The African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum invites applications for its Pitch n Grow competition. The program offers early-stage and high-growth women-led African startups the opportunity to present their business models directly to an audience of international investors, venture capitalists, and corporate executives during the annual forum. Eligible applicants must be female founders or business leaders running enterprises based in any African country. The competition focuses on providing market visibility, technical mentoring, and investor match-making; however, specific monetary grant awards are not disclosed. The application deadline is 20 July 2026. Pitch n Grow Competition
Africa
Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum — Gender Responsive Research for Optimized Women Fellowship
African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) invites applications for its GROW Fellowship. This two-year, immersive non-residential program strengthens the leadership pipeline of women professionals working in plant breeding, livestock breeding, and related fields across Africa. Eligible applicants must be female citizens of any African country who hold at least a master’s degree in plant or livestock breeding and possess a minimum of five years of experience in crop or livestock improvement research. Eligible candidates must also be affiliated with a university, national agricultural research institution, private company, or other relevant organization. The fellowship provides customized leadership, negotiation, and mentoring training, though specific monetary funding amounts are not disclosed. The deadline for applications is 24 July 2026. Women Fellowship
Institute for Security Studies – Young Changemakers 2026
The Institute for Security Studies invites submissions for its Young Changemakers 2026 essay and video competition, aimed at centering youth perspectives on Africa’s long-term future. The opportunity is open to African citizens between 18 and 30 years old who are currently residing on the continent or in the diaspora. Applicants must submit either an essay of up to two thousand words or a three-minute video addressing key development and governance transitions for Africa over the next two decades. Winners will receive fully funded travel to participate in a high-level dialogue in Pretoria, South Africa, alongside mentorship and publication opportunities. The deadline for submissions is 26 July 2026. Details here
Conservation Action Research Network — Pangolin Conservation Grant
The Conservation Action Research Network invites applications for its Bochco Pangolin Conservation Grant Program to support scientific research that advances the protection of threatened African pangolins. Graduate students and early-career professionals who obtained their degree within the last five years are eligible to apply, provided they are residents of an eligible African nation, including Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa. Projects must focus on field-based conservation research targeting at least one of the four protected African pangolin species: the white-bellied, giant, black-bellied, or ground pangolin. The program provides funding of up to US$10 thousand per project. The deadline for applications is 01 August 2026. Pangolin Conservation Grant
Reckitt — Catalyst Social Impact Program
The Catalyst Social Impact Program supports social enterprises focused on health, hygiene, water, sanitation, and climate resilience. The program provides tailored business development, mentorship, and funding to scale purpose-driven ventures that address systemic inequalities and deliver community-level impact. The program is open to entrepreneurs from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. The deadline to apply for the 2026 cohort is 09 August 2026. Social Impact Program
UK Government — Environmental Capacity Building in UK Overseas Territories
The Darwin Plus People & Skills program invites applications for projects that build local capacity to protect the natural environment through training, education, and professional development. Eligible applicants include nationals, long-term residents, or individuals with an established relationship with a UK Overseas Territory. The program provides grants of up to £100 thousand to support individual training and institutional capacity building for a project period of up to 24 months. The deadline for single-stage applications is 07 September 2026. Darwin Plus People & Skills
UK Government — Transformative Biodiversity Conservation
The Darwin Plus Strategic program invites applications for large-scale, collaborative projects aimed at delivering long-term biodiversity conservation and climate change resilience. Non-governmental organizations, research institutions, public entities, and private businesses can apply with ambitious initiatives that demonstrate clear scalability or systemic impact. Projects must directly benefit the natural environment of eligible UK Overseas Territories, such as Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the Falkland Islands. The program provides funding ranging from £1 million to £3 million for collaborative interventions lasting between three and five years. The deadline for single-stage applications is 14 September 2026. Darwin Plus
Africa Sustainable Futures Awards — Scalable Solutions for Africa’s Development
The Africa Sustainable Futures Awards recognize commercially viable and scalable initiatives contributing to sustainable development across Africa. The awards cover five categories: Access to Electricity & Infrastructure, Agribusiness, Healthcare, Local Manufacturing, and Tourism, with an additional Judges’ Award for Excellence. Winners will receive global visibility, recognition at the FT Africa Summit in London, and opportunities to network with global leaders. The application deadline is 30 June 2026. Link to the Africa Sustainable Futures Awards
African World Heritage Fund — Grants for World Heritage Conservation
The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) provides grants to implement projects and activities which focus on improving the state of conservation of World Heritage properties located in Africa. Project activities are restricted to African government institutions involved in the management and protection of World Heritage sites, both cultural and natural, as defined by UNESCO. The grant will cover direct costs related to project activities. Applicants can apply for up to US$10 thousand in project funding. Projects must be implemented within 12 months. The application for financial assistance closes on 31 July 2026. Link to the African World Heritage Fund
Canon Foundation — Japan-Africa Exchange Fellowship
The Canon Foundation invites applications for its Japan-Africa Exchange Program to support postgraduate scholars conducting research in African studies. The fellowship enables researchers based in African institutions to do research in Japan, and researchers based in Japanese institutions to do research in Africa. The program funds research visits lasting from a minimum of six to eight weeks up to a maximum of one year, with the option to split the time spent abroad. Financial support ranges from €22,500 to €27,500 per year. The application deadline is 15 September 2026. Japan-Africa Exchange Fellowship