Empowering youth to drive social change: UPSHIFT Social Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme kicks off in Georgia

TBILISI, Georgia, 2 October, 2025. UNICEF, in collaboration with the Business and Technology University (BTU), has launched the UPSHIFT Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme in Georgia. This initiative aims to equip young people aged 14–18  in Tbilisi, Batumi, Zugdidi, and Akhaltsikhe with the skills and tools needed to address local challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Using a globally recognized methodology rooted in design thinking, the programme combines training, mentorship, and project development to guide youth through identifying local issues and creating innovative, community-driven solutions. In its pilot phase, UPSHIFT will engage 80 direct beneficiaries - 20 youth per city - who will receive hands-on training in social innovation, entrepreneurship, and children’s rights.

Beyond direct participants, the programme will support local mentors and trainers through a structured shadowing process, building a sustainable pool of facilitators for future UPSHIFT cycles. Community stakeholders, including NGOs, businesses, academia and government representatives, will also be engaged through targeted workshops to foster an enabling environment for youth-led initiatives.

"UPSHIFT is more than a programme - it’s a movement that empowers young people to become active agents of change in their communities. By equipping youth with the skills to innovate and lead, we are investing in a more inclusive, resilient, and rights-based future for Georgia.", said Jesper Moller, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.

"BTU is proud to support the UPSHIFT initiative, which aligns perfectly with our mission to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among youth. By combining academic excellence with real-world impact, we are helping young people turn ideas into solutions that benefit their communities.", said  Nino Enukidze, Rector of Business and Technology University.

The initiative will partner with the Child Rights Centers in Batumi, Zugdidi, and Akhaltsikhe State Universities. These centers will serve as hubs for training and youth engagement, ensuring the programme remains aligned with national child protection standards and inclusive practices.

To ensure a safe and supportive environment, all mentors, trainers, and partners will undergo mandatory safeguarding training, including trainings on child rights, reinforcing UNICEF’s commitment to child protection and ethical programming.

The UPSHIFT Social Innovation Programme represents a bold step toward building a more inclusive and innovative future for Georgia’s youth. By investing in young people today, the programme lays the foundation for sustainable, community-led development tomorrow.

About

UPSHIFT is a youth social innovation programme. It combines leading approaches to youth and adolescent development with private sector best practice (human-centred design), to empower young people to identify and design entrepreneurial solutions to challenges in their communities. 

Young people gain skills for life and skills for employment. UPSHIFT positively impacts the wider community through the indirect benefits of the products and services that young people design. Additionally this contributes to changing perceptions of young people as positive change agents.