The Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerartor 2024
The Taco Bell Foundation, Ashoka and Connecting Dreams Foundation are joining forces to accelerate young innovators’ most ambitious social impact ideas through the Taco Bell Ambition Accelerator.
Do you have an idea you are ready to put into action? Have you started a social initiative? Now through the week of March 14, 2024, we’re accepting applications from young changemakers from the U.S., India, and the U.S. Territories ages 16-26, with an idea to enact change in their communities or the world. If you have a game-changing idea, or already have a social impact initiative in the works (or know someone who does!), apply online. This is the chance to grow your change making abilities, access funding, receive feedback on your project, join a community of like-minded young people, and more!
The Taco Bell Foundation Ambition Accelerator, which is a collaboration between Ashoka and Yum! Running with a partnership with. This is a huge opportunity where it invites youth to share socially impactful ideas through their initiatives to bring positive change in their community. The Ambition Accelerator is a platform that provides an opportunity for young innovators to receive financial support, enhance their transformative skills, and join a community of leaders from the social impact sector who can mentor them.
Benefits
Seed Prizes and Funding
- 10 innovators from India, who apply by the Early Entry Deadline of February 15, 2024 will be selected to receive 20,000 Indian Rupees each.
- 250 Seed Prize Awardees from India, will be selected to receive 20,000 Indian Rupees each.
- 25 Summit Semi-Finalists from India, will be selected to receive 40,000 Indian Rupees each. All Summit Semi-Finalists will be invited to an all-expenses-paid trip to the multi-day Summit in Bangalore, India on 9th September 2024.
- 10 Pitch Finalists
- 5 innovators from India and 5 innovators from the U.S. and U.S. Territories will be selected from the 75 Summit Semi-Finalists to pitch their ideas/projects to a panel of judges.
India Pitches:
- 4 Ambition Accelerator Finalists receive ₹200,000 Rupees (2 lakh) each
- 1 Ambition Accelerator Grand Prize Winner receives a prize of ₹1,000,000 Rupees each (10 lakh)
Eligibilities
- Applicants must be at least 16 at the time of application and not older than 26 by the end of the entry period on March 14, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET, March 15, 2024 10:29 a.m. (India).
- Applicants must be residents of the United States, U.S. Territories or India.
- Applicants can apply with a team member or as an individual.
- Limit one entry per person/team.
- Applicants based in the United States or U.S. Territories must apply in English.
- Applicants based in India must apply in English or Hindi.
- Applicants must be the founder or co-founder of the initiative their application represents.
- Ambition Accelerator 2022 semi-finalists, finalists and grand finalists are not eligible to apply. In other words, if you were invited to the Ambition Accelerator Summit in 2022, you are not eligible to re-apply. If you won
- a $500 seed grant but were not a finalist for the Summit, you are still eligible to apply again.
- Taco Bell Corp. Employees that work at the Taco Bell Restaurant Support Center (RSC), All Employees and their immediate family of Ashoka, Yum!, Taco Bell Foundation, Inc. Taco Bell Corp., and participating advertising and promotional agencies directly involved in planning this Program are NOT eligible to apply or receive a prize through this program.
- Taco Bell Restaurant team members ARE eligible to apply to the Ambition Accelerator (from corporate and franchise restaurants).
- If based in the US: the applicant must be available to participate in the Ambition Accelerator U.S. Summit in the Greater Orange County Area, CA, week of August 2, 2024. For those who are under 18 years old at the time of the Summit, they will be required to be accompanied by ONE adult chaperone, who cannot be a team member and must be approved by their parent or legal guardian.
- If based in India: the applicant must be available to participate in the Ambition Accelerator India Summit in Bangalore, Karnataka, week of September 9, 2024. For those who are under 18 years old at the time of the Summit, they will be required to be accompanied by ONE adult chaperone, who cannot be a team member and must be approved by their parent or legal guardian.
Eligible Regions: India, USA
APPLICATION PROCESS
Apply online through the Apply Now link.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024 (25 Days Remaining)
