The short version: the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), with Imperial College London, is taking applications for Cohort 3 of the Commonwealth Startup Fellowship from 3 August to 1 September 2026. Nigerian founders are eligible. It is fully funded — flights, accommodation, visa costs covered — and it is aimed at businesses that already have traction, not ideas.
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Accra bootcamp | Two weeks in-person, 25 Jan – 4 Feb 2027. Travel, accommodation, meals, visa and vaccinations covered for one founder |
| Coaching | Five months of monthly 1-on-1 business coaching, peer sessions and expert workshops |
| London capstone | 14–21 May 2027 — selected teams pitch international investors |
| Grant | Up to £2,000 equity-free per team from the Fellows Fund |
Before you open the form, assemble: monthly revenue or user numbers for the last 12 months, two or three customer references, your CAC registration, and one paragraph on why your growth can scale beyond Nigeria. Applications that lead with verifiable numbers read differently from applications that lead with vision.
Apply through the CSC's official candidates page: cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk — Commonwealth Startup Fellowship. Deadline: 1 September 2026. That is under four weeks away — the traction evidence takes longer to assemble than the form does.
🚀 See every funding opportunity open right nowFundFinder AI (by A2F Partners Limited) is an independent funding-discovery platform. We are not affiliated with the program above and never charge for information about it. Always apply through the official portal linked in this guide — application is free unless the funder's own site says otherwise. Details were verified on the date of publication and can change; confirm on the official page before applying.