October brings a fresh set of openings for Africans building ventures, advancing careers, leading organisations and turning ideas into practical solutions.
This month’s selection includes US$500,000 Citi Foundation grants, the Mandela Washington Fellowship, startup investment, AI programmes, social-enterprise support and opportunities spanning agriculture, technology and leadership.
There is also something for applicants at very different stages of their professional development — from young professionals looking for mentorship and exposure to established organisations seeking substantial funding and startups preparing for their next phase of growth. The Digital Africa Seed Fund and DIV are also accepting applications on a rolling basis.
Here are 14 opportunities and events to explore this October.
Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge — US$500,000 Grants to Prepare Youth for an AI-Driven Economy [Deadline: October 6]
The Citi Foundation’s latest Global Innovation Challenge is committing US$25 million to organisations helping low-income young people prepare for employment as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace.
Up to 50 nonprofit organisations will receive grants of US$500,000 each, delivered over two years.
Projects may focus on AI and digital skills, human capabilities that complement automation, access to technology, career pathways and stronger organisational capacity to prepare young people for changing labour markets.
Eligibility: Locally registered nonprofit organisations serving low-income communities in eligible Citi-supported markets. Programmes should primarily benefit young people aged approximately 15–24.
Build 2026 Innovation Expo — Call for African AI Innovators [Deadline: October 7]
African startups, researchers, developers, students and emerging technology teams can apply to showcase working AI products and prototypes at the Build 2026 Innovation Expo.
The Expo forms part of Africa’s Shared Compute and AI Infrastructure Conference and is hosted by the Nigeria AI Collective.
Selected innovators can pitch and demonstrate their solutions before investors, potential customers, corporates, policymakers and development organisations.
Support may include pitch opportunities, visibility, access to business connections, and cash or compute support where available.
Eligibility: African AI startups, developer teams, researchers, students and emerging innovators with a functioning product, prototype or MVP. Idea-only submissions are not the primary focus.
IMF Tech Mentorship 2026 — Career Support for Aspiring Tech Professionals in Nigeria [Deadline: October 7]
The Imoleayo Michael Foundation is selecting five participants for a 10-week remote mentorship programme supporting Nigerians who are learning digital skills, transitioning into technology or are in the early stages of a tech career.
Participants will work on practical career assets including:
- A defined career direction
- An improved CV and LinkedIn profile
- A stronger portfolio, GitHub or evidence-of-work profile
- A career-relevant project or case study
- Interview preparation
- A networking and opportunity-search strategy
- A 90-day career action plan
Eligibility: Nigerian citizens or residents currently learning a digital skill, recently trained, transitioning into tech or within the first two years of a technology career.
Building a Winning Pitch Masterclass — Virtual Session for Early-Stage Health Entrepreneurs [Event: October 9]
Early-stage health entrepreneurs can join the Health Innovation Hub (H2i) at the University of Toronto for a virtual masterclass on strengthening how they communicate their ventures, a virtual session organised by the Health Innovation Hub (H2i) at the University of Toronto.
Led by Professor Paul Santerre, the session will cover 10 core elements of a strong pitch, including the problem, market, solution, customers, competition, revenue model, financial plan and key milestones.
Who can attend: The masterclass is open to all early-stage health entrepreneurs who want to improve their venture story and prepare for conversations with investors, partners, customers and judges.
Date: October 9, 2026
Format: Online via Zoom
SDG Innovation Summit Malaysia 2026 — 30 Scholarships for Global Applicants [Deadline: October 10]
The SDG Innovation Summit Malaysia 2026, organized by the Global Youth Network (GYN), is offering 30 scholarship places for young leaders, students, entrepreneurs, researchers, professionals and changemakers to attend its November gathering in Kuala Lumpur.
The scholarship programme includes 15 fully funded and 15 partially funded places.
Fully funded places include airfare support, accommodation, meals, visa fees and summit access. Partially funded delegates receive accommodation, meals, summit participation and visa-supporting documentation.
Participants will also have an opportunity to compete for a US$1,000 Seed Grant for an innovative or social-impact initiative.
Eligibility: Applicants worldwide aged 17–50 from all educational and professional backgrounds. IELTS or TOEFL is not required.
Application fee: US$18.50.
Nigeria National AI Innovation Challenge 2026 — Build Solutions with N-ATLAS [Deadline: October 12]
Nigeria’s National AI Innovation Challenge 2026 is inviting researchers, developers, startups and technology teams to build working solutions using N-ATLAS, Nigeria’s sovereign multilingual artificial intelligence model.
Applicants must address one of three challenge areas:
- Developer Infrastructure
- Voice-First Access
- Sectoral Fine-Tuning
The challenge includes separate tracks for academia and research, and for innovation and enterprise.
Submissions must move beyond concepts and demonstrate functioning technical solutions integrated with N-ATLAS.
Eligibility: Nigerian citizens, registered Nigerian entities and qualifying teams. Diaspora teams may participate where at least half of the team is based in Nigeria.
Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 — Leadership Programme for Young Africans [Deadline: October 13]
Approximately 550 young African leaders will be selected for the 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship programme of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative.
Fellows travel to the United States for a six-week executive-style Leadership Institute at a U.S. college or university.
The programme includes leadership development, engagement with U.S. experts and public- and private-sector leaders, professional networking and access to an alumni community of nearly 7,800 African leaders.
The Fellowship is the flagship programme of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). It is a programme of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.
