From Margins to Markets: Green Futures
Young people across North East England are often told that entrepreneurship is for other places, other people. This project sets out to challenge that assumption.
From Margins to Markets: Green Futures is a six-month international entrepreneurship programme run by Rural Design Centre in partnership with Northumbria University, with support from the British Council. It brings together 18 to 30 year olds from North East England and connects them with peers in Mexico — to develop green business ideas that address the challenges their own communities face.
The programme runs from February to July 2026, and applications are open until 20 April 2026.
The challenge we're responding to
Rural and post-industrial communities in North East England have enormous untapped potential. Young people here are creative, resourceful, and deeply connected to the places they live — but conventional pathways into enterprise rarely reflect that reality.
At the same time, the shift to a greener economy is creating new opportunities: in circular systems, local food, land stewardship, community energy, and more. This project aims to help young people from our region be part of shaping that transition, not just watching it happen elsewhere.
What the programme involves
Participants work both individually and in small teams over six months. Rather than classroom learning, the programme centres on doing: developing real ideas, testing them with real people, and iterating based on what they find.
The programme includes:
Workshop days covering circular economy principles, business fundamentals, and lean startup methods for testing ideas with real customers
Monthly team development sessions with mentors who understand rural communities and practical business challenges
Bi-weekly international exchanges with youth teams in Mexico, sharing experiences, comparing approaches, and building cross-cultural perspectives
Hands-on prototyping to test ideas with local people and businesses
No business experience or formal qualifications are required. Bursaries are available to participants, and seed funding is on offer for the most promising ideas to take forward.
Why the international dimension matters
The connection with Mexico isn't simply a networking opportunity. Teams on both sides are tackling similar challenges — how to build sustainable livelihoods in communities that are often overlooked by mainstream economic development. Sharing methods, comparing contexts, and learning across cultures is woven into the programme design from the start.
What participants walk away with
Beyond the business ideas themselves, participants develop skills that are genuinely transferable: identifying opportunities, understanding customers, testing assumptions, and solving problems with limited resources. They also gain connections into regional business support networks including Enterprising North East, Northumbria University's Business Incubator, and the Northern Accelerator.
Every participant receives a certificate of participation and becomes part of a wider network of young people working on similar challenges.
Get involved
To get involved in the project, head over to the Margins to Markets registration page.
Partners
Northumbria University — northumbria.ac.uk
British Council — britishcouncil.org