The Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2026/2027 for early stage start-ups (Fully Funded to Bootcamp in Accra, Ghana and Capstone Week in London, UK )

Application Deadline: September 1st, 2026

Applications at the moment are open for the 2026/2027 Commonwealth Startup Fellowship. Commonwealth Startup Fellowships run for six months and are designed to ignite and elevate high-potential startups from low and center revenue Commonwealth international locations. The programme is made up of a mix of immersive in-person experiences and on-line studying, to present individuals with important abilities, cutting-edge data, and a strong international community.

The CSC and Imperial College London intend that by the top of the programme, entrepreneurs might be geared up to scale their companies efficiently, pitch fluently, and drive job creation in their home international locations.

One individual from every enterprise have to be obtainable to attend a two-week bootcamp in Accra, Ghana and a weeklong sequence of capstone occasions on the finish of the programme.

Fellow eligibility

To be eligible for this fellowship, candidates should:

• Be of at the very least graduate stage
• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee standing by an eligible low or center revenue Commonwealth nation
• Be completely resident in an eligible Commonwealth nation
• Be fluent in written and spoken English
• Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship inside the final 5 years (on the time of taking on the award)
• Be obtainable to undertake the fellowship from the prescribed begin date (16 November 2026)
• Be obtainable to attend the Bootcamp in Accra, Ghana (estimated 25 January – 4 February 2027)
• Be obtainable to attend the Capstone Week in London, UK (estimated 14 – 21 May 2027)

Eligible Countries

Bangladesh • Belize • Botswana • Cameroon • Dominica • Eswatini • Fiji • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Grenada • Guyana • India • Jamaica • Kenya • Kiribati • Lesotho • Malawi • Malaysia • Maldives • Mauritius • Montserrat • Mozambique • Namibia • Nauru • Nigeria • Pakistan • Papua New Guinea • Rwanda • St Helena • St Lucia • St Vincent and the Grenadines • Samoa • Sierra Leone • Solomon Islands • South Africa • Sri Lanka • Tanzania • Togo • Tonga • Tuvalu • Uganda • Vanuatu • Zambia

In addition, they need to: 

• Have a startup that has been registered as a authorized entity in accordance with native laws;
• Demonstrate proof of innovation, in phrases of product, service, enterprise mannequin or method to addressing a market want;
• Have progressed past the thought, prototype, and pilot phases;
• Have been actively working their enterprise for at the very least twelve months and have the opportunity to reveal significant progress;
• Have a services or products that’s obtainable to prospects;
• Have demonstrated buyer demand via paying prospects and proof of ongoing buyer adoption (equivalent to repeat purchases, contract renewals, recurring income, or sustained utilization);
• Operate via a sustainable enterprise mannequin and shouldn’t be primarily depending on donations, philanthropy, or grant funding;
• Create optimistic financial, social, or environmental outcomes via its core actions;
• Have proof of business traction, progress, and the potential to scale;
• Be searching for to scale their buyer base, operations, influence, or geographic attain.

Benefits

Each fellowship supplies: 

• Approved return journey from the Fellow’s home nation to the in-person bootcamp in Accra, Ghana together with, lodging, journey, and catering.
• Approved return journey from the Fellow’s home nation to the in-person Capstone Week in London, UK together with lodging, journey, and catering.
• Reimbursement of the usual visa application charge. 
• Up to £2,000 in fairness free grants for enterprise or participation-related prices. 
• If a Fellow declares a incapacity, a full evaluation of wants and eligibility for extra monetary assist might be supplied by the CSC.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Commonwealth Startup Fellowship