Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme 2026/27: African Union Startup Acceleration for 100 African Entrepreneurs

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The African Union has launched Cohort 2 of the Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme — its flagship initiative for the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises across the African continent. 100 fellows from all 55 AU member states will be selected for structured training, expert mentorship, intellectual property support, and direct market access across Africa and beyond.

The inaugural cohort of 56 fellows from 30 countries produced over $1 million in deals and contracts. Cohort 2 targets $2 million in new revenue and 500 new jobs.

Application deadline: 30 September 2026.

What the Programme Offers

All fellows receive across 12 months:

• Structured training across 10 modules, differentiated by sector and tier
• Expert mentorship through African Union Partners
• Access to the African Trade Observatory (ATO) and AfCFTA market intelligence tools
• Participation in continental events

Additionally:

• Tier 1 and 2 fellows: Virtual market-entry sessions across 10 AfCFTA pilot countries
• Tier 3 fellows: B2B matchmaking sessions

Seven Sectors, Two Clusters

Fellows are placed in one of two clusters aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area:

Products Cluster (goods for intra-African trade):

• Manufacturing
• Agro-processing
• Creative Industries

Services Cluster:

• ICT/Digital
• Fintech
• Health
• Logistics/Transport

Three Fellowship Tiers

A minimum of 40 places (40%) are reserved to ensure representation across all five AU continental regions, with at least 5 places for enterprises from small island member states.

Who Can Apply

The EAN Fellowship is open to youth- and women-led small enterprises that are:

• Registered and operating in an AU Member State
• Formally registered as a business entity
• Operating for at least two years
• Employing a minimum of three full-time staff

Applications are particularly encouraged from women-led enterprises and businesses from underrepresented AU regions and small island member states.

Not eligible:

• Current and former AU Commission staff
• Employees and representatives of EAN institutional partners
• Staff of Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
• Graduates of any previous EAN Fellowship cohort

How to Apply

The application is submitted online. The form collects:

• Business registration details
• Sector and years of operation
• Employee count
• Countries currently trading in
• Revenue range
• IP status
• Access to formal finance

Plus a written pitch of up to 800 words describing your enterprise, its main market challenge, and your objective for the fellowship.

Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide one supporting financial document — not required at application stage.

Misrepresentation of any information results in immediate disqualification and permanent ineligibility for all future EAN cohorts.

Key Dates

For more information and application: 

Visit the official website of the Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme 2026