Applications are now open for the WTO Youth Talent Incubator Programme. The programme targets young researchers in academia and research institutions, including think tanks, research foundations, research centres and policy research organizations, as well as young professionals in government. It is built around three pillars: mentoring, capacity building and networking. Participants will engage with global experts, WTO Members and other international and regional stakeholders.

The WTO Youth Talent Incubator Programme builds on the legacy of the Youth Trade Summit on Gender, which brought together fifty young professionals from academia, research, and government in November 2023. Launched in July 2024, the programme’s first edition ran for over eleven months, strengthening participants’ knowledge and professional skills through mentorship, applied policy research, training, and networking, with the results presented at the WTO Informal Working Group in December 2025.

The Second Edition carries this mission forward, continuing to build the next generation of gender-responsive trade professionals through mentorship, applied research, and capacity-building at the intersection of trade and gender, and will run from 12 October 2026 to 30 June 2027. This edition will be conducted entirely in a virtual format.

Eligibility / Nomination Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be 20–35 years old.
• Demonstrate current work on trade and gender, or an interest in incorporating trade and gender issues into their existing work.
• Submit a motivation letter and complete the online application form.
• Receive formal endorsement from their academic or research institution.

Programme Benefits

Participants gain access to mentorship, applied policy research, training, capacity building and networking opportunities focused on trade and gender. The programme is designed to strengthen collaboration between researchers and policymakers and provide exposure to WTO Members and global/regional stakeholders.

Programme Dates

12 October 2026 – 30 June 2027.

Number of Participants

Up to 35 nominees will be selected by the Chair of the WTO Gender Research Hub.

Successful applicants will be notified by email on 1 October 2026.

Programme Format & Cost

The programme will be delivered entirely online and is free of charge.

Important: This is a nomination programme

The WTO Gender Research Hub is requesting academic and research institutions to nominate candidates, and nominations from those institutions may be made by their legal representatives

Apply Now for the WTO Young Talent Incubator Programme

ET. Please note that this deadline will not be extended. Contact For enquiries about the Youth Talent Incubator Programme and this call for nomination, please contact WTO’s Trade and Gender Office at trade-gender@wto.org.

Application Deadline: 24 September 2026 at 23:59 CET.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the WTO Youth Talent Incubator Programme

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