CPI opens applications for 2026 Igniting Dreams fellowship

Applications have officially opened for the 2026 edition of the Igniting Dreams Fellowship, a flagship youth entrepreneurship programme of the Coalition for Positive Impact (CPI) implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

The fellowship, which has been operating for the last seven years, has supported over 50 young founders in Northern Ghana in growing early-stage businesses into job-creating, revenue-generating, and scalable ventures.

The programme targets young entrepreneurs who are already demonstrating early signs of market demand and are focused on building businesses that can grow beyond their current capacity, generate recurring revenue, embed sustainability into their operations and expand distribution, customers and jobs. Applications are open from January 1 to January 31, 2026.

Young entrepreneurs, particularly women and founders in marginalised communities, continue to face what CPI describes as a “pioneer gap”-a critical lack of access to risk-tolerant capital and business model innovation required to transform promising ventures into investment-ready businesses.

The Igniting Dreams Fellowship seeks to bridge this gap by combining seed funding with intensive business development services to de-risk early-stage ventures and support sustainable growth.

The programme is open to young entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 35 whose businesses are based in Northern Ghana, covering the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and North East Regions.

Eligible businesses span several sectors, including agriculture, technology, fashion, healthcare, education, green energy, creative industries and social enterprises.

Women and Persons with Disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply as part of CPI and the Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to inclusive youth entrepreneurship.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate commitment to their businesses and willingness to fully participate in all fellowship activities.

Interested applicants are required to provide business registration documents, a CV or résumé, two referees, a completed application form and a two-minute video.

Successful fellows will receive seed funding of up to GHC100,000, structured business training, one-on-one and group mentorship, induction into the Niibala Alliance network, and increased visibility and credibility within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The fellowship is designed to support not only business growth but also the long-term capacity of entrepreneurs to sustainably scale their ventures.

Applications are submitted online through the official CPI website, and the process is free of charge.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply early and ensure that all submitted information is accurate and complete.

CPI is a youth-led organisation committed to empowering young people in underserved African regions to build scalable and sustainable businesses that drive inclusive economic transformation and social impact.

Over the last seven years, CPI has empowered more than 5,000 young people and trained and funded 50 young entrepreneurs, creating over 400 jobs across Northern Ghana.

Through programmes such as Igniting Dreams, CPI continues to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem, bridge critical skills and financing gaps, reduce youth unemployment and contribute to inclusive local economic growth in Ghana’s poorest regions.