Participatory approaches are increasingly recognised as key to designing effective interventions for youth entrepreneurship in agrifood sector, particularly in complex and heterogeneous contexts such as the Mediterranean and Africa. This paper analyses a co-design methodology developed and implemented by CIHEAM Bari across 17 countries within agrifood innovation ecosystems. The approach integrates ecosystem mapping, co-design services and capacity building of Business Support Organisations (BSOs), tailored startup support, and open innovation mechanisms linking startups with firms. Drawing on both implementation experience and selected literature on open innovation and innovation ecosystems, the paper shows how participatory co-design enhances the relevance, ownership, and effectiveness of interventions. A relevant aspect of this process is the Mediterranean Innovation Agrifood Week (MIA Week), organized by CIHEAM Bari yearly and gathering innovation ecosystem actors from Mediterranean and African countries, is discussed as a collective reflection space where methodological insights are consolidated and refined. The paper contributes to the operationalisation of participatory approaches in youth entrepreneurship support, moving beyond theoretical frameworks towards practice-oriented evidence.
