Deadline: September 30, 2026
Applications are invited for the AU Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme 2026/2027 [Cohort 2]. The Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme is an AUC Startup Acceleration Initiative and the African Union’s flagship programme for the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Implemented by the AU Commission’s Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM), the programme provides Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs with structured training, expert mentorship, intellectual property support, and direct market access opportunities across the continent and beyond.
The EAN’s inaugural cohort (2024/25) trained 56 fellows from 30 African countries and produced over USD 1 million in deals and contracts. Cohort 2 (2026/27) will expand the programme to 100 fellows drawn from all 55 AU Member States, targeting USD 2 million in new attributable revenue and 500 new jobs.
Fellowship Sectors
Cohort 2 covers seven sectors organised into two clusters aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA):
- Products Cluster (goods for intra-African trade): Manufacturing, Agro-processing, Creative Industries
- Services Cluster: ICT/Digital, Fintech, Health, Logistics/Transport
Benefits
- All fellows receive twelve months of structured training across ten modules differentiated by sector and tier; expert mentorship through African Union Partners, access to the African Trade Observatory (ATO) and AfCFTA market intelligence tools; and participation in continental events.
- Tier 1 and 2 fellows participate in virtual market-entry sessions across ten AfCFTA pilot countries; Tier 3 fellows participate in B2B matchmaking sessions.
Eligibility
- 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; and
- 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.
Application
The application form collects business registration details, sector, years of operation, employee count, countries currently trading, revenue range, IP status, and access to formal finance, together with a written pitch of up to 800 words describing the enterprise, its main market challenge, and the applicant’s objective for the fellowship.
Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide one supporting document verifying finance access (bank statement, mobile money statement, or equivalent). This is not required at application stage.
For more information, visit AU Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship.
