Program Description: 

Title: Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2025

Application Deadline: 30 June 2025 at 4:00 PM (BST)

• Apply online: Commonwealth Startup Fellowship Application Form

• Info session: 3 June 2025 at 11 AM BST (registration required)

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Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2025 Overview

The Commonwealth Startup Fellowship is a fully funded 6-month hybrid programme aimed at empowering innovative early-stage startups from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries. Delivered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in collaboration with Imperial College London, the fellowship combines online learning with in-person experiences to help founders develop their startups, scale operations, and contribute to job creation in their countries.

A cohort of 20 promising startups will be selected. One representative from each startup must attend a two-week in-person bootcamp in Accra, Ghana from 14–30 November 2025. Outstanding participants may also be invited to a capstone event in London in early 2026.

Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2025: Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a citizen or refugee of an eligible low or middle-income Commonwealth country

• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country

• Be fluent in English (written and spoken)

• Be at least graduate-level

• Not have received a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in the past five years

• Be available for the full duration of the fellowship

Startups must demonstrate:

• A working minimum viable product (MVP), service, or prototype

• At least 6 months of active development and a committed team

• Clear innovation in product, service, or market

• Evidence of customer traction such as pre-sales, contracts, or early sales

Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2025: Eligible Countries

Includes: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Uganda, and 40+ other low/middle-income Commonwealth countries. Full list available in the official documentation.

Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2025: Benefits

• Fully funded return travel to Ghana

• Accommodation, travel, and meals during the bootcamp

• Reimbursement of visa application and vaccination costs

• Access to a Fellow’s Grant Fund for startup-related expenses

• Possibility of participating in a London-based capstone event

• Additional disability support if applicable

Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2025: Application Requirements

Applicants must complete the online application form and provide:

• Educational qualifications

• Relevant work experience (max 100 words each)

• Names and details of up to 3 referees (including a current or most recent employer)

• Details of the startup, including registration and traction (up to 250 words)

• Competitor and market research (up to 150 words)

• IP ownership or protection status (up to 150 words)

• 1-minute video pitch

• Description of the problem, solution, and team (each up to 150 words)

• Motivation for joining the programme (up to 150 words)

• Scan of passport or national ID