UNICEF StartUp Lab Accelerator Programme 2026 for young Ghanaian Social Impact Startups.

Application Deadline: 20 February 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 UNICEF StartUp Lab Accelerator Programme. The UNICEF Startup Lab is part of UNICEF’s broader innovation agenda, supporting entrepreneurs who are leveraging technology, data, and innovative business models to address pressing social challenges. The programme connects startups with UNICEF experts, partners, and global networks to strengthen solutions that deliver measurable impact for children and young people.

Requirements

The Cohort 6 pre-application is ideal for:

Early-stage startups and social enterprises

Founders building innovative and scalable solutions

Teams addressing challenges affecting children and youth

Entrepreneurs interested in collaborating with global development partners

Startups operating in Africa or other emerging markets (depending on cohort focus)

Benefits

Selected startups will benefit from:

Support to scale solutions sustainably and responsibly

Tailored mentorship from industry and development experts

Technical guidance to refine products and business models

Exposure to global innovation and investment networks

Opportunities to collaborate within UNICEF’s ecosystem.

APPLY HERE

British Council Women in STEM Scholarships 2026/2027 for young women (£40,000 scholarship worth)

Application Deadline: April 30, 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026/2027 British Council Women in STEM Scholarships. Access to education is a leading factor that contributes to the underrepresentation of women in STEM. The British Council’s Women in STEM scholarship programme addresses this by providing funding for one-year master’s degree programmes at top ranking universities and research institutions within the UK, for women from socioeconomically and disadvantaged contexts.  

Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility criteria apply to:

British Council Women in STEM Scholarships (see list of eligible countries for 2026-27 academic year) 

ASEAN Women in STEM

Scholarships for Women in Hong Kong (supported by Sir Tang Shiu Kin Education Trust)

Women in STEM Scholarships, Mexico (supported by Fundación Coppel and COPOCYT)

Women in STEM Scholarships, Brazil 

any other Women in STEM branded cohorts funded under this scheme.

Scholars must:

Be a woman, as defined under UK legislation. 

Be a permanent resident of, and hold a valid passport or recognised international travel document from, one of the eligible countries listed, and be able to obtain a UK visa using the documentation they hold.

 [2] Applicants must agree to return to their country of citizenship or residence for a minimum of two years after the scholarship ends, except in very exceptional circumstances where return would be impossible or unsafe.

Meet the entry requirement of the UK higher education institution for the course they apply for, including academic equivalent qualifications and English language proficiency.

Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree at the time of submitting the application for the scholarship. Students in the final year of their undergraduate degree may be considered if they will have completed their degree in time for enrolment to the master’s course in the UK and meet all matriculation requirements.

Demonstrate a case for financial support. Applicants must not be able to privately fund their UK studies and must not be in receipt of financial support from any other source [3] that duplicates the core benefits of the scholarship. Private savings that can top up the scholarship is permitted.

Preference will be given to candidates who have not had any significant international exposure or previously studied in the UK. This includes distance learning at UK universities or study at UK branch campuses abroad. We define significant experience as a period of study over one month, or enrolment on or completion of an international degree course. Short term visits such as study tours or conferences are permitted.

Indicate their preference for course and institution if applying to multiple institutions.

Be motivated and academically able to follow and benefit from a UK postgraduate taught course.

Be active in the STEM field with work experience or with a proven interest in the proposed subject area.

Be willing to contribute to capacity-building and socio-economic advancement in their home country after graduating from the master’s course in the UK.

Agree to maintain contact with the British Council and act as an ambassador for the UK, and engage with Alumni UK activities during and after their master’s course in the UK.

Demonstrate a plan and a passion to engage other women and girls in STEM from their home country.

Agree to their personal data being shared with the British Council for assessment and purposes of promotional activity, as a condition of applying for the scholarship.

Benefits

The programme provides:

Full scholarships – this includes monetary support, tuition fees, living stipends, travel and visa costs, health coverage fees and English language support. Each scholarship is worth a minimum of £40,000.

Access to world-leading science and research universities – UK universities are globally recognised for science and research excellence. The UK is ranked second in the world for science and research.  

Career opportunities – the scholarships help enhance women’s careers in STEM and enable them to promote research and innovation in their home country through their exposure to expertise in the UK’s renowned STEM fields.  

Alumni networks – the scholarships provide a long-lasting platform to connect with UK alumni. 

