At the heart of transforming the African continent is developing women entrepreneurs. Are you a passionate, African, female innovator with a ground-breaking idea in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, or Mining (STEM)? Are you meeting a development need in your country? Are you ready to turn your vision into a thriving start-up that can change the world? If so, we invite you to apply for our Africa Innovation Fellowship Programme.
Since 2019, Africa Innovation Fellowship (AIF), in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, has been developing women-owned STEM innovations across sub-Saharan Africa. AIF 2024 is an eight-month leadership and business development opportunity for African women innovators with an early-stage engineering innovation or start up looking to grow, scale and prepare to be investor ready. A number of AIF alumni have gone on to successfully apply for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
AIF kicks off in November 2024 with a virtual masterclass series focused on idea and business incubation, leadership development, funding, and pitch readiness, ending in July 2025. The programme is designed to provide founders with a fully funded in person entrepreneurship bootcamp, expert engineering council, venture clinic, mentorship and financial coaching needed to turn their innovative ideas into successful businesses.
Programme Highlights:
- Mentorship: Access to a network of experienced mentors and industry experts.
- Workshops and Training: Comprehensive training in business development, including; market access, product strategy, external factors, commercial models.
- Co-working Space: Access to a dedicated workspace equipped with essential resources.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and potential collaborators.
- Pitch Opportunities: Present your startup to potential investors and partners.
- Exposure: Showcase your innovation to a global audience.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must have a registered new or innovative STEM-based business idea or startup based in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Applicants should have developed, and be in the early stages of commercialising, an engineering innovation that will bring social and/or environmental benefits to a country/countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Individual applicants must be citizens of a country within sub-Saharan Africa*. For teams of two or more, the main applicant must be a citizen of a country within Sub-Saharan Africa.
- No alumni – or co-founders of alumni – on the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation will be eligible for the AIF programme.
- Strong commitment to pursuing entrepreneurship.
- Applicants must be able to commit for the eight month-long programme commencing in November 2024 to July 2025.
- Applicants must have a valid passport and be available to travel between February 2025 to May 2025.
- Demonstrated passion and knowledge in their chosen STEM field.
- Willingness to actively participate in the programme.
- Applicants must identify as women.
- Applicants must be over the age of 18. There is no upper age limit.
Important Dates:
- Application Deadline: 23rd October 2024
- Interview Dates: 30th October – 12th November 2024
- Program Start Date: 29th November 2024
- Programme Support: 29th November 2024 – July 2025
* For the purposes of this Fellowship, Sub-Saharans African countries include:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland/eSwatini, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
NOTE: Djibouti is not included in Sub-Saharan Africa, as it is handled administratively as part of the Middle East and North Africa.
Deadline for Application: 23rd October 2024 at 23h59 SAST
Still have questions? Please click here or email aif@womeng.org