Eligibility: Applicants should generally be aged 25–35, although exceptional candidates aged 21–24 may be considered. Applicants must be citizens and residents of eligible African countries.
Harambeans Africa Jobs Fund Prize 2026 — US$20,000 Grant for African Entrepreneurs [Deadline: October 14]
The Harambeans Africa Jobs Fund Prize is looking for African and diaspora entrepreneurs building businesses that can manufacture in Africa, export to global markets and create jobs. The Prize is a partnership between Harambeans and the Africa Jobs Fund (AJF).
The winner receives a US$20,000 grant and admission to the Harambeans Alliance.
The Prize can also create a pathway to further financing through the Africa Jobs Fund, including:
- Up to US$100,000 for pilots and market validation
- Potential US$100,000–US$1 million scale-up investment for businesses that successfully prove their model
Follow-on financing is investment rather than additional grant funding.
Eligibility: Applicants must either have been born in an African country or be of African descent. Early-stage ventures and strong business ideas are eligible, and incorporation is not mandatory.
UCC Testbed Hackathon 2026 — AI Solutions for Child Online Safety in Uganda [Deadline: October 16]
the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is selecting 40 participants for the UCC Testbed Hackathon 2026, taking place from November 5–6 at UICT in Nakawa, Kampala.
Under the theme “Innovating Safer Cyber Spaces for Children through Artificial Intelligence,” participants will work in teams to develop technology solutions addressing child online safety.
The programme includes:
- Technical mentorship
- Access to UCC Testbed facilities
- Prototype development
- Practical build sessions
- Pitch coaching
- Final demonstrations and judging
Eligibility: University students, recent graduates, young technologists and innovators interested in AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, software development, IoT, mobile networks and related fields.
Commonwealth Foundation Open Grants Call 2026 — Funding for Civil Society Organisations [Deadline: October 26]
The Commonwealth Foundation is accepting applications from civil society and creative organisations for projects strengthening public participation and constructive engagement around major development issues.
Two funding streams are available:
- Individual Organisation Grants: £15,000–£30,000 per year for up to two years.
- Collective Action Grants: £15,000–£20,000 per year for up to two years.
Priority themes include:
- Climate and environmental justice
- Economic inclusion
- Freedom of expression
The Foundation also places emphasis on gender and intersectionality, small states and meaningful youth participation.
Eligible African countries include Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.
e-MOVE AgriCanvas Competition 2026 — Support for Cashew Agripreneurs [Deadline: October 30]
Young and emerging agripreneurs working across the cashew value chain can apply for the third 2026 submission window of the e-MOVE AgriCanvas Competition. The initiative is organised by GIZ through the Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) and MOVE-ComCashew projects.
Successful applicants may receive one of the programme’s kickstart prizes:
- €2,000 in direct business funding, or
- A laptop, tablet or software to support business operations
Applicants must first complete the required free e-MOVE courses on the atingi platform before developing and submitting an AgriCanvas business model.
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 18 years old, based in an OACPS member state and have an innovative agribusiness idea related to the cashew value chain.
A valid certificate ID from the required investment-readiness course is mandatory.
PSES 2026 Scholarship — Support for African Social Innovators [Deadline: October 31]
The PSES 2026 Scholarship is supporting African social innovators who may otherwise be unable to attend the Pan-African Social Enterprise Summit. The summit, organised by the Federation of Uganda Social Enterprises (FUSE), will take place from November 19–20, 2026, bringing together social entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, development partners and ecosystem builders from across Africa.
Selected applicants receive:
- Full summit registration
- Access to both days of PSES 2026
- Meals during the summit
Recipients are responsible for their own flights, accommodation and ground transportation.
Priority is given to emerging social entrepreneurs, representatives of rural social enterprises and applicants from underrepresented communities.
Eligibility: Individuals based in Africa who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to social entrepreneurship contributing to Africa’s social and economic development.
Digital Africa Seed Fund — €300,000 to €2 Million for African Tech Startups [Rolling Applications]
African technology startups at MVP or traction stage can pitch for investment from the Digital Africa Seed Fund. Launched by Digital Africa, DASF is targeting a fund size of €30 million to €50 million and plans to invest in around 30 startups across nearly 20 priority African markets.
Priority areas include: Artificial Intelligence | Fintech | HealthTech | ClimateTech | Space Technology | Digital Infrastructure
Digital Africa assesses companies based on their business model, founding team, regional growth potential and measurable impact.
The fund combines capital with structured support aimed at helping startups reduce execution risk and prepare for larger institutional funding rounds.
DIV Fund — Up to US$1.5 Million for Development Innovations [Rolling Applications]
The DIV Fund supports organisations piloting, testing and scaling evidence-driven solutions that can improve the lives of people living in poverty in low- and middle-income countries.
Funding is available across three stages:
- Stage 1 — Piloting: Up to US$200,000.
- Stage 2 — Testing and Positioning for Scale: Generally up to US$500,000, with exceptional proposals considered for more.
- Stage 3 — Transitioning to Scale: Up to US$1.5 million.
DIV is sector-agnostic and evaluates proposals based on evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness and potential for durable scale.
Eligibility: Nonprofits, social enterprises, businesses, universities, research institutions, technical assistance providers and eligible partnerships.
Menterprise Africa curates grants, fellowships, competitions, startup funding and other opportunities for African entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, creatives and emerging leaders. Explore more opportunities at Menterprise Africa.
