Coop Pitch

Coop Pitch is one of the flagship highlights of APCYS, a dynamic platform where young people transform bold cooperative ideas into impactful solutions for their communities. The competition invites youth to develop and present innovative, sustainable, and people-centered cooperative business models that respond to local needs and aspirations while advancing inclusive development.

More than just a pitching competition, Coop Pitch is a space for learning, collaboration, and inspiration. Participants gain access to mentorship from cooperative leaders and experts, peer learning opportunities, and valuable exposure to successful youth-led cooperative initiatives across the Asia-Pacific region. Selected teams also receive support to further strengthen and scale their ideas, encouraging the next generation of cooperative entrepreneurs and changemakers.

From Pitch Ideas to

Cooperative Impact

Sustainable Biomass Fuel Production: Muda Mudi Coop from Indonesia won the first prize in APCYS 4.0 and pitched an innovative enterprise producing eco-friendly wood pallets using sugarcane and coconut shell waste. The initiative aimed to create sustainable alternative fuel solutions while building a network of small-scale manufacturers across Southeast Asia.

Eco-Paving Blocks from Recycled Waste: Likas Vocational College from Malaysia won the second prize in APCYS 4.0 and proposed a cooperative producing environmentally friendly paving blocks made from palm oil and tire waste. The initiative aimed to promote sustainable construction practices while reducing waste and encouraging resource efficiency in the building sector.

Hemp-based Sustainable Products: Himalayan Hemp Cooperative from India won the second prize in APCYS 3.0 and pitched innovative hemp-based sanitary products and reusable protective equipment. The youth-led initiative works with local farmers and artisans to preserve indigenous hemp practices while developing sustainable products with social and environmental impact.

Youth Engagement in Organic Farm Tourism: Justine Limocon and Kevin Palson from Lamac Multipurpose Co-operative won the first prize at the Coop Pitch in APCYS 1.0. Taking it forward, they created thriving organic farming facilities, including cacao production, coir products, rice plantations, etc. The Lamac’s Hidden Valley Mountain Resort was the venue for the APCYS 2.0!

Solar Energy Production and Direct Distribution to Individual Households: Ng Jun Long from Singapore, representing Skyla Energy Cooperative, won the first prize with this idea at the Coop Pitch in APCYS 2.0.

Experiential Tourism at the Herbal Cooperative: Trinh Thi Ly of the Sinh Duoc Herbal Cooperative, Vietnam, pitched to develop the cooperative ecosystem around their herbal cooperative by adding experiential tourism (herb, place, living).

Green Drone-enabled Agriculture Network: Mifly Airline Cooperative from China pitched to build an agriculture network using drones for multiple purposes, including crop-dusting and spraying seeds.

Competition Format

What is a pitch?

To Pitch (verb) is to make a bid to obtain a contract or other business! A Pitch typically takes the form of an entrepreneur or group of entrepreneurs presenting or describing their ideas to prospective investors. An elevator pitch is a very short pitch that distils the idea into a summary that takes only as long as a short elevator ride.

Thumb rule: One organization – One pitch
Communicate with participants from your organization/country and build a team (suggestive: two to five members)
All ideas must be driven by cooperative identity. In 1995, the ICA adopted the revised Statement on the Cooperative Identity containing the definition of a cooperative, the values of cooperatives, and the seven cooperative principles. For more information, read here.
Self Help & Mutual Benefit should be the driving force of the ideas being pitched and should include youth.
Impact analysis: The Pitch must be able to ascertain at least one innovative element of socio-economic and cultural impact in the enterprise model.

Evaluation Criteria: The pitch will be evaluated based on the following:

Alignment of the business model and timeline with the summit theme
Simplicity of the cooperative enterprise model
Method of structuring and management of members and staff in a principle-based enterprise.
Growth goals (after a year)
Cooperative principle embodiment
Team and mentor evolution

Coop Pitch Schedule

13 June 2026

Registrations close

22 June 2026

Communication to selected Applicants

29 June 2026

Orientation session for shortlisted teams with mentors

02 - 10 July 2026

Mentoring sessions (scheduled online)

11 July 2026

Coop Pitch submission

17 July 2026

Communication to finalists

01 – 04 September 2026

Finalists participate in APCYS 5.0

03 September 2026

Coop Pitch Finale

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I participate in Coop Pitch?

