THE FOUNDERS SUPPORT INITIATIVE (FSI) GRANT 2026 — UP TO ₦7.5 MILLION NON-DILUTIVE FUNDING FOR AFRICAN FOUNDERS

Do you have a business or startup idea that is ready to grow but you don't want to give away shares just to get funding? The Founders Support Initiative (FSI) has opened applications for its 2026 grant cohort, and it's giving out real money — no equity taken, no shares collected.

What is FSI Grant all about?

FSI is a Pan-African program built to close the gap many young entrepreneurs face: no capital, no mentorship, no network. This is their first cohort (2026), and they say they are aligning with global best practices similar to World Bank, UNDP, and African Development Bank programs.

Selected founders get:

-Non-dilutive funding (money that doesn't cost you equity)

-8–12 week structured training program covering product, growth, and operations

-Mentorship from experienced founders and operators

-Investor exposure through demo opportunities

Grant categories and amounts

-General Startup Grant — ₦750,000 to ₦7,500,000 (any industry, must have MVP or clear traction)

-Youth Grant — ₦750,000 to ₦3,000,000 (ages 18–35, early-stage idea to business)

-Women in Business Grant — ₦1,500,000 to ₦4,500,000 (female-led startups, any sector)

-Innovation & Tech Grant — ₦3,000,000 to ₦7,500,000 (Health, EdTech, Agritech, Fintech, Climate)

You can only apply to one category.

Who is this for? (Eligibility)

-Country/location eligibility: Open to founders based anywhere in Africa, including all Nigerian states, plus African diaspora founders building for the African market

-Age: 18–45 years (Youth Grant specifically is 18–35)

-Must have an early-stage or growing business, ideally with an MVP (minimum viable product) or active market traction

All sectors are welcome

FSI says they especially encourage female founders and teams building outside Lagos and Nairobi — so founders in places like Kano, Kaduna, Zaria, and other Northern cities have a real shot

How the money is paid

Funds are released in tranches, not all at once:

50% upfront when you're accepted

30% after 6 weeks of progress (Milestone 1)

20% after demo day completion (Milestone 2)

Funds can be used for product development, hosting/cloud costs, your first 1–2 hires, marketing, legal/registration, and equipment. It cannot be used for personal expenses or crypto trading.

Deadline for submission

Applications close 31st July 2026. Only 50 spots available, and decision is given within 21 days after applying.

A caution to note

FSI's FAQ mentions a ₦1,000 non-refundable "processing fee" to apply, which they say is to prevent spam applications. Legitimate grants typically don't charge fees, so do your own research and confirm details directly on their official channels before paying anything.

Application link

Apply here: https://founderssupport.org/grants

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AFRICAN WOMEN IMPACT COUNCIL INSTITUTE

 

AWIC Is Looking to Fund Women Building Solutions in AI, Health, Tech, Agriculture, Education, and Community Development

Are you a woman building something that deserves to be funded? The African Women Impact Council (AWIC) wants to hear from you.

AWIC is a private, cross-sector leadership platform based in Abuja, convening Africa's leading women across enterprise, governance, and institutional leadership. Through this call, AWIC is building an ecosystem that identifies, develops, and connects high-potential women entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders across the continent.

Who this is for

This opportunity is for women developing innovative solutions in any of these areas:

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Health

Technology

Agriculture

Education

Community Development

If your work falls into any of these categories, AWIC wants to invest in what you're building.

What selected projects will get

Funding pathways

Strategic collaborations

Institutional partnerships

Visibility to scale

How to apply

Interested applicants are to submit a project brief. AWIC has not published a public application portal or link on their official website (awic.ng) as at the time of this post, so the safest route is to reach out directly through their verified contact channels below to request the submission process and deadline:

Phone/WhatsApp: 0903 971 1216

Email: secretariat@awic.ng

Website: www.awic.ng

A note on deadline

No specific deadline was stated on the flyer or on AWIC's website. Because AWIC describes its programmes as selective and "intentionally limited to preserve depth," it's best to reach out early and confirm the closing date directly with the secretariat before you prepare your brief.

