Nestlé launched a new digital platform as part of its Global Youth Initiative. The launched platform is called the Nestlé Youth Entrepreneurship Platform (YEP).
The digital platform provides areas ranging from food science and technology to the development of products and services. This includes regenerative agriculture and sustainable packaging.
Stefan Palzer, Nestlé CTO, said, “At Nestlé we work with startups, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers to drive innovation, bring good ideas to market fast and provide nutritious, sustainable and affordable products for a growing world population.”
“Our new digital platform supports young people to bring great ideas to life across the food value chain, shaping the future of food!”
Why is Nestle Launching YEP?
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), two out of every five young people are either unemployed or have a job that keeps them in poverty. Nestlé introduced Nestlé Needs YOUth in 2013 in response to this. Over 4 million young people have benefited from it globally across the three pillars of employability, agripreneurship, and entrepreneurship.
YEP is for young Nigerian innovators and entrepreneurs who want to learn new knowledge and skills or grow their businesses.
Benefits Nigerians Innovator can get from YEP
All of Nestlé’s current innovation projects and activities are gathered under YEP. Young innovators have access to The Nestlé Entrepreneurship Academy through the platform. THis comes along with special programmes for expanding their knowledge, developing new skills, and gaining experience. Additionally, it provides information and content that is tailored to particular regions.
Key programs available on Nestlé’s Youth Entrepreneurship Platform include:
- Nestlé R+D Accelerator: entrepreneurs can apply for challenges at one of Nestlé’s 12 Accelerators across the world.
- to focus on developing disruptive food and beverage innovations and bringing them to market in six months. Participants can work together with Nestlé’s R&D experts from around the world, such as food technologists, nutritionists, regulatory and food safety experts, designers and packaging experts. Each team also receives hands-on support from dedicated innovation coaches and mentoring from Nestlé’s senior management.
- Purina Unleashed: the first and only pet care program designed to identify and support innovative start-ups, focused on leveraging technology to improve the lives of pets and owners.
- Numerous Nestlé market initiatives. For example, Ignite Ideas (Nestlé Hellas) supports startups and individuals; Reto Culinario (El Salvador), is an entrepreneurial contest and TV show that showcases youth culinary innovation; CEO X Youth Connect (East and Southern Africa), enables young people to engage with CEOs of large companies active in Nestlé’s Alliance for YOUth.
Access to the Nestlé Youth Entrepreneurship Platform is free, presenting an attractive opportunity for young innovators to transform the future of food and collaborate with Nestlé towards a regenerative food system at scale.
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