Grants and opportunities for your next phase

CcHUB Namibia

Seedr Namibia Design Sprint 2026

CcHUB Namibia has opened applications for the Seedr Namibia Design Sprint, a four week human-centred design programme that runs through November 2026 for Namibian startups that already have a minimum viable product and a team. The sprint is built around one question, where are the gaps in your product while you can still fix them. Applicants submit a problem statement, a solution overview and a pitch deck, confirm registration under Namibian law and commit at least five hours a week. Applications close on 8 November 2026.

Eligibility: A startup registered or incorporated under Namibian law

Deadline

November 8, 2026

Location

Namibia

Funding or benefit

No grant, equity or cash award is stated by CcHUB Namibia for this cohort. The application is free and no participation fee is published.

International Journalists' Programmes (IJP)

IJP Southern African Journalists' Fellowship Programme 2027

A two month work exchange in Germany for up to five young journalists from Southern Africa, with a fixed bursary of EUR 3,500, offered through the Horst Köhler named programme of the International Journalists’ Programmes.

Eligibility: Journalist from a SADC member state or Kenya: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia or Zimbabwe

Deadline

January 20, 2027

Location

Kenya, South Africa, Zambia

Funding or benefit

A fixed bursary of EUR 3,500 is expected to cover most travel, accommodation and living expenses, with delegates funding any further costs themselves.

IREX, funded by the U.S. Department of State

Community Solutions Program 2027

A fully funded professional exchange fellowship combining a three month U.S. practicum with a nine month community economic development project run back home.

Eligibility: Between the ages of 27 and 39 at the time of application

Deadline

November 24, 2026

Location

Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia

Funding or benefit

Fully funded exchange. IREX covers round trip flights, a monthly living allowance in the U.S., health coverage and visa support. No cash award is printed for the home project.

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat

2027 SADC Media Awards Competition for Journalists

The SADC Secretariat has launched the 2027 SADC Media Awards in photo, print, television and radio journalism. Each category pays US$2,500 to the winner and US$1,000 to the runner up. Entries close 28 February 2027.

Eligibility: Journalists from all SADC Member States

Deadline

February 28, 2027

Location

Angola, Botswana, Comoros

Funding or benefit

US$2,500 first prize and US$1,000 runner up prize in each of the four categories

UNESCO Science for Crisis Response and Solutions Programme

UNESCO Research Continuity Grants for African Scientists Whose Work Was Interrupted by Crisis

UNESCO is offering six institutional research continuity grants of up to USD 2,000 each to African nationals working at recognised universities and research institutes whose natural science research was interrupted by armed conflict or a natural or biological hazard. Applications close on 15 November 2026 at 23:59 Paris time.

Eligibility: African nationals based at a recognised university or research institute in an African country

Deadline

November 15, 2026

Location

Algeria, Angola, Benin

Funding or benefit

Six institutional grants of up to USD 2,000 each under this first pilot call, for activities that can be completed within six months.

Free for founders and small businesses

Get a free business page and the tools to grow

Nlink gives your business a free page, simple growth tools and promotion across partner ecosystems, so new customers can find you.

• check_circleFree business page with your links, stories and contact details
• check_circleBuilt in blog to share news and updates
• check_circleOnline booking and messages so customers can reach you
• check_circleAnalytics that show who views and clicks
• check_circlePromotion across partner ecosystems to reach new customers

Association of Commonwealth Universities

ACU Writing For The Media Training 2027, Free Online Research Communication Course With The Conversation For Early Career Academics

The Association of Commonwealth Universities is offering twenty free places on an online media writing course designed and delivered with Universal Impact and The Conversation. It is aimed at early career researchers and academics at ACU member universities, and applications close on 24 November 2026 at 15:00 UTC.

Eligibility: You are a PhD candidate or already hold a PhD

Deadline

November 24, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

No cash grant. The training is free for the twenty selected participants, covering the group sessions, the one-to-one feedback sessions and the written pitch review.

Commonwealth Secretariat

Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator Round II, Grants Of £20,000 To £50,000 For Government Led Ocean Projects

Round II of the Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator is open to national or sub national government bodies in all 56 Commonwealth member countries, including Nigeria, and funds country led ocean projects with grants of £20,000 to £50,000. Between 10 and 15 projects are selected by the second quarter of 2027, and applications close on 11 December 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

Eligibility: The lead applicant must be a legally established national or sub national government entity, such as a ministry, department, agency or other public body with formal government status

Deadline

December 11, 2026

Location

Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon

Funding or benefit

Grants of £20,000 to £50,000 per project, with a minimum project duration of six months and a maximum of eighteen months. Technical assistance and capacity building support comes through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation.