APPLY HERE

ACT Trust Foundation Grant Cycle 2026 for Non-profit Organizations and Social Enterprises in Africa.

Application Deadline: January 30, 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 ACT Foundation Grant Cycle. This year, ACT Trust Foundation seek to prioritize scalable, high-impact programs that leverage community mobilization, ensuring inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups (women, rural youth, children, persons with disabilities).

ACT Foundation encourage collaboration and prioritize interventions that leverage technology to achieve scale, while demonstrating strong capacity for sustainability and driving systems-level change.

Applicants are advised to be intentional about including marginalized and vulnerable groups (women, rural youth, children, and persons with disabilities).

Eligibility Requirements

Organizations applying for ACT Foundation’s grant must meet the following criteria:

Work within ACT Foundation’s focus areas of Health and Entrepreneurship.

Be registered with the appropriate legal entity within their respective (African) countries for not less than two years (24 months).

Be legally registered as a non-profit or social enterprise.

Show a strong governance structure – Board of Directors or Trustees, management team etc.

Show evidence of previous/other sources of funding.

Must show evidence of matching funds for the application.

Partnership with another organization is an added advantage.

Have a minimum staff strength of 3 full-time or part-time paid Individuals.

Be directly responsible for the execution of the proposed intervention.

 Including marginalized and vulnerable groups (women, rural youth, children, and persons with disabilities) is an added advantage.

Program/Initiative must be implemented within Africa.

APPLY HERE

Call for Applications: WE-Elevate Accelerator Program for Women Entrepreneurs (win up to ₦1,000,000 in funding)

The future of business is digital and WE-Elevate is supporting women entrepreneurs ready to grow, scale, and compete online. Applications are now open for the WE-Elevate Accelerator Program, designed to help women-led businesses move from offline to online while expanding customer reach and revenue potential.

About the WE-Elevate Accelerator Program

The WE-Elevate Accelerator Program is a growth-focused initiative created to support women entrepreneurs in adopting digital tools and online sales channels. The programme equips participants with practical skills, mentorship, and access to digital platforms that help businesses thrive in today’s digital economy.

Who Can Apply?

This opportunity is open to women entrepreneurs who:

Own or manage a small or growing business.

Currently operate offline or are partially online.

Want to sell products or services digitally

Are ready to learn, grow, and scale their businesses.

Program Benefits

Selected participants will enjoy the following benefits:

Learn how to take your business online and reach more customers.

Free access to a digital sales platform to sell products or services.

Mentorship and guidance from experienced business professionals.

A supportive community of women entrepreneurs for networking and peer learning.

Hands-on training in digital tools to improve visibility, sales, and operations

Business growth support to help you scale sustainably.

Stand a chance to win ₦1,000,000 in funding to support your business growth.

Why You Should Apply

The WE-Elevate Accelerator Program helps women entrepreneurs break digital barriers, build confidence online, and unlock new income opportunities. It is designed to move businesses from survival to growth using practical, real-world digital strategies.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should complete the official registration form via the link below:

APPLY HERE

Call for Applications: Inclusive Enterprise Accelerator for Women, Youth and PwD-Led SMEs in Africa(Up To $100,000 Grant)

Applications are now open for an Inclusive Enterprise Accelerator designed to strengthen women-owned, youth-led, and disability-focused small and medium-sized enterprises across Africa. The programme responds to a critical gap in Africa’s capital ecosystem, where high-potential inclusive businesses remain underrepresented in formal investment markets despite their proven ability to drive job creation, innovation, and inclusive economic growth.

This accelerator is positioned to bridge the disconnect between impact investors seeking bankable, impact-aligned opportunities and enterprises that require structured support to become investment-ready. By strengthening enterprise systems, refining business models, and facilitating direct investor engagement, the programme aims to unlock sustainable capital while preparing participating SMEs for expansion within the African Continental Free Trade Area, a single market of 1.4 billion people valued at US$3.4 trillion.

Programme Objectives

The accelerator is designed to operationalise Gender Equity and Social Inclusion as a practical business and investment tool, rather than a theoretical framework. It supports enterprises to integrate gender and inclusion principles into governance, strategy, and decision-making while strengthening overall investment readiness.

The programme also promotes the adoption of Gender Lens Investing principles, improves enterprise systems and governance structures, embeds sustainability and continuous improvement practices, and supports long-term revenue growth, resilience, and job creation. A key outcome is facilitating investor connections, deal flow, and matchmaking to unlock equity, debt, and grant funding opportunities.

