Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge 2019/2020
Overview
SmartUp designed and delivered the second national edition of UNICEF's Generation Unlimited Youth Challenge in North Macedonia, in partnership with the Foundation Telekom for Macedonia and with support from the Scout Association of Macedonia. Under the theme "Digital Inclusion," SmartUp challenged young people aged 14–24 to co-create digital solutions improving accessibility and participation for children and youth with disabilities — building on SmartUp's first national Generation Unlimited edition, which produced a global winning team the previous year.
SmartUp's nationwide open call attracted 218 applicants across 53 teams, from which 10 were selected for a Design Thinking Bootcamp backed by 20+ mentors, followed by two weeks of field research with disability-sector organisations. Five finalist teams then entered a three-month incubation programme with US$1,000 in seed funding each, while SmartUp's outreach and awareness activities reached 678 young people nationwide — extending SmartUp's national track record of youth-led social innovation programmes into the digital inclusion space.
The challenge
Children and young people with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to full participation in education and everyday life, limiting their opportunities for learning, social inclusion, and personal development.
Young innovators often lack opportunities, mentoring, and financial support to transform ideas into practical solutions addressing inclusion and accessibility challenges.
There is a need to harness digital technologies to improve accessibility, participation, and independence for children and youth with disabilities.
Young people require practical innovation programmes that strengthen their problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and design thinking skills while encouraging civic engagement and social innovation.
Activities and methods
1. Launched a nationwide open call that attracted 218 applicants organized in 53 teams, demonstrating strong youth interest in social innovation and digital inclusion.
2. Selected 10 multidisciplinary teams to participate in the national challenge process.
3. Delivered 2 Info Days with experts in special education, inclusion, and assistive technologies, reaching interested young people from across the country.
4. Organized 2 Design Thinking pre-workshops, facilitated by 1 lead facilitator and 5 mentors, introducing participants to research methods, teamwork, and innovation processes.
5. Implemented a 3-day Bootcamp supported by 20+ mentors from the business and technology sectors, where teams developed and prototyped digital inclusion solutions and presented them during a final pitching session.
6. Conducted 2 weeks of field research during which teams collaborated with organisations and institutions working with people and youth with disabilities to better understand real user needs.
7. Selected 5 finalist teams for a 3-month incubation phase (08.01.2020 – 08.04.2020), providing each team with USD 1,000 in seed funding and dedicated mentor support to further develop their solutions.
8. Reached 678 young people nationwide through outreach and awareness-raising activities promoting digital inclusion and youth innovation.
Impact and learning
The project demonstrated how young people can become active co-creators of inclusive solutions when provided with the right combination of mentoring, funding, and collaborative learning. By focusing specifically on digital inclusion for children and youth with disabilities, the challenge shifted the conversation from identifying barriers to developing practical technologies and services that improve participation in education and everyday life.
Participants strengthened their skills in research, design thinking, teamwork, pitching, and social entrepreneurship while working directly with organisations and individuals from the disability sector. The challenge also created stronger connections between young innovators, public institutions, inclusion experts, mentors, and the private sector, building a collaborative ecosystem around accessibility and innovation.
Beyond the competition itself, the project raised national awareness about the importance of digital inclusion and demonstrated that youth-led innovation can generate meaningful solutions for complex social challenges. The incubation phase and Showcase Event created a pathway for the most promising teams to continue developing their ideas and represent North Macedonia in the global Generation Unlimited programme.
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