Grants, Scholarships &amp; Fellowships

Engineering & Innovation · Africa

Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

The Royal Academy of Engineering's flagship prize for Sub-Saharan African innovators, offering an 8-month accelerator-style support package and prize funding.

Sub-Saharan African engineers and innovators with a scalable, tech-based innovation.

Annual application window

Careers, Internships & Programs · Africa

African Development Bank (AfDB) Opportunities

The African Development Bank's portal for careers, internships, and short-term roles supporting infrastructure, private-sector growth, and development finance across Africa.

Job seekers and students across Africa interested in development finance careers.

Rolling, check current vacancies

Pan-African Youth Leadership · Africa

African Leadership Academy

A pan-African secondary school and leadership network (also home to the Anzisha Prize) developing young leaders from across the continent through scholarships and programs.

African secondary-school-aged students applying to the academy, or youth leaders engaging with affiliated programs.

Annual admissions cycle

Pan-African Youth & Leadership · Africa

African Union Opportunities

The African Union's hub for continental programs including the AU Youth Volunteer Corps, internships, and leadership initiatives spanning all AU member states.

Young people and professionals across all AU member states; criteria vary by specific program (e.g. AU-YVC).

Women's Rights Organizations · Africa

African Women's Development Fund (AWDF)

Grants for women's rights organizations and feminist movements across Africa.

Women's rights organizations and feminist movements based in Africa.

Rolling, check site for windows

Tech & Career Upskilling · Africa

ALX

A pan-African talent-development platform offering low-cost, high-quality training in software engineering, data, and digital careers.

Young Africans interested in tech and digital careers; little to no prior experience required for most tracks.

Rolling cohort enrollment

Young African Entrepreneurs · Africa

Anzisha Prize

Africa's premier award for entrepreneurs aged 15-22, run by African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation, offering cash prizes and a multi-year fellowship.

African entrepreneurs aged 15-22 running an existing venture.

Annual application window

Social Entrepreneurs · Global

Ashoka Fellowship

A lifelong fellowship for leading social entrepreneurs worldwide, providing strategic support and a global changemaker network.

Leading social entrepreneurs with a proven, scalable, systems-changing idea.

Rolling, by nomination

Global South Experts · Global

Aspen New Voices Fellowship

A media fellowship amplifying underrepresented experts from the Global South in global policy debates.

Experts and practitioners from the Global South with deep field experience but limited media visibility.

Opens annually

Equity & Social Justice Leadership · Global

Atlantic Fellows

A global network of interconnected fellowship programs supporting leaders working to address the root causes of inequity in health, racial, and social-economic equity.

Leaders working on equity and social justice; eligibility varies by the specific Atlantic Fellows program.

Women Entrepreneurs · Global

Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Mentoring and fellowship programs supporting women entrepreneurs across the globe.

Women entrepreneurs, typically running an existing small or growing business.

UK Master's, Global · Global

Chevening Scholarships

UK government-funded master's scholarships for future leaders from over 160 countries.

Emerging leaders from Chevening-eligible countries with at least 2 years of work experience and an undergraduate degree.

Opens annually, closes early November

Commonwealth Countries · Africa

Commonwealth Scholarships

Funded master's and PhD study in the UK for citizens of Commonwealth countries, including most of Africa.

Citizens of Commonwealth countries, including most of Africa, applying for master's or PhD study.

Opens annually, closes mid-December

Graduate and postgraduate students and researchers worldwide; specific criteria vary by program.

Germany, Global · Global

DAAD Scholarships

German government scholarships for graduate study and research, open to applicants worldwide.

Social Entrepreneurs · Global

Echoing Green Fellowship

Seed funding and leadership support for emerging social entrepreneurs worldwide.

Emerging social entrepreneurs, typically with an early-stage organization or venture.

Opens annually

EU Master's, Global · Global

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees

Fully funded joint master's degrees delivered by consortia of European universities, open to students worldwide through the EU's Erasmus+ program.

Students worldwide applying to a specific Erasmus Mundus joint master's program.

Varies by program, typically Jan-Feb

Graduate students, young professionals, and artists from eligible countries worldwide.

USA, Global · Global

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Funds graduate study, research, and teaching in the United States for students worldwide.

Varies by country

Global Health & Development · Global

Gates Foundation Grant Opportunities

The Gates Foundation's grant opportunities page, including Grand Challenges initiatives that fund innovators and researchers tackling global health and development problems.

