Deadline: February 2, 2025.

The African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative is an innovative, 12-month leadership and business management capacity building program that accepts 200 female entrepreneurs annually. They use applied and collaborative learning models, enabling immediate business impact and cultivating a pan-African cooperative of entrepreneurs, experts, and allies. Their mission and impact are aligned with the UN’s SDGs focused on gender equality, economic empowerment, and high-quality learning opportunities. AWEC is a program created through the Center for Global Enterprise (CGE), a nonprofit and nonpartisan research institute focused on developing insights that help current and future business leaders build resilient enterprises.

The core components of AWEC are:

• Online and in-person learning opportunities led by world-class business practitioners and academics
• One-on-one mentoring by senior business professionals
• Individual applied learning assignments and collaborative team projects
• Online and offline peer networking and feedback

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Female

• African country of origin, currently living on the continent or in the diaspora. For those living in the diaspora, your business must clearly impact Africa through the creation or delivery of its products or services, or based on where its customers reside.
• A for-profit business owner in operation of at least 2 years in any industry with at least 2 full-time or part-time employees. You must be the only one in your business applying. Founders of social enterprises are eligible to apply. Founders of NGOs or nonprofit organizations are not eligible.
• Access to a reliable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth for video calls over the 12-month period
• Professional working proficiency in English
• Comfortable with remote teamwork and collaboration, especially using digital tools.

BENEFITS

Upon successful completion of the 12-month program, Fellows will:

• Form connections with a diverse network of African women entrepreneurs
• Establish a relationship with a senior business mentor
• Strengthen strategy, leadership and business management skills
• Gain skills in finance, marketing, and strategy needed to grow and scale their enterprise
• Develop a toolkit of soft skills, including self-confidence, resilience, collaboration, and cross-cultural communications.

Find more information on the OFFICIAL LINK