Fully Funded 2025 Commonwealth Startup Fellowship for Early Stage Start-ups (Bootcamp in Accra, Ghana)

Applications are now open for the 2025 Commonwealth Startup Fellowship. The Commonwealth Startup Fellowship will run for six months and is designed to ignite and elevate high-potential startups from low and middle income Commonwealth countries. The programme is made up of a combination of immersive in-person experiences and online learning, to provide participants with essential skills, cutting-edge knowledge, and a robust global network.  

The CSC and Imperial College London intend that by the end of the programme, entrepreneurs will be equipped to build thriving businesses, scale operations effectively, and drive job creation in their home countries.

Fellow Eligibility 

To be eligible for these Fellowships, prospective Fellows must: 

● Be of at least graduate level;  

● Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible low or middle income Commonwealth country;  

● Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country;  

● Be fluent in written and spoken English.  

● Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of taking up the award) 

● Be available to undertake their fellowship from the prescribed start date 

● In addition, they must demonstrate:  

• Evidence of innovation, in terms of product, service, or market   

• Active development for at least six-months and demonstrable commitment from team members   

• A working minimum viable ‘product’, service and/or prototype   

• Significant evidence of customer engagement or traction in the form of early sales or pre-sales . proof of interest or demand, signed contracts or other relevant evidence. 

Benefits

● A cohort of 20 early stage start-ups will be recruited. One person from each business must be available to attend a two-week bootcamp in Accra, Ghana at the end of March 2025.

● There is also the possibility for representatives from outstanding organisations to travel to London in the UK later in the year for a series of exciting capstone events.

● Financial assistance

Each Fellowship provides: 

•Approved return travel from the Fellow’s home country to the in-person bootcamp in Accra, Ghana. 

• Accommodation, travel and catering for the duration of the in-person bootcamp in Accra, Ghana. 

•Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee. 

•Reimbursement of vaccination costs 

•Access to a Fellow’s Grant Fund for business or participation-related costs 

• If a Fellow declares a disability, a full assessment of needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC. 

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 

Method of Application

Applications for Commonwealth Startup Fellowships are now open. You can access the application form here.

For More Information,

Visit the Official Webpage

Application Deadline: January 15, 2025.