Kuhusu

Overview

The Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme is an African Union Commission (AUC) startup acceleration initiative supporting the development and growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa.

Implemented by the AUC’s Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM), Cohort 2 will select 100 fellows from across all 55 AU Member States. The programme aims to help participating enterprises strengthen their capabilities, access new markets and expand across Africa.

Who Can Apply?

The Fellowship targets youth- and women-led small enterprises that:

• Are registered and operating in an African Union Member State
• Are formally registered as a business entity
• Have been operating for at least two years
• Employ at least three full-time staff

Applications are particularly encouraged from women-led enterprises, businesses from underrepresented AU regions and enterprises from small island Member States.

Eligible Sectors

Cohort 2 covers seven sectors aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA):

Products Cluster

• Manufacturing
• Agro-processing
• Creative industries

Services Cluster

• ICT/Digital
• Fintech
• Health
• Logistics/Transport

Fellowship Tiers

The 100 fellows will be allocated to three tiers according to enterprise maturity:

• Tier 1 – Growth (35 places): Operating for 2–5 years, minimum three employees and demonstrable market traction
• Tier 2 – Expansion (40 places): Operating for 5–10 years, 10–30 employees and cross-border ambitions
• Tier 3 – Scale-Ready (25 places): Operating for 10+ years or demonstrating an investor-ready profile

At least 40 places are reserved to support representation across all five AU continental regions, including at least five places for enterprises from small island Member States.

Fellowship Benefits

All selected fellows will receive:

• 12 months of structured training across ten modules tailored by sector and enterprise maturity
• Expert mentorship through African Union partners
• Access to the African Trade Observatory (ATO) and AfCFTA market intelligence tools
• Participation in continental events
• Market-access support

Tier 1 and Tier 2 fellows will participate in virtual market-entry sessions covering ten AfCFTA pilot countries, while Tier 3 fellows will participate in B2B matchmaking sessions.

Regional Equity Reservation

A minimum of 40 of the 100 fellowship places (40 percent of the cohort) are reserved to ensure representation across all five AU continental regions: Northern, Western, Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa. Within that allocation, at least five places are reserved for enterprises from small island Member States (Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Madagascar). The regional equity reservation is a binding allocation, applied before merit ranking within each tier.

Key Dates

Applications open: 31 July 2026
Application deadline: 30 September 2026
Results: October 2026
Programme starts: November 2026
Programme duration: 12 months

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online through the EAN Fellowship application platform.

Applicants will provide information on their business registration, sector, years of operation, employees, current trading markets, revenue range, intellectual property status and access to formal finance.

The application also requires a written pitch of up to 800 words describing the enterprise, its main market challenge and the applicant’s objectives for participating in the Fellowship.

Shortlisted applicants will subsequently be required to provide evidence of access to finance, such as a bank or mobile-money statement.