Interested participants can express their interest in the Coop Pitch Competition while registering for APCYS 5.0. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the competition guidelines, prepare their responses in advance, and submit the online application before the deadline on 08 June 2026. Early applications are strongly encouraged.

What are the eligibility criteria for Coop Pitch?

Teams comprising 2 – 5 members are encouraged to apply for the competition. Teams may include young cooperators, students, representatives of ICA member organizations, civil society actors, social entrepreneurs, and individuals from diverse professional or academic backgrounds. Above all, participants should demonstrate a strong commitment to collaboration, innovation, and creating positive community impact.

I don’t have a team. Can I still participate?

Yes. Individual applications are welcome, and participants without a team are still encouraged to apply.

What do the winning teams receive?

The top three winning teams will receive:

Prize money
Mentorship support from cooperative experts
Opportunities to connect with key partners and stakeholders
Support to further develop and implement their cooperative ideas

Have more questions?

Feel free to contact us at contact@apyouthsummit.coop for any questions or additional information.

Mentors' Profile

Mr. Akkanut Wantanasombut

Head of ISSIE Research Group, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University

Akkanut Wantanasombut is head of the ISSIE Research Group (Innovation for Social Solidarity and Inclusive Economy in Asia) at the Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University. His work focuses on the platform economy, digital labour, and the social solidarity economy in Southeast Asia. He is principal investigator of Fairwork Thailand, part of a global research network coordinated by the Oxford Internet Institute (University of Oxford) and the WZB Berlin Social Science Centre that assesses working conditions on digital labour platforms. He is also the founder of Tamsang-Tamsong, a community-based delivery platform built on a multi-stakeholder cooperative model, and ThaiEconoMap, a community-owned digital commons that maps local economies to strengthen the grassroots economy and community well-being. Alongside his research, Akkanut works closely with workers, communities, and civil society to build fairer alternatives to the current platform model.

Ms. Mira Dzhakshylykova

Climate & Water Cooperation Specialist

Mira Dzhakshylykova is a climate and water cooperation specialist from Kyrgyzstan with a background in environmental management, sustainable development, and water diplomacy. She works on regional initiatives across Central Asia that advance climate resilience, sustainable land use, ecosystem restoration, and cross-border cooperation by connecting science, policy, and local action. Her expertise includes climate governance, environmental peacebuilding, youth engagement, and fostering collaborative approaches to sustainable development.

Mira has designed and contributed to international and regional initiatives that empower young people to become leaders and innovators in addressing environmental and societal challenges. As a Global Fellow, Rotary Scholar, and Peace Ambassador, she is passionate about supporting inclusive, community-driven solutions that create lasting social and environmental impact. She believes that cooperation, innovation, and youth leadership are powerful drivers of resilient communities and sustainable economies, and is committed to strengthening partnerships that enable the next generation of changemakers to turn bold ideas into meaningful action across the region and beyond.

Ms. Atty. Dulce S. Bustamante

Chairperson, ICA-Asia Pacific Committee on Youth Cooperation

Atty. Dulce S. Bustamante-Delmo is the Executive Director of the Union of Legitimate Service Contracting Cooperatives in the Philippines, a cooperative union whose main advocacy is for the development, training, and support to labor service cooperatives.

She also serves as the Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation and the ex-officio Vice-President for Asia Pacific of the ICA Youth Committee. She is also a founding member of Young Entrepreneurs Service Cooperative, the first youth cooperative in their local region. She is also the Managing Partner of a law firm based in the Philippines.

As a cooperator, she has taken on various roles as trainer and program implementor especially in the development of laboratory and youth cooperatives. Now in the labor and service sector, her advocacy is to promote cooperative laws and framework locally and internationally. Her expertise includes youth development, labor service, governance, and cooperatives.

