Deadline: September 1, 2026
Applications for the Commonwealth Startup Fellowships 2026/2027 are open. Commonwealth Startup Fellowships run for six months and are 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 scale their businesses successfully, pitch fluently, and drive job creation in their home countries.
Benefits
Each fellowship provides:
- Approved return travel from the Fellow’s home country to the in-person bootcamp in Accra, Ghana including, accommodation, travel, and catering.
- Approved return travel from the Fellow’s home country to the in-person Capstone Week in London, UK including accommodation, travel, and catering.
- Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee.
- Up to £2,000 in equity free grants 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.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this fellowship, candidates 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 the fellowship from the prescribed start date (16 November 2026)
- Be available to attend the Bootcamp in Accra, Ghana (estimated 25 January – 4 February 2027)
- Be available to attend the Capstone Week in London, UK (estimated 14 – 21 May 2027)
In addition, they must:
- Have a startup that has been registered as a legal entity in accordance with local regulations;
- Demonstrate evidence of innovation, in terms of product, service, business model or approach to addressing a market need;
- Have progressed beyond the idea, prototype, and pilot stages;
- Have been actively operating their business for at least twelve months and be able to demonstrate meaningful progress;
- Have a product or service that is available to customers;
- Have demonstrated customer demand through paying customers and evidence of ongoing customer adoption (such as repeat purchases, contract renewals, recurring revenue, or sustained usage);
- Operate through a sustainable business model and is not primarily dependent on donations, philanthropy, or grant funding;
- Create positive economic, social, or environmental outcomes through its core activities;
- Have evidence of commercial traction, growth, and the potential to scale;
- Be seeking to scale their customer base, operations, impact, or geographic reach.
Application
In the application form, candidates are asked to:
- List information about their business, their role within it, and information about their team.
- List the names and positions of two referees who are qualified to comment on their capacity to benefit from the fellowship.
- Provide a one-minute video elevator pitch, clearly explaining the problem their business is solving, the solution it offers, the progress it has made so far, and what difference taking part in this programme will make.
- Make sure the video is provided in a compatible format for playback across Windows and Mac devices (e.g. MP4) and does not require a specific access request. Any videos that cannot be easily accessed will not be viewed and their accompanying applications will be discontinued from the selection process. Password protection is fine – use the space available in the application form to list the video password.
- Provide a scan of their passport or national identity card.
For more information, visit Commonwealth Startup Fellowships.
