Call For Applications: AU Opens EAN Fellowship for Youth, Women Entrepreneurs

Young entrepreneurs and women-led small businesses across Africa have a fresh opportunity to access business support, mentorship and networks through the African Union Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme 2026/2027.

The initiative is aimed at entrepreneurs who are building businesses but need stronger connections, practical knowledge and institutional support to move to the next stage.

The fellowship is designed to strengthen youth- and women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by connecting entrepreneurs with opportunities that can improve their business capacity and ability to compete in local, regional and international markets.

For many small-business owners, access to capital is only one part of the challenge. Finding the right mentors, understanding new markets, building partnerships and gaining exposure can determine whether a promising business remains small or grows into a sustainable enterprise.

The EAN Fellowship seeks to address some of these gaps by providing selected participants with opportunities for capacity building, mentorship, networking and business development.

The programme also aligns with broader African efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, support job creation and give young people and women a stronger role in the continent’s economic development.

Participants will have the opportunity to engage with entrepreneurs and business stakeholders from across Africa, potentially opening doors to new partnerships, markets and knowledge.

For a young founder trying to turn a side business into a full-time enterprise, or a woman entrepreneur struggling to take an established small business beyond her local market, such exposure could be particularly valuable.

The fellowship comes at a time when small businesses remain central to employment and economic activity across many African countries, while entrepreneurs continue to face challenges ranging from limited access to finance and markets to inadequate business support.

Through initiatives such as the EAN Fellowship, the African Union is seeking to strengthen the ecosystem around entrepreneurs rather than leaving individual business owners to navigate these challenges alone.

Eligible applicants are encouraged to carefully review the programme requirements, application guidelines and deadlines before submitting their applications.

For young and women entrepreneurs looking beyond simply keeping a business alive, and hoping to build enterprises capable of creating jobs and reaching new markets, the fellowship could provide an important platform to take that next step.