AUC Startup Acceleration Initiative 2026 – 2027
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme Cohort 2 (2026/27)
An AUC Startup Acceleration Initiative
About the Programme
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.
Who Should 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; 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.
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
Three Fellowship Tiers
Fellows are placed into one of three tiers based on enterprise maturity. Training, mentorship, and market access support are tailored to each tier. A minimum of 40 places (40 percent of the cohort) are reserved to ensure representation across all five AU continental regions, with at least five places for enterprises from small island Member States.
| Tier | Places | Eligibility |
| 1 – Growth | 35 | Operating 2-5 years; minimum 3 employees; demonstrable market traction |
| 2 – Expansion | 40 | Operating 5-10 years; 10–30 employees; cross-border ambition |
| 3 – Scale-Ready | 25 | Operating 10+ years, or investor-ready profile |
What the Fellowship Offers
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.
Key Dates
| Application Opens: | 31 July 2026 |
| Application Deadline: | 30 September 2026 |
| Results Communicated: | October 2026 |
| Programme Commences: | Nov 2026 |