ICA-AP Orients Coop Pitch 2026 Participants

The International Cooperative Alliance – Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) conducted an online orientation session on 29June 2026 for the 24 shortlisted teams selected for the Coop Pitch 2026 Competition, organised in parallel with the 5th Asia-Pacific Cooperative Youth Summit (APCYS 5.0), supported by the ICA-EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement.

The session, facilitated by Ms. Monalisa Kashyap, Programme Coordinator, and Mr. Naveen Kumar Singh, Programme Officer, brought together young cooperative innovators from 13 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, including China (5 teams), Fiji (1), India (2), Indonesia (1), Iran (1), Japan (1), Jordan (1), Nepal (1), Pakistan (1), Palestine (1), Papua New Guinea (1), the Philippines (6), and Vietnam (2). The session marked the official start of the mentorship phase of the competition.

Participants were introduced to the their mentors – Mr. Akkanut Wantanasombut, Head of ISSIE Research Group, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University; Ms. Mira Dzhakshylykova, Climate & Water Cooperation Specialist; Ms. Dulce S. Bustamante, Chairperson, ICA Asia and Pacific Committee on Youth Cooperation; Mr. Patrick John R. Rico, President, Prime Aces College ACDI; Ms. Justine Lynn C. Limocon, Operations Manager, Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Mr. Alireza Banaeifar, Deputy of International Affairs, ICC; Mr. Jaseel Charuvil Kunnummal, Co-Founder, Khojindia – who will provide guidance and technical support to help teams strengthen their cooperative business ideas ahead of the final pitch. The ICA-AP team also outlined the next stages of the competition, including the mentorship process, key milestones, evaluation criteria, submission timelines, and expectations for the shortlisted teams.

The interactive session provided participants with the opportunity to ask questions and gain clarity on the competition process while connecting with fellow innovators from across the region. Participants were encouraged to actively engage with their mentors, refine their proposals, and further develop innovative cooperative solutions that address social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Coop Pitch 2026 aims to foster youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship through the cooperative model by providing emerging changemakers with mentorship, capacity-building opportunities, and regional exposure. As one of the flagship youth initiatives under APCYS 5.0, the competition continues to nurture the next generation of cooperative leaders and support promising ideas with the potential to create lasting impact across Asia and the Pacific.