources and scale-up innovative solutions to expand opportunity for young people. Effective programmes are matched with financing and technical support; investors find viable solutions to invest in and strong accountability mechanisms that provide adequate assurance of results and fiscal management; and young people participate meaningfully in the co-creation of solutions, informing, advising and helping implement at every step of the way.

imaGen Ventures is a core component of this global effort, empowering young people to become changemakers through entrepreneurship. Since its launch in 2018, the programme has supported youth in over 60 countries, providing training, mentorship, and funding to foster the next generation of socially impactful ventures. The initiative aims to build a critical mass of young entrepreneurs capable of addressing pressing global challenges while contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Under the direct supervision of the Youth Engagement and Entrepreneurship Lead, with overall guidance from the Director of Programmes and in close collaboration with the Programme Team at UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU) and select Country Offices this consultancy role will coordinate the global implementation of imaGen Ventures while supporting the broader youth entrepreneurship portfolio within UNICEF’s GenU. This includes leading flagship initiatives like the Global Challenge and Global Incubation Week, as well as providing technical support to UNICEF Country Offices implementing youth entrepreneurship programmes. The consultant will act as the primary liaison for country offices, facilitating alignment with global strategies, managing key partnerships and contributing to the growth of related youth entrepreneurship programmes, including the Green Entrepreneurship component of Green Rising, health entrepreneurship initiatives, and AI-focused ventures. The role also involves developing innovative learning resources, refining incubation frameworks, and supporting effective data collection and impact measurement to enhance programme outcomes globally.

Scope of Work:

Scope of Work:

The consultant will support  the global implementation of imaGen Ventures, supporting the programme’s strategic development and execution. The consultant will support the Entrepreneurship Lead in technical efforts for   the global implementation of imaGen Ventures, leading the programme’s strategic development and execution. This includes  key global initiatives such as the Global Challenge and Global Incubation Week, developing incubation frameworks, and curating mentorship opportunities for youth-led ventures.   The consultant will support efforts to identify and engage relevant partners by developing partnership inputs and technical materials that facilitate collaboration and resource mobilization. The consultant will liaise with UNICEF’s GenU teams to help ensure that imaGen Ventures’ technical components remain aligned with broader organizational priorities and continue contributing to entrepreneurship programming.

In addition to  imaGen Ventures, the consultant will support the broader youth entrepreneurship portfolio by providing technical guidance and capacity building to UNICEF Country Offices implementing related programmes. This includes serving as the primary liaison for country-level teams, facilitating peer learning, promoting best practice sharing, and ensuring alignment with global strategies. The consultant will also contribute to the design and refinement of implementation strategies for other youth entrepreneurship initiatives, including health entrepreneurship programmes, and AI-focused ventures, supporting local adaptation. This role involves strengthening data collection and impact measurement systems to capture outcomes across the portfolio, enhancing the evidence base for youth-led impact globally.

Main Deliverables: 

•     Support the planning and implementation of key global components of imaGen Ventures, such as the Global Challenge and Global Incubation Week, by contributing technical inputs, timelines, and delivery tools in coordination with relevant UNICEF teams.

•     Develop and implement enhanced incubation and mentorship frameworks to strengthen post-challenge support for youth-led ventures.

•     Refine and expand the learning curriculum, integrating new thematic modules on green entrepreneurship, innovation, and frontier sectors.

•       Support the Entrepreneurship Lead in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting efforts to capture programme outcomes and inform continuous improvement.

•     Serve as the primary liaison for UNICEF Country Offices implementing youth entrepreneurship programmes, providing technical guidance and implementation support.

•     Support the design and adaptation of incubation strategies for additional entrepreneurship initiatives such as Green Rising, health entrepreneurship, and AI ventures.

•     Facilitate cross-country learning and collaboration through peer exchange, storytelling, and knowledge-sharing platforms.

•       Provide technical support to UNICEF teams in mapping and engaging private sector and ecosystem actors, with the goal of informing strategies to unlock mentorship and funding opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

•     Ensure meaningful youth participation is embedded throughout programme design, delivery, and evaluation.

Contribute to strategic planning and resource mobilization to sustain and expand entrepreneurship programming globally.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables 

Strategic Implementation Plan & Portfolio Note      

• Develop a strategic implementation plan for imaGen Ventures, alongside a portfolio contribution note summarizing alignment with UNICEF’s GenU priorities and support to Country Offices.

August 28th, 2025

Global Impact Report

• Deliver a consolidated evaluation report capturing the implementation and outcomes of imaGen Ventures and entrepreneurship portfolio contributions.        

September 23rd, 2025

Incubation & Mentorship Framework           

• Design a robust post-challenge incubation model and structured mentorship scheme applicable to ventures supported through imaGen Ventures and beyond. 

November 12th, 2025

Curriculum & Learning Tools Package         

• Update the entrepreneurship learning curriculum with modules on sustainability, innovation, green and frontier technologies, and launch an interactive learning series.

December 10th, 2025

Global Challenge Management            

• Provide technical support for the planning, execution, and quality review of the 2025 imaGen Ventures Global Challenge, including the development of planning tools and coordination inputs to facilitate collaboration with countries and partners.

January 27th, 2026

Country Office Support Toolkit         

• Develop a practical implementation toolkit and provide tailored technical support to Country Offices across multiple entrepreneurship programmes.         

March 20th, 2026

Global Incubation Week          

• Support the development and delivery of Incubation Week by preparing technical inputs for the agenda, mentorship design, partnership engagement, and logistical planning, as well as compiling a post-event insights report.

April 29th, 2026

Youth-Led Case Studies        

• Compile a collection of venture stories, highlighting youth perspectives, social/environmental impact, and growth trajectories.          

May 18th, 2026

Peer Exchange Facilitation    

• Design and host at least two virtual or hybrid global learning sessions to connect Country Offices and partners around promising practices and challenges.

June 25th, 2026

Green & Tech Entrepreneurship Module      

• Co-develop a thematic module exploring green and frontier-sector entrepreneurship and its relevance for youth-led ventures.           

July 30th, 2026

Qualifications 

(1) Education

• Advance University degree (Master’s) in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Social Impact, International Development, or a related field.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in English required. Working knowledge of another UN language an asset

2) Work experience

•     At least 5 years of experience in entrepreneurship programme management, incubation support, or youth-led innovation.

•     Strong understanding of social impact, venture scaling, and impact measurement frameworks.

•     Experience leading multi-stakeholder partnerships, particularly in the context of youth entrepreneurship.

•     Excellent project management skills, including planning, execution, and evaluation.

•     Strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work across cultures and engage diverse stakeholders.

•     Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver capacity-building programmes.

•     Familiarity with green and frontier tech entrepreneurship is a plus.

•     Fluency in English required; additional UN language an asset.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.