Programme Structure

The accelerator will be implemented in three structured phases. The first phase focuses on business clinics and diagnostics to assess enterprise readiness and identify growth gaps. The second phase provides targeted coaching and technical support to strengthen systems, documentation, governance, and scalability. The final phase centres on onboarding enterprises onto an impact platform and facilitating deal matching with aligned investors and capital providers.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be registered and commercially viable SMEs operating in Africa.

Businesses must demonstrate active revenue generation and show clear potential for scalability alongside measurable social and or environmental impact.

Eligible enterprises should demonstrate commitment to learning, continuous improvement, and adaptation, and must be actively seeking impact capital, equity, debt, or grant funding to scale within the next 12 months.

Why This Matters

Women, youth, and disability-focused enterprises remain among the most underfunded segments of Africa’s MSME ecosystem, even though MSMEs account for over 90 percent of businesses, 63 percent of employment, and approximately 50 percent of GDP across the continent. By strengthening deal readiness and connecting enterprises to capital, this accelerator contributes to inclusive growth, stronger investment pipelines, and sustainable economic.

APPLY HERE

Call for Applications: Theirworld Small Grants Programme 2026 (Up to £10,000 Funding)

The Theirworld Small Grants Programme 2026 is now open, offering £1,000 to £10,000 in grant funding to registered charities and not-for-profit organisations working to improve education, health, and life opportunities for children and young people.

This programme supports community-led, grassroots initiatives where targeted funding can unlock significant and lasting impact. Theirworld focuses on practical solutions that help children get the best start in life, learn in safe and inclusive environments, and gain the skills they need for the future.

Grant Focus Areas

Projects must align with at least one of Theirworld’s core thematic areas:

Best Start in Life

Supporting early childhood development, learning readiness, caregiver engagement, and access to early education.

Safe Place to Learn

Improving school safety, inclusion, learning environments, and access to quality education.

Skills for the Future

Providing digital, vocational, leadership, and life skills for young people.

Priority is given to projects that also address cross-cutting issues such as climate action, gender equality, inclusion, peace and security, health, and nutrition.

Grant Value and Structure

Funding ranges from £1,000 to £10,000 per project. Grants are typically disbursed as a single instalment, though multi-year funding may be considered in specific cases. All funded organisations are required to submit mid-term and final reports.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Be a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation

Work directly with children, young people, or caregivers

Serve marginalised or disadvantaged communities

Have a clear project plan with defined outcomes

Possess an organisational safeguarding policy

Provide recent annual accounts as part of the application

Who Should Apply

This programme is ideal for community-based organisations that:

Are delivering education, health, or skills-focused projects

Need small but catalytic funding to expand or strengthen impact

Are testing innovative approaches or scaling proven interventions

Work closely with underserved children and youth populations

Why This Grant Matters

Small, targeted grants can drive transformative change at the community level. For many grassroots organisations, access to large-scale donor funding remains limited. This programme bridges that gap by supporting locally driven solutions that directly improve children’s lives.

Theirworld funding has helped organisations strengthen early childhood learning, improve school safety, expand youth skills development, and enhance health and nutrition outcomes. For organisations working closest to the challenges, this grant offers a realistic pathway to grow impact and reach more children.

How to Apply

Applicants should first confirm eligibility through the official eligibility check, then complete the online application form. Required documents include a safeguarding policy and the organisation’s most recent annual accounts.

APPLY HERE

Call for Consultants: Enovate Lab’s Expert Pool 2026

Enovate Lab is inviting skilled consultants and industry experts to join our professional pool. This is your opportunity to contribute your expertise to transformative projects that drive technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship across Africa.

Why This Matters

By joining our pool, you become part of a network that shapes the future of innovation, collaborates on impactful projects, and supports startups and enterprises in solving real-world challenges. Your skills will directly influence initiatives that empower businesses, communities, and the next generation of innovators.

Eligibility Criteria

Professionals with demonstrable expertise in technology, business, research, or innovation.

Consultants with experience in project management, strategy, or advisory roles.

Experts willing to contribute time, insights, and practical solutions to diverse projects.

Benefits

Gain exposure to high-impact projects across multiple sectors.

Build your professional network with leading innovators, entrepreneurs, and experts.

Opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

Recognition for your contributions to transformative initiatives shaping Africa’s innovation landscape.

Apply HERE