Grants and opportunities for your next phase

UNESCO and the Government of Japan

UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers' Fellowships Programme 2026

Ten fellowships of up to US$10,000 let researchers aged 40 or under from Africa, Small Island Developing States, Ukraine and Türkiye carry out three to nine months of postgraduate research at a Japanese university or research institution. The 2026 cycle closes on 15 October 2026 at midnight Paris time, and candidatures travel through the applicant's own National Commission for UNESCO.

Eligibility: Be a national of one of the invited UNESCO Member States or Associate Members listed in Annex 1 of the call

Deadline

October 14, 2026

Location

Angola, Benin, Botswana

Funding or benefit

Ten fellowships, each carrying a grant of up to US$10,000 paid as a lump sum towards the approved research stay in Japan. The grant may cover international and domestic travel, accommodation, medical insurance, personal subsistence and other research related costs. It does not cover tuition fees, equipment, publication costs or conference attendance unless that participation is an integral part of the research. Medical insurance is mandatory and is arranged by UNESCO, with the cost deducted from the fellowship amount before disbursement.

Melton Foundation

Melton Foundation Global Solvers Accelerator 2027

A ten month, cohort based leadership and peer learning programme for social impact practitioners aged 20 to 35, bringing 15 to 20 changemakers from around the world together to strengthen the community projects they already lead.

Eligibility: Emerging changemakers aged 20 to 35 who are actively driving social impact in their communities

Deadline

November 16, 2026

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

Participants pay a programme fee of USD 900, payable only once selected into the programme, and scholarships covering 20, 50 or 80 percent of that fee are available to participants with proven need. The fees strengthen the programme and seed a shared GSA Fund that is awarded to participant projects towards the end of the programme. The week long Global Solvers Co Lab in Germany from 3 to 10 July 2027 is fully funded.

Royal Holloway, University of London, Department of Economics

Royal Holloway PhD Studentship in Economics, University of London

A four year full time PhD studentship in the Department of Economics at Royal Holloway, open to UK, EU and international students, with funding of 22,780 GBP to be confirmed including a 2,000 GBP London allowance.

Eligibility: Funding is open to UK students, EU students and international students

Deadline

December 11, 2026

Location

United Kingdom

Funding or benefit

Funding amount of 22,780 GBP, to be confirmed, including a 2,000 GBP London allowance. Royal Holloway is a partner institution of the South East Doctoral Training Arc, known as SEDarc, a partnership of six UK universities funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, which provides student led scholarships each year on a competitive basis.

Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies, Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, University of Bayreuth

Bayreuth Academy International Fellowships 2027/2028 in Germany

Fifteen funded research residencies of one to five months at the University of Bayreuth for scholars of African Studies from any discipline, with Africa based applicants particularly encouraged.

Eligibility: Scholars with a PhD and a proven track record in African Studies

Deadline

October 5, 2026

Location

Germany

Funding or benefit

Fellowships include travel subsidies and a monthly living and mobility allowance. The living allowance is 2500 EUR per month for fellows who receive no remuneration from their home institution, or 1000 EUR per month for fellows on leave from their home institution with salary but without replacement. For fellows who continue to be paid by their home institution the fellowship may take the form of a teaching buyout grant, with an upper limit of 7000 EUR per month. Travel costs to and from Bayreuth are reimbursed against receipts, and a mobility allowance of 750 EUR per month is paid to individual fellows, rising by 250 EUR per month for each accompanying minor child.

Maria Sibylla Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa, University of Ghana

MIASA Individual Residential Fellowships 2027/2028 at the University of Ghana

Up to five funded residential research fellowships of three to six months at the University of Ghana's Legon campus in Accra, open to junior and senior scholars in the humanities and social sciences who hold a doctoral degree.

Eligibility: Open to scholars at both junior and senior levels

Deadline

October 15, 2026

Location

Ghana

Funding or benefit

For fellows who hold an institutional position, MIASA meets the salary or teaching substitution costs for every full fellowship month and pays them directly to the home institution, up to a maximum of 6925 EUR per month. Where that is not possible an individual grant based on the candidate's salary at the home institution can be offered, also capped at 6925 EUR per month. Fellows without employment receive an individual monthly grant. Fellows coming from outside Accra receive an accommodation allowance of up to 1500 EUR per month, travel costs at the start and end of the fellowship are reimbursed, and fellows who bring family members to Accra can receive a family allowance.

