Apply for the fully funded Commonwealth Startup Fellowship for startups from low and middle-income countries (£35,000 in equity free grants)

Ednah Carrick June 5, 2025

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Closing Date: 30 June 2025

Apply for the fully funded Commonwealth Startup Fellowship for startups from low and middle-income countries (£35,000 in equity free grants)

Overview

The Commonwealth Startup Fellowship (CSF) is a six-month programme designed to ignite and elevate high potential startups from low and middle-income countries across the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth Startup Fellowship

This six-month programme is designed to fuel high-potential startups through intensive in-person and online learning. You’ll gain essential skills, tailored coaching, and access to a powerful global network to help you overcome barriers and scale up your business.

The programme begins in November 2025 with a fully funded two-week bootcamp in Accra, Ghana, plus ongoing online support with business coaching, expert-led sessions, and valuable peer connections. One founder from each selected team will participate in-person, while co-founders and team members can access the remote portion, connecting with global mentors and industry experts from across the Commonwealth.

In addition to the training and mentorship, participating teams can apply for financial support from the Fellows Fund, a pot of £35,000 in equity free grants. This funding is available to cover business related costs to help you develop and grow your startup. Select participants will be invited to a Capstone in London, UK, where they will have the chance to pitch to investors and industry leaders.

Two-week in-person Bootcamp

Launch event – Accra, Ghana
Workshops, covering topics such as leadership, scaling a business, building a team, fundraising and sales.
Exploration of the Ghana entrepreneurial ecosystem
1-2-1 business coaching

Remote Content

Monthly 1-2-1 business coaching
Monthly peer to peer meetings
1-2-1 expert meetings
Monthly venture review sessions
Monthly programme check-ins

Learning outcomes

By the end of this programme you will:

Refine business plans, scale operations, implement lean practices, and develop go-to-market strategies to drive sustainable growth.
Identify and develop personal leadership styles, enhance team dynamics, address skills gaps, and promote diversity to build effective teams.
Understand and navigate local and global entrepreneurial ecosystems, identify key players, and leverage partnerships to support venture growth.
Develop compelling brands, effective sales strategies, and robust financial forecasts to achieve business goals and secure funding.
Build resilience, prevent burnout, foster team well-being, and cultivate a supportive entrepreneurial network for long-term success.
Articulate goals, measure progress, and develop actionable plans for continuous personal and professional development beyond the programme.

Fellow Eligibility

To be eligible for these Fellowships, prospective Fellows 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 their fellowship from the prescribed start date;

In addition, they must demonstrate

Evidence of innovation, in terms of product, service, or market
Active development for at least six-months and demonstrable commitment from team members
A working minimum viable ‘product’, service and/or prototype
Significant evidence of customer engagement or traction in the form of early sales or pre-sales . proof of interest or demand, signed contracts or other relevant evidence.

Key dates

The programme comprises of a series of workshops, talks and networking sessions across multiple time zones. Attending all the sessions isn’t compulsory, although participation is encouraged.