Mr. Patrick John R. Rico

President, Prime Aces College ACDI

Patrick John R. Rico is the President of Prime Aces College, the educational subsidiary of ACDI Multipurpose Cooperative in the Philippines. He is an educator, development practitioner, and cooperative leader specializing in entrepreneurship, cooperative development, leadership, and organizational innovation. He earned his Doctor in Business Administration from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and completed the Management Development Program at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Development Administration, with research interests in governance, institutional sustainability, and inclusive development.

Patrick also serves as a Visiting Lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, where he teaches cooperative management and development.

Beyond the classroom, he works with cooperatives and development organizations in designing leadership and capacity-building programs. As an Online Mentor for the Coop Pitch 2026 Competition, he is committed to mentoring young innovators in developing cooperative enterprises that generate sustainable economic and social impact.

Ms. Justine Lynn C. Limocon

Cooperative Development Professional, Agripreneur, Youth Leader, LAMAC

Justine Lynn C. Limocon is a cooperative development professional, agripreneur, and youth leader with 28 years of experience in the cooperative movement. She currently serves as Business Development Center Operations Manager at Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LAMAC) in the Philippines, leading business incubation, enterprise development, value chain innovation, market expansion, and strategic partnerships that benefit cooperatives, MSMEs, and smallholder farmers.

She also chairs the Regional Young Farmer Committee of the Asian Farmers' Association (AFA), representing young farmers across the Asia-Pacific region and advocating for youth leadership, climate resilience, digital transformation, and sustainable agriculture.

An internationally recognized cooperative leader, Justine won the 1st ICA-AP Youth Summit Cooperative Pitch Competition in 2016 and received the Joe Biden Award for Development Educator of the Year for Asia and the Edward Filene Credit Union Award for Best Film Production in 2017. She has represented the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region in numerous international conferences and policy dialogues, championing cooperative innovation, youth empowerment, agribusiness development, and sustainable rural enterprises.

Mr. Alireza Banaeifar

Deputy of International Affairs, ICC

Mr. Alireza Banaeifar is the Deputy of International Affairs at the Iran Chamber of Cooperatives and has served as an ICA-AP Board Member since November 2023. Formerly, he was the Youth Representative on the ICA-AP Board and Chair of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation for two years. With over a decade of experience in coordinating international cooperative programs and fostering partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region, he has led numerous diplomatic and educational initiatives linking Iran with other nations. He holds an MBA degree and has been instrumental in advancing strategic cooperation within the cooperative sector at both regional and global levels.

Mr. Jaseel Charuvil Kunnummal

Co-Founder, Khojindia

Jaseel CK is a co-founder of Khojindia and serves as the Director of the Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a vertical of The Ignite Foundation, where he is also a co-founder. With a Master’s degree in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, along with Assistant Professor qualifications in Social Work, Management, and Adult Education, his work lies at the intersection of social entrepreneurship education and ecosystem building for social and cooperative enterprises.

He formerly served as a Youth Ambassador in the Global Cooperative Entrepreneurs (GCE) Program of the ICA-AP. He is a member of ChangemakerXchange, a global collective of social entrepreneurs. He is also an alumnus of the Singapore International Foundation’s Young Social Entrepreneurs Program, represented India at the World Youth Development Forum in 2024 and 2026, and at the Asia-Europe Young Leaders Summit in 2024.

Passionate about learning and ideas, he prefers coffee over tea and enjoys both reading and writing, with equal enthusiasm for literature and academic research.

Ms. Sun Hongmin

Lecturer, Zhejiang Institute of Economics & Trade

Sun Hongmin is a faculty member at the School of Public Education, Zhejiang Institute of Economics and Trade in Hangzhou, China. Her research interests include innovation and entrepreneurship education and rural revitalization. She serves as a Hangzhou University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mentor and a visiting engineer for the Belt and Road project in Thailand. She teaches innovation and entrepreneurship courses, delivers startup fundamentals, and mentors student venture teams. Her mentoring focuses on helping student founders sharpen their value proposition, structure clear pitch decks, and think from the customer's perspective. She has consistently integrated rural revitalization into entrepreneurship education, guiding students to win over 10 gold, silver, and bronze awards in provincial competitions such as the "Challenge Cup" and the Rural Revitalization Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.