The Commonwealth Startup Fellowship is a new six-month initiative supporting early-stage founders across eligible Commonwealth countries, offering structured training, mentorship, and access to a wide network of global peers and experts. The programme begins in November 2025 with a fully-funded, two-week in-person bootcamp hosted in Accra, Ghana, followed by five months of remote programming designed to help selected founders refine their strategies and scale their businesses.
Focused on building practical skills and leadership capacity, the fellowship offers a blend of intensive workshops, coaching, and expert-led sessions. One founder from each selected startup will travel to Ghana for the bootcamp, while other team members will participate in the virtual portion. The sessions will cover leadership development, go-to-market strategies, team building, operations, financial forecasting, and fundraising. Participants will also explore the entrepreneurial landscape of Ghana and engage directly with stakeholders from across the region.
The programme includes monthly one-on-one business coaching, expert meetings, and peer review sessions, helping founders track their progress and build scalable operations. In addition to mentorship, startups can apply for support through the Fellows Fund, which offers a total of £35,000 in equity-free grants. Each team can seek up to £2,000 to support business-related activities such as product development, customer acquisition, or legal services. Startups demonstrating strong performance may be selected for a final Capstone event in London, UK, where they will present their ventures to global investors and industry leaders.
Founders applying to the fellowship must meet several criteria. Eligible applicants should be graduates, fluent in English, and either citizens or residents of low- or middle-income Commonwealth countries. In addition, startups must be legally registered, have at least six months of active development, a minimum viable product, and show clear signs of traction such as early sales, user engagement, or signed agreements. Projects still in idea stage or without business registration are not eligible.
Applications opened on June 2 and will close on June 30, 2025. Selected participants must be available to take part in the Ghana bootcamp from November 15 to 29, followed by online sessions running from November 30, 2025 to May 15, 2026. The Capstone event in London will be held in May 2026. Travel, accommodation, and meals for the in-person segment in Ghana are covered by the programme, and accessibility accommodations are available. While only one founder can attend the bootcamp in person, other team members can fully engage in the remote aspects.
The fellowship does not take any equity and does not require participants to cover any costs. Startups across all sectors are encouraged to apply, and those with evidence of innovation, commitment from their team, and customer validation stand the best chance of selection. Interested applicants can attend an online information session on June 23 at 3PM BST to learn more.