Researchers and organizations working on global health and development; many tracks are invite-only.

Varies; mostly invite-based, some open RFPs

Feminist Movements · Global

Global Fund for Women

One of the world's leading gender-equality funders, providing flexible grants to grassroots feminist movements in nearly every region of the world.

Grassroots, women-led and feminist organizations, in nearly any region worldwide.

Rolling, check site for windows

Tech Accelerator Programs · Global

Google for Startups

Google's global accelerator and startup-support programs offering mentorship, technical training, and access to Google's network for high-potential founders.

Early- to growth-stage startup founders; criteria vary by specific regional or industry program.

Varies by program/region

Small Business Owners · Global

Hello Alice Grants

A free platform connecting small business owners, including women, people of color, and veterans, with grants, discounts, and growth resources.

Small business owners in the US, including women, people of color, and veterans; criteria vary by specific grant.

Rolling, multiple grant cycles

Student Social Entrepreneurship · Global

Hult Prize

The world's largest student social-entrepreneurship competition, run in partnership with the UN, awarding $1M USD to the winning scalable social-impact business idea.

University students worldwide, competing as a team around a social-impact business idea.

Annual cycle, regionals through finals

Women-Owned Startups · Africa

IFC She Wins Africa

An IFC initiative providing investment-readiness training, mentorship, and investor matchmaking to unlock financing for women-led startups across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Women-led startups across Sub-Saharan Africa, typically growth-stage.

Cyclical cohorts, check site

Young African Leaders · Africa

Mandela Washington Fellowship (YALI)

A US State Department fellowship empowering young African leaders through leadership training and exchange.

Young African leaders (ages 25-39) in business, civic, or public management.

Opens annually

Youth Employment · Africa

Mastercard Foundation

Funds large-scale programs on youth employment and financial inclusion across Africa.

Organizations and partners running large-scale youth employment or financial inclusion programs in Africa.

Undergrad & Grad, Africa-Focused · Africa

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Full scholarships plus leadership training for academically talented, economically disadvantaged students.

Academically talented students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Africa, applying through a partner university.

Varies by partner university

Open Innovation Challenges · Global

MIT Solve

An MIT initiative running open global challenges that source and fund tech-based social-impact solutions across climate, health, learning, and economic prosperity.

Innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide with a tech-based solution to a specific annual challenge.

Annual call, Sept-Nov

Emerging Changemakers · Global

Obama Foundation Leaders Program

A six-month leadership development program for emerging changemakers, run as regional cohorts across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the USA.

Emerging changemakers with a track record of community impact; age range and criteria vary by region.

Opens annually per region

Grassroots Organizations · Africa

Segal Family Foundation

Flexible, multi-year grants for grassroots organizations solving local problems across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Grassroots, locally-led organizations across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Rolling

Industry-Focused Accelerators · Global

Startupbootcamp

A global network of mentorship-driven, industry-focused startup accelerators offering funding, co-working space, and investor access across multiple continents.

Early-stage startup founders in an eligible industry track and region.

Varies by program/track

Africa-Wide Entrepreneurs · Africa

Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme

Seed funding, mentoring, and training for African entrepreneurs building scalable businesses.

African entrepreneurs (any African nationality) with an early-stage, scalable business idea or existing business.

Applications open annually

Gender Equality Programs · Global

UN Women Opportunities

UN Women's funding calls, partnership programs, and grant opportunities supporting organizations advancing gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide.

Organizations and individuals working on gender equality; criteria vary by specific call.

Varies by call

International Development · Global

USAID Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Agency for International Development's hub for grant and partnership opportunities supporting development, humanitarian, and economic-growth programs worldwide.

Organizations (nonprofits, contractors, local partners) working on development or humanitarian programs.

Rolling, posted via Grants.gov

Women leaders driving social or economic change; specific criteria vary by fellowship track.

Women Leaders · Global

Vital Voices Fellowship

Global leadership programs and networks investing in women leaders driving social and economic change.

Women in technology at any career stage, globally.

Women in Tech · Global

Women Techmakers

A Google-backed global community and program providing visibility, mentorship, and AI/tech upskilling for women in technology.

Startup Funding & Network · Global

Y Combinator

One of the world's most prominent startup accelerators, investing seed funding in exchange for equity and running an intensive program ahead of Demo Day.

Founders at any stage, especially pre-seed and seed, any industry, worldwide.

Cyclical, twice a year (check site)