About AWIC

AWIC (African Women Impact Council) positions itself as an institution-building platform for African women — not just a one-off grant scheme. Their broader work includes leadership positioning, council membership, and strategic convenings for women across governance, enterprise, and capital. AWIC is headquartered in Asokoro, Abuja.

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 SHE WINS AFRICA: IFC OPENS DOOR FOR 1,000 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS AFRICA

Sister, if you dey run a business and you don tire of hearing "no capital, no market, no connection" as excuse, this one na for you. IFC — the private sector arm of the World Bank Group — don expand their She Wins Africa program from 100 to 1,000 women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa, and Nigeria don already key in through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

This no be one-off grant wey them go drop money give you comot. Na a full package: training on how to make your business investment-ready, mentorship, connection to investors, and in some cases, seed capital and grant funding to help you scale.

WHO CAN APPLY

Women founders or co-founders of a legally registered small or medium business (SME)

Business must be located in a sub-Saharan African country (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and others across West, East, Central, North and Southern Africa are all part of the target regions)

Open to different sectors, but tech, agribusiness, manufacturing, creative industries, renewable energy, and services are getting priority

Business must show real potential to grow, create jobs, and impact community — this no be just for paper businesses

Previous participants of similar IFC women's programs may not be eligible again

WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY

If you don dey struggle to raise money for your business, you sabi as e be — banks dey always ask for collateral wey person no get, and investors no too dey find small businesses outside Lagos or Nairobi. She Wins Africa dey built to solve exactly this problem. From the first cohort, women wey pass through the program mobilised over $4 million in follow-on financing, with investment partners like Sahel Capital and other regional funds coming in after the training. Beyond the money, you go get investor connections, business mentorship, and access to a network wey fit change your business story.

APPLICATION STATUS AND DEADLINE

As at now, the official application portal for this expanded 1,000-women phase never open. IFC and the Nigerian government say application details, deadlines, and information sessions go dey published on official program channels soon. No be scam, na just say the timing never reach.

HOW TO STAY UPDATED / WHERE TO GET CORRECT INFORMATION

Official IFC She Wins Africa page: https://www.ifc.org/en/where-we-work/africa/promoting-gender-equality-in-africa/she-wins-africa

Email the IFC She Wins Africa team directly: SheWinsAfrica@ifc.org

Follow IFC's official channels: their WhatsApp channel and social media pages linked from ifc.org

A WORD OF CAUTION

Because this program dey trend, some fake websites don already start to circulate — impersonating IFC and asking women to submit personal information for a "grant portal" wey no relate to IFC at all. Always confirm any link start with ifc.org before you submit any information anywhere. If in doubt, email SheWinsAfrica@ifc.org directly to confirm.

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 GIRLS WHO YAP FELLOWSHIP 2.0 — APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

Calling all women in tech, AI, content, and business — the Girls Who Yap Fellowship 2.0 is officially open for applications, and this one is bigger than the first.

What is it about?

Girls Who Yap Fellowship 2.0 is a women-first AI fellowship run by Dora DAO, designed to help women learn, build, and grow together over a 4-week hands-on experience. This edition is going all-in on AI — not just the tech side, but how AI intersects with marketing, content, business, and creativity too.

Inside the fellowship, you get:

A girls-only hackathon (a first-of-its-kind marketing/tech hackathon), with mentors and judges from companies like Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, NASSCOM, Claude, and Gemini

Weekly sessions with founders and creators

Challenges and bounties where you can actually earn while you build (past fellows earned an average of 2,000–5,000 naira-equivalent per video from bounties)

A tight-knit community — Discord hangouts, WhatsApp groups, pizza nights, and real friendships beyond the "program" feel

Who is it for?

This fellowship is open to anyone who identifies as female — from school students to college students, creators to founders, marketers to designers, and even professionals like psychologists. You don't need to be a tech person. If you're curious, willing to build, and want real community and industry access, you qualify.

Eligibility: Open globally to women everywhere, including Nigeria. No country or state restriction has been stated — this is an international, remote fellowship.

Deadline for submission

20th July, 2026

Apply using the link below 👇🏼 

https://www.goavo.ai/events/forms/fillup?id=6a362b917d98e2a99746494e

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