Commonwealth Startup Fellowships 2026/2027 (Funded) – YOA

Deadline: September 1, 2026

Applications for the Commonwealth Startup Fellowships 2026/2027 are open. Commonwealth Startup Fellowships run for six months and are designed to ignite and elevate excessive-potential startups from low and center earnings Commonwealth nations. The programme is made up of a mix of immersive in-particular person experiences and on-line studying, to offer contributors with important abilities, chopping-edge data, and a strong world community.

The CSC and Imperial College London intend that by the tip of the programme, entrepreneurs can be geared up to scale their companies efficiently, pitch fluently, and drive job creation of their home nations.

Benefits

Each fellowship offers:

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

Eligibility

To be eligible for this fellowship, candidates should:

• Be of at the least graduate stage
• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee standing by an eligible low or center earnings Commonwealth nation
• Be completely resident in an eligible Commonwealth nation
• Be fluent in written and spoken English
• Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship throughout 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)

In addition, they have to:

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

Application

In the application type, candidates are requested to: 

• List details about their enterprise, their function inside it, and details about their workforce.  
• List the names and positions of two referees who’re certified to touch upon their capability to learn from the fellowship.
• Provide a one-minute video elevator pitch, clearly explaining the issue their enterprise is fixing, the answer it gives, the progress it has made to this point, and what difference taking part on this programme will make.
• Make certain the video is supplied in a suitable format for playback throughout Windows and Mac gadgets (e.g. MP4) and doesn’t require a particular entry request. Any movies that can’t be simply accessed is not going to be considered and their accompanying purposes can be discontinued from the choice course of. Password safety is ok – use the house obtainable within the application type to listing the video password.
• Provide a scan of their passport or nationwide id card.

Click here to apply

For extra data, go to Commonwealth Startup Fellowships.