The Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2026/2027 for early stage start-ups

fellowship, candidates 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 the fellowship from the prescribed start date (16 November 2026)

• Be available to attend the Bootcamp in Accra, Ghana (estimated 25 January – 4 February 2027)

• Be available to attend the Capstone Week in London, UK (estimated 14 – 21 May 2027)

Eligible Countries

Bangladesh • Belize • Botswana • Cameroon • Dominica • Eswatini • Fiji • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Grenada • Guyana • India • Jamaica • Kenya • Kiribati • Lesotho • Malawi • Malaysia • Maldives • Mauritius • Montserrat • Mozambique • Namibia • Nauru • Nigeria • Pakistan • Papua New Guinea • Rwanda • St Helena • St Lucia • St Vincent and the Grenadines • Samoa • Sierra Leone • Solomon Islands • South Africa • Sri Lanka • Tanzania • Togo • Tonga • Tuvalu • Uganda • Vanuatu • Zambia

In addition, they must: 

• Have a startup that has been registered as a legal entity in accordance with local regulations;

• Demonstrate evidence of innovation, in terms of product, service, business model or approach to addressing a market need;

• Have progressed beyond the idea, prototype, and pilot stages;

• Have been actively operating their business for at least twelve months and be able to demonstrate meaningful progress;

• Have a product or service that is available to customers;

• Have demonstrated customer demand through paying customers and evidence of ongoing customer adoption (such as repeat purchases, contract renewals, recurring revenue, or sustained usage);

• Operate through a sustainable business model and is not primarily dependent on donations, philanthropy, or grant funding;

• Create positive economic, social, or environmental outcomes through its core activities;

• Have evidence of commercial traction, growth, and the potential to scale;

• Be seeking to scale their customer base, operations, impact, or geographic reach.

Benefits

Each fellowship provides: 

• Approved return travel from the Fellow’s home country to the in-person bootcamp in Accra, Ghana including, accommodation, travel, and catering.

• Approved return travel from the Fellow’s home country to the in-person Capstone Week in London, UK including accommodation, travel, and catering.

• Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee. 

• Up to £2,000 in equity free grants for business or participation-related costs. 

• If a Fellow declares a disability, a full assessment of needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.