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

Max Planck Society (MAXMINDS)

MAXMINDS 2.0 Mentoring Program for Researchers at Risk

One on one research mentoring from current or former Max Planck Institute researchers, open to scholars who face displacement, regardless of nationality.

Deadline

October 18, 2026

Location

Global

Funding or benefit

MAXMINDS 2.0 provides mentoring and guidance toward opportunities rather than a cash stipend.

Imoleayo Michael Foundation

IMF Tech Mentorship Program 2026

A free, ten week, fully remote mentorship that helps aspiring tech professionals in Africa turn scattered effort into a clear plan, a stronger portfolio and real evidence of work.

Deadline

October 10, 2026

Location

Nigeria

Funding or benefit

Free to apply and free to take part, there is no cost to join the programme.

UNESCO-TWAS

TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Programme 2026

The TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Programme gives early career scientists who are nationals of a least developed country a three month funded research visit to laboratories in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy. UNESCO-TWAS runs it with the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the International School for Advanced Studies, and applications for this cycle close on 31 October 2026.

Eligibility: Maximum age of 40 years on 31 December of the application year

Deadline

October 31, 2026

Location

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh

Funding or benefit

Travel expenses and subsistence costs for the three month stay in Italy are covered by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, through UNESCO-TWAS. TWAS publishes no cash stipend figure for this programme, and administration and financial operation of TWAS is undertaken by UNESCO under an agreement with the organisation.

Ashoka and the Andrew Carnegie Foundation

Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2027

The Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2027 gives young changemakers aged 20 or younger in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, and in the United States, a route to seed funding for youth led civic projects. Early applicants from each African country can receive a USD 50 Civic Seed Grant, and 66 winners across the three countries share awards of USD 250, USD 1,000 and USD 5,000, with an in person convening in Kenya for selected winners.

Eligibility: Aged between 5 and 20 when you apply, and not older than 20 by the end of the entry period on 31 January 2027

Deadline

October 11, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa

Funding or benefit

For Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa: 25 Civic Seed Grants of USD 50 per country for early applicants with a new idea, then 30 Civic Promise Awards of USD 250, 30 Civic Impact Awards of USD 1,000 and 6 Civic Leadership Awards of USD 5,000, distributed equally across the three countries for 66 winners in total. US applicants can receive a USD 100 Civic Seed Grant (up to 600), a USD 500 Civic Promise Award (12), a USD 1,000 Civic Impact Award (10) or a USD 10,000 Civic Leadership Award (2).

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

Alchemist Accelerator

Alchemist Accelerator Flagship Program

A six month accelerator for enterprise and B2B startups, with applications rolling. The program lists $450,000+ in perks and an optional small cash investment with average investment proceeds to the company of $30,000 net of the tuition fee offset.

Eligibility: Technical teams selling to enterprises, ideally with pilots or customers

Deadline

Timeline not announced

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

Optional small cash investment on founder friendly terms, most often a SAFE, with average investment proceeds to the company of $30,000 net of the tuition fee offset, plus $450,000+ in perks.

INSEAD AI Venture Lab

INSEAD AI Founder Sprint 2027

A free, 10 week fully virtual startup program with Demo Days, running 27 January to 2 April 2027. Applications close 1 December 2026, with no fees and no equity taken.

Eligibility: Early stage founders anywhere in the world

Deadline

December 1, 2026

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

Free program, no fees and no equity taken.

Y Combinator

Y Combinator Winter 2027 Batch Applications

Applications are open for the Y Combinator Winter 2027 batch, the three month accelerator run by one of the world's leading startup accelerators. The deadline to apply is 2 November 2026.

Eligibility: Founders building a startup or a promising idea, worldwide

Deadline

November 2, 2026

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

No investment amount is stated in the captured source text.