The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has opened the bidding process for the Summer Youth Olympics in 2018.

The IOC sent letters to all national Olympic committees inviting bids to host the third edition of the youth event. The deadline for submission of bids is March 1, 2012. A shortlist of finalists will be selected in January 2013, and the host city will be chosen in June 2013.The Youth Games will feature about 3,800 athletes from 15 to 18, The Associated Press reported.

The Summer Youth Olympics were first held in Singapore in 2010 and will take place in 2014 in Nanjing, China.