African Union Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme

The African Union has called for applications for the Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme Cohort 2 (2026/27).

The Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme is an AUC Startup Acceleration Initiative and the African Union’s flagship programme for the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Implemented by the AU Commission’s Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM), the programme provides Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs with structured training, expert mentorship, intellectual property support, and direct market access opportunities across the continent and beyond. To be considered for the Enterprise Africa Network Fellowship Program, applicants must be youth- and women-led small enterprises that are;

• registered and operating in an AU Member State;

• formally registered as a business entity;

• operating for at least two years;

• employing a minimum of three full-time staff.

Applications are particularly encouraged from women-led enterprises and businesses from underrepresented AU regions and small island Member States.

To be considered for the Enterprise Africa Network Fellowship Program, applicants must be youth- and women-led small enterprises that are;

• registered and operating in an AU Member State;

• formally registered as a business entity;

• operating for at least two years;

• employing a minimum of three full-time staff.

Applications are particularly encouraged from women-led enterprises and businesses from underrepresented AU regions and small island Member States.

Benefits of the African Union Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship include;

All fellows receive:

• twelve months of structured training across ten modules differentiated by sector and tier;

• expert mentorship through African Union Partners,

• access to the African Trade Observatory (ATO) and AfCFTA market intelligence tools;

• participation in continental events. Tier 1 and 2 fellows participate in virtual market-entry sessions across ten AfCFTA pilot countries; Tier 3 fellows participate in B2B matchmaking sessions.

2026 EAN Fellowship Sectors

Cohort 2 covers seven sectors organised into two clusters aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA):

• Products Cluster (goods for intra-African trade): Manufacturing, Agro-processing, Creative Industries

• Services Cluster: ICT/Digital, Fintech, Health, Logistics/Transport

2026 EAN Fellowship Tiers

• Fellows are placed into one of three tiers based on enterprise maturity. Training, mentorship, and market access support are tailored to each tier.

• A minimum of 40 places (40 per cent of the cohort) are reserved to ensure representation across all five AU continental regions, with at least five places for enterprises from small island Member States.

To apply for the African Union Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Program, interested and qualified candidates should;

• 1

  Click the button below to go to the program’s website.

• 2

  Submit your application online and attach all relevant documents.