Eni

Eni Award 2027 Young Talents From Africa Prize, €25,000 For African PhD Researchers In Energy And Environment

Eni is running the Young Talents from Africa section of its 2027 Eni Award, which gives two African PhD researchers €25,000 each to strengthen the doctoral work they are already doing. Candidates must hold African citizenship and be enrolled in the first or second year of a PhD at a university or research institute in Africa, working on energy or the environment. Applications close on 20 November 2026 at 5pm Central European Time.

Eligibility: You hold the citizenship of one of the African countries listed in the United Nations World Population Prospects, The 2024 Revision, which includes Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa

Deadline

November 20, 2026

Location

Algeria, Angola, Benin

Funding or benefit

Two awards of €25,000 each, paid in two instalments against a budget proposal the candidate prepares, which may not exceed the €25,000 prize amount. Winners also receive a customised plaque, and Eni directly provides return travel, transfers and up to two nights of board and lodging for the winner and a maximum of one accompanying person for the prize giving ceremony in Italy.

Durham University, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Durham University PhD Studentships in Transformative Humanities 2027

Durham University is offering up to eleven fully funded PhD studentships for research that works across its Transformative Humanities framework, starting in October 2027. Two of the awards are open to overseas students at overseas tuition level, so applicants writing from Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa can compete. Applications close at noon UK time on 15 January 2027.

Eligibility: Accepted onto a Durham University PhD programme with a supervisory team led by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities or the Faculty of Social Sciences

Deadline

January 15, 2027

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Each award covers tuition fees at home or overseas level and pays a stipend for 3.5 years full time or seven years part time at the rate set by UK Research and Innovation, with additional funding opportunities and access to training and placement resources. Durham publishes no fixed stipend figure for this scheme.

For businesses that sell on WhatsApp and Instagram

Turn profile visits into messages, bookings and sales

One Nlink page gives customers what they need to trust you and reach you, and shows you what is working.

• check_circleBooking and enquiry buttons customers actually use
• check_circleMessages in one inbox, not lost in busy chats
• check_circleSee which links bring in buyers
• check_circleFree to start, upgrade only when you grow

African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO)

ARSO 14th Continental Essay Competition 2026/2027 for African Tertiary Students

ARSO invites tertiary students across African Union member states, aged 35 and below, to the 14th Continental Essay Competition on advancing intra African trade through the cotton to clothing value chain under the AfCFTA, with cash prizes of $1,000, $800 and $500.

Eligibility: Enrolled in an accredited tertiary institution in an African Union member state at the time of submission

Deadline

April 23, 2027

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Cash prizes of $1,000 for first place, $800 for second place and $500 for third place, each with certificates of excellence.

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships (Manaaki New Zealand)

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Africa Programmes 2027: Trade Policy and Geothermal Energy Project Management

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships has opened two fully supported Africa programmes for 2027: a Trade Policy short course delivered online from 25 January to 26 February 2027, and a Geothermal Energy Project Management short course delivered in New Zealand from 26 April to 24 May 2027. Nigerian citizens appear on both country lists, alongside nineteen other African countries. Applications for Trade Policy close 25 October 2026 and applications for Geothermal close 6 December 2026.

Eligibility: Citizen of one of the eligible countries for the selected programme (Nigeria appears on both the Trade Policy list and the Geothermal list)

Deadline

December 6, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Africa programmes cover the short course in the selected delivery mode. Specific coverage amounts, allowances and inclusions are not published on the programme page and applicants should confirm them directly on the official Manaaki application page before submitting.

Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council

Pro Helvetia Residency in Switzerland 2027 for Artists and Cultural Practitioners from Africa and Other Regions

Pro Helvetia funds residencies of up to three months at a partner institution in Switzerland for artists and cultural practitioners who live in one of its liaison office regions, which covers West, Central, East and Southern Africa among other areas. Accommodation, travel and daily allowances are covered, and applications open on 1 January each year with a deadline of 1 March at 23:59 Central European Time.

Eligibility: Artists and cultural practitioners with permanent residence in one of Pro Helvetia's liaison office regions and active participation in that cultural scene

Deadline

March 1, 2027

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Pro Helvetia covers accommodation, travel costs and daily allowances for a residency of up to three months, plus a coach from the local artistic field, and can add a workstation and a contribution towards production or material costs on request. Applicants with childcare responsibilities can request up to 1,000 CHF per month towards childcare or the travel costs of their children and, where necessary, a carer.