The African Union (AU) has opened applications for Cohort 2 of the Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme, a startup acceleration initiative designed to support promising African entrepreneurs with structured training, expert mentorship, intellectual property support and access to continental markets.
The 2026/27 cohort will select 100 fellows from all 55 African Union Member States, with the programme targeting increased business revenue and job creation across the continent.
Who Can Apply?
The fellowship is open to youth- and women-led small enterprises that meet the following requirements:
- The business must be registered and operating in an African Union Member State.
- The enterprise must be formally registered as a business entity.
- The business must have operated for at least 2 years.
- The enterprise must have at least 3 full-time employees.
- The business should demonstrate potential for growth, market traction or expansion.
Applications are particularly encouraged from women-led businesses, enterprises from underrepresented AU regions and businesses from small island Member States.
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Eligible Sectors
The programme covers seven sectors grouped into two clusters:
Products Cluster
- Manufacturing
- Agro-processing
- Creative Industries
Services Cluster
- ICT/Digital
- Fintech
- Health
- Logistics/Transport
Fellowship Tiers
Applicants will be placed into one of three tiers based on the maturity and growth stage of their business:
Tier 1 – Growth
- 35 places
- Business operating for 2–5 years
- Minimum of 3 employees
- Demonstrable market traction
Tier 2 – Expansion
- 40 places
- Business operating for 5–10 years
- 10–30 employees
- Cross-border expansion ambition
Tier 3 – Scale-Ready
- 25 places
- Business operating for 10+ years or demonstrating an investor-ready profile
What the Fellowship Offers
Selected fellows will receive:
- 12 months of structured business training.
- Training across 10 modules tailored to sector and enterprise maturity.
- Expert mentorship through African Union partners.
- Access to the African Trade Observatory (ATO).
- Access to AfCFTA market intelligence tools.
- Participation in continental business and networking events.
- Market-entry opportunities across selected AfCFTA pilot countries for Tier 1 and Tier 2 fellows.
- B2B matchmaking opportunities for Tier 3 fellows.
- Opportunities to develop cross-border business relationships and explore new African markets.
The programme is designed to help participating businesses move beyond local operations by improving their capacity, market knowledge, partnerships and readiness for regional expansion.
Key Date
Application Deadline: 30 September 2026
Results: October 2026
Programme Commences: November 2026
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View allHow to Apply for African Union Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme Cohort 2 (2026/27)
Interested entrepreneurs should submit their applications online through the official African Union application page.
Before starting the application, ensure you have accurate information about your business, including:
- Business registration details.
- Sector and business activities.
- Number of years the business has operated.
- Number of full-time employees.
- Countries where your business currently trades.
- Revenue range.
- Intellectual property status, where applicable.
- Access to formal finance.
You will also be required to submit a written business pitch of up to 800 words explaining your enterprise, its major market challenge and what you hope to achieve through the EAN Fellowship.
A strong pitch should clearly explain what your business does, the problem it solves, who your customers are, the market opportunity, your current level of traction, the specific challenge limiting your growth and how participating in the fellowship will help you overcome that challenge.
Shortlisted applicants will later be asked to provide a document verifying access to finance, such as a bank statement or mobile money statement. This document is not required at the initial application stage.
Applicants should carefully review every piece of information before submitting because misrepresentation can lead to immediate disqualification and permanent ineligibility for future EAN Fellowship cohorts.
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Who Cannot Apply?
The following are not eligible:
- Current or former African Union Commission staff.
- Employees and representatives of EAN institutional partners.
- Staff of Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
- Graduates of previous EAN Fellowship cohorts.
Enquiries: [email protected]
If you run a registered African business that is already operating and you are looking for mentorship, market access and opportunities to expand beyond your current market, this fellowship is worth considering.
You can also check out more opportunities you are eligible to apply for on the Federal Government Initiative Category, Latest Grant Collection Category, and Job and Career Opportunity Desk.
