Opportunities
Grants, VC funds, accelerators, and competitions for African entrepreneurs.
Grants, VC funds, accelerators, and competitions for African entrepreneurs.
What are you looking for today?
Powered by CopilotKit
£1,000 - £5,000 per individual
Annual awards recognizing young people aged 15-29 across the 56 Commonwealth member countries who are spearheading impactful sustainable development initiatives. Finalists receive £1,000, regional winners receive an additional £2,000, and the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year receives a total of £5,000. The 2026 edition received 977 nominations (up from 800 in 2024). This is an individual recognition award, not a startup competition.
Finalist Grant
£1,000 grant for all 20 finalists
Regional Winner Grant
Additional £2,000 for 5 regional winners (total £3,000)
Young Person of the Year
Additional £2,000 for top winner (total £5,000)
Trophy and Certificate
Official Commonwealth recognition presented at ceremony
Ceremony at Marlborough House
Awards ceremony in London attended by senior government officials, development experts, and youth leaders
Commonwealth Network
Access to the global Commonwealth youth network across 56 countries
Patsy Robertson Award
New 2026 category for outstanding communications skills — 6 additional finalists shortlisted
[object Object]
Any development work advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals — no sector restriction. Previous finalists have worked on education, health, climate action, gender equality, peace-building, food security, and digital inclusion.
Young people aged 15-29 from Commonwealth countries who are making exceptional contributions to sustainable development in their communities. Not looking for business plans or startups — looking for demonstrated impact through development work, whether through an organization, community initiative, or individual effort.
Commonwealth youth network access across 56 countries, peer learning with other awardees, visibility through Commonwealth media and events, potential invitations to Commonwealth forums and summits.
AKFED is a strategic, long-term holder — not a typical VC. Expect active governance involvement. Recent divestiture of Nation Media Group shareholding (March 2026) signals portfolio rebalancing.
This is one of the most accessible Commonwealth awards for young African changemakers — 19 African nations are Commonwealth members and Africa is strongly represented among finalists. The 2026 edition received 977 nominations, so competition is stiff but the geographic diversity of the Commonwealth means strong African candidates have good odds. Focus your nomination on measurable, concrete impact rather than vision statements. The new Patsy Robertson Award for communications is an additional entry point for media-focused youth.
2000
Active Since
Yes
Deploying
2026: 20 finalists from 977 nominations across 5 regions; 2024: 800+ nominations received; Annual program since early 2000s with hundreds of alumni