The Coalition for Positive Impact (CPI), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has opened applications for the 2026 edition of the Igniting Dreams Fellowship, a youth-focused entrepreneurship programme targeting early-stage businesses in Northern Ghana.
Over the past seven years, the fellowship has supported more than 50 young founders to transform early-stage ventures into job-creating, revenue-generating and scalable businesses, contributing to employment creation and local economic growth across Ghana’s northern regions.
The programme is designed for entrepreneurs who are already demonstrating early market traction and are focused on scaling their businesses beyond current capacity, generating consistent revenue, embedding sustainability into operations, and expanding distribution, customer base and job creation.
Applications for the 2026 cohort opened on January 1 and will close on February 28, 2026.
According to CPI, the fellowship is structured to address what it describes as the “pioneer gap” facing many young entrepreneurs, particularly women and founders in marginalised communities. This gap refers to limited access to risk-tolerant capital and business model innovation needed to transition ventures into investment-ready enterprises.
To bridge this gap, the Igniting Dreams Fellowship combines seed funding with intensive business development services, aimed at de-risking early-stage ventures and positioning them for sustainable growth.
The programme is open to young entrepreneurs aged between 15 and 35 years whose businesses are based in Northern Ghana, covering the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and North East regions. Eligible businesses span a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, technology, fashion, healthcare, education, green energy, creative industries and social enterprises.
Women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) are strongly encouraged to apply, in line with CPI and the Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to inclusive youth entrepreneurship. Applicants are expected to demonstrate strong commitment to their businesses and a willingness to fully participate in all fellowship activities.
Successful fellows will receive seed funding of up to GH¢100,000 to support business growth, alongside structured business training, capacity building, and tailored mentorship through one-on-one and group sessions. Participants will also be inducted into the Niibala Alliance, a lifelong network of peers, mentors, funders and partners, while benefiting from increased visibility and credibility within Ghana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Key application requirements include business registration documents, a curriculum vitae, two referees, completion of an application form and submission of a two-minute video.
Applications are submitted online through CPI’s official website, with the process described as free and straightforward.
CPI is a youth-led organisation focused on empowering young people in underserved African regions to build scalable and sustainable businesses that drive inclusive economic transformation. Through initiatives such as the Igniting Dreams Fellowship, the organisation has empowered more than 5,000 young people over the past seven years and trained and funded 50 entrepreneurs, resulting in over 400 jobs across Northern Ghana.
Interested entrepreneurs can apply via https://cpimpact.org/ignitingdreams.
The post Applications open for 2026 Igniting Dreams Fellowship appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.
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