The program
YES runs from 9 September 2026 to 31 January 2027. Everything you do in the Academy feeds the proposal you submit, and the proposal is what carries you through the Semi-Final to the Grand Final.
YES Academy · Learn & Build
Six sessions of two hours each. The Academy is not a lecture series running alongside a competition — it is the competition's first half. Each session produces one specific part of your YES Business Proposal.
Learn → Apply → Build → Pitch
Session 1 · Sunday, 11 October 2026
12:00–14:00 UAE time15:00–17:00 WIB (Jakarta)CEO Compas.co.id
Open to everyone · Free
Before you build anything, find out whether the problem is real — and whether enough people have it to make a business.
Proposal outputProblem Statement
Session 2 · Saturday, 17 October 2026
12:00–14:00 UAE time15:00–17:00 WIB (Jakarta)Distinguished Chair for Finance and Investment, IPMI International Business School
Open to everyone · Free
Turn a validated problem into a business: why customers choose you, and how you make money.
Proposal outputValue Proposition + Business Model
Session 3 · Saturday, 24 October 2026
12:00–14:00 UAE time15:00–17:00 WIB (Jakarta)Commercial drones and disruptive technology, Middle East
Open to everyone · Free
A good product still needs customers who find it, buy it and come back.
Proposal outputGo-to-Market Strategy
Session 4 · Saturday, 31 October 2026
12:00–14:00 UAE time15:00–17:00 WIB (Jakarta)SME Business Group Head, PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk
Senior Executive Officer, BSI Middle East — Dubai Branch
Open to everyone · Free
Can the business realistically make money and survive? Finance without the jargon.
Proposal outputFinancial Overview & Key Assumptions
Session 5 · Saturday, 7 November 2026
12:00–14:00 UAE time15:00–17:00 WIB (Jakarta)Director of Business & Development, ALDIO LLC Dubai
Open to everyone · Free
How the UAE can be your gateway to wider markets. Practical awareness, not legal advice.
Proposal outputPotential Growth Path / Market Expansion
Session 6 · Saturday, 14 November 2026 (to be confirmed)
12:00–14:00 UAE time15:00–17:00 WIB (Jakarta)Co-founder & former CTO, Tiket.com
Open to everyone · Free
Communicate your opportunity clearly and credibly — to judges and to investors.
Proposal outputYES Pitch Deck + Final Proposal
Concept or framework, a case study, a practical AI application, an exercise you do yourself, Q&A, and a proposal assignment to take away.
Every session runs online, so you can join from wherever you are, at the same time each week. Each date is on its session card below.
12:00–14:00 UAE time15:00–17:00 WIB (Jakarta)Practical AI
AI is a layer through the Academy rather than a module bolted on the end. You learn where it genuinely helps, and where your own judgement has to do the work.
Persona exploration, market research, competitor mapping.
Idea refinement and stress-testing the model you've built.
Scenario analysis and testing the assumptions underneath your numbers.
Content development and campaign ideation.
Improving the presentation, and rehearsing the delivery.
You stay responsible for accuracy, originality and confidentiality. You must be able to explain and defend everything you submit.
The business proposal
You submit one proposal on the official YES template. It is your own work, and it should follow one habit throughout: claim, evidence, metric.
You submit through your dashboard on this site: your proposal file, up to five supporting documents, and a link to a pitch video if you made one.
You can replace your proposal as often as you need before the deadline. Each submission is stored as a complete version, with the previous one kept underneath it. Supporting documents carry over automatically.
Worth knowing: a new version voids the committee's previous completeness check, so send the version you mean to send.
How you're judged
Eligibility is a gate, not a score. Quality is only assessed once eligibility is confirmed. After that, each stage looks for different evidence.
Gate 1A · pass / fail
A non-scored administrative check. Can this entry proceed?
Gate 1B · scored
Is the business case strong after the Academy?
Gate 2 · scored
Can you defend what you wrote? You present in front of a panel of judges, then take questions.
Gate 3 · scored
Who has the strongest overall potential? A final pitch in front of the panel of judges.
Judges assess the entrepreneur and the business, not presentation skill. Communicating clearly matters, but so do market opportunity, business model, evidence, traction, financial viability, growth potential, impact and your capability to execute. Business substance beats presentation theatrics.
Judges score independently before any panel discussion, using the same rubric and a 1–5 scale. Conflicted judges abstain.
Key dates
Exact dates are published here as they are confirmed, and announced through the official YES channels. This site is the single source of truth for dates and rules.
| Period | What happens |
|---|---|
| 9 Sep 2026 | Official YES Launch |
| 9 Sep – 3 Oct 2026 | Registration & Outreach |
| From 3 Oct 2026 | Eligibility Screening & Onboarding |
| Early Oct 2026 | Initial Business Proposal Deadline |
| 11, 17, 24 & 31 Oct 2026 | YES Academy Sessions 1–4 |
| 7 & 14 Nov 2026 (14 Nov TBC) | YES Academy Sessions 5–6 |
| Week 3 Nov 2026 | Proposal Revision Deadline |
| Week 4 Nov 2026 | Proposal Evaluation |
| End Nov 2026 | Top 20 Semi-Finalists Announcement |
| Week 2 Dec 2026 | SEMI-FINAL PITCH |
| Week 4 Dec 2026 | Top 10 Finalists Announcement |
| Week 2 Jan 2027 | Finalist Pitch Refinement |
| Week 4 Jan 2027 | YES GRAND FINAL, Awards & YES CONNECT |
