Deadline: March 15, 2022.

The Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship program for emerging entrepreneurs from Europe.

Since its launch in 2016, approximately 300 alumni from across Europe have bolstered their business skills and transatlantic partnerships through the YTILI Fellowship Program. YTILI uses entrepreneurship as a tool for economic empowerment to promote mutual understanding, enhance business and leadership skills, and build lasting partnerships between business leaders from Europe and the United States. YTILI will empower a new cohort of young European business and social entrepreneurs to grow their ventures, foster global partnerships, and positively impact the economic development of their communities. 

PROGRAM DETAILS

1. Mutual Understanding: YTILI deepens participants’ understanding of the U.S. entrepreneurship culture and promotes cross-cultural understanding through fellowship placements, home hospitality, community service, cultural activities, and reciprocal exchanges. 
2. Leadership & Entrepreneurial Skill Development: YTILI commits to providing quality fellowship placements and expert-led curricula to inspire Fellows to grow their businesses in size and impact and drive positive change in the economic ecosystems in their home communities. 
3. Transatlantic Partnership Building: YTILI creates a dynamic network of leaders that supports entrepreneurial partnerships between the people of Europe and the United States through networking events, international conferences, and alumni engagement. 
4. Sustainable Professional Exchange & Collaboration: YTILI provides Fellows with opportunities to engage before, during, and after the U.S. Fellowship to collaborate and share ideas, approaches, and strategies to continue to improve their business or social ventures. 

ELIGIBILITY

1. The YTILI Program is open to applicants from the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
2. Open to young European business and social entrepreneurs .

BENEFITS

1. If selected as a YTILI Fellow, the program will cover J-1 Visa support; the entrepreneurship curriculum; supplemental entrepreneurial training; accommodations, meals, local transportation during U.S.-based experience, and a limited accident and sickness health plan.
2. The air travel included will be: air travel from the fellow’s current city of residence to Chicago, IL for the Opening Summit, air travel from Chicago, IL to the city of the fellowship placement, air travel from the fellowship placement city to Washington, D.C. for the Closing Summit, and air travel for the return flight to the fellow’s home country.  

PLACEMENT OUTLINE

1. Housing: Fellows will be housed in hotels, corporate apartments, extended stay hotels, or a combination. Fellows will commute to and from their fellowship host organizations by public transportation.
2. Cultural Activities & Community Service: YTILI Fellows will participate in various cultural activities and acts of community service to supplement their U.S. fellowship placements and expand their understanding of their host communities. Through these activities, Fellows will connect with community leaders and cultural representatives from the U.S. and engage in transatlantic dialogues.
3. U.S. Fellowship Format: Each YTILI Fellow will work in their host organization’s office Monday through Thursday for four weeks during the U.S. Fellowship. Fellows can contribute to and learn from the host organizations in a variety of ways, including projects, meetings in the field, job shadowing, or independent research. Fellows will continue their entrepreneurship curriculum and participate in community service on Fridays.
4. Hybrid Program: The YTILI Fellowship program is offered as a hybrid program with virtual activities leading up to a U.S.-based exchange. Please note, the in-person, U.S.-based fellowship is contingent upon favorable travel conditions. In the event there are travel restrictions, or other factors which could adversely impact the health, safety and welfare of program participants and hosts, the YTILI Fellowship program will pivot the in-person, U.S.-based exchange to virtual programming.

OFFICIAL LINK