Apply for the 2027 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship for African Students
URL slug: 2027-jim-leech-mastercard-foundation-fellowship-entrepreneurship
Applications for the 2027 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship are open right now. The deadline to submit your application is December 1, 2026, at 12:59pm ET.
This fellowship is for African students and recent graduates who want real support to build a business. It’s run by the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC) at Queen’s University in Canada, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. You don’t even need an existing business before you apply. If you just have an idea you’re serious about, that’s enough to start with.
About this Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship
The program runs for 8 months and it’s fully virtual, so you can join from wherever you are in Africa once you’ve got internet and a device that can handle video calls and online coursework. It’s built around the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, a step by step method for building a business that was developed at MIT. You go through business bootcamps, live workshops on things like marketing and recruiting, and you work with coaches and mentors who’ve actually run companies before.
It’s not a course you rush through in a weekend sha. Parts of it are self paced, but you still have to hit assignment deadlines to move forward. Miss too many of those, and you won’t advance to the next phase.
Who is eligible to apply for this 2027 fellowship
You don’t need to be studying business or entrepreneurship to qualify. Anyone can apply, no matter your course of study. Here’s what you actually need to have:
- You need to be a citizen of an African country.
- You’re either currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution in Africa, or you graduated within the last five years.
- A genuine interest in solving a real problem through entrepreneurship, not just chasing free money.
- Being able to commit to completing all three phases of the program if you get selected.
- Reliable internet access and a device you can use for virtual sessions and assignments.
Whether you already run a small business, or your idea is still sitting in your head and you haven’t started anything yet, both kinds of applicants can apply.
Language note: program content and mentorship come in English, and your assignments and pitches must be done in English too. If English isn’t your strongest language, don’t count yourself out because of that. You can form a team with someone who’s comfortable in English, or get support from your university or a local organization.
Benefits you get from this fellowship
This is one of the more generous programs going around right now, and everything listed here is free to you:
- Training delivered by Queen’s University faculty and industry leaders with real entrepreneurship and C-suite experience.
- Micro-credentials in entrepreneurship from Queen’s University, given free of charge, with a blockchain ID attached to each one.
- One-on-one coaching, plus access to a mentor network of more than 15 people who’ve built things before.
- A cohort of thousands of other students and recent grads from across Africa, so you’re not doing this alone.
- Up to $15,000 CAD in prize money at the pitch competition, for those who make it to the end and pitch well.
- A $500 CAD stipend (about $350 USD) for the top 60 Fellows picked into the final phase.
- Top performers may get flown to Queen’s University in Canada for networking.
None of this costs you anything to join. The whole fellowship, training, mentorship, all of it, is free.
The three phases of the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship program
This program doesn’t just drop you into a group chat and expect a full business plan by Friday. It moves in stages, and each stage narrows the group down to fewer people.
| Phase | Dates | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Explore | January to February 2027 | Over 1,000 candidates get access to online courses and work through the first 11 steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship workbook |
| Phase 2: Ignite | March to April 2027 | 180+ finalists from Phase 1 continue the workbook, then pitch their ideas to compete for a spot as a Fellow |
| Phase 3: Launch | May to August 2027 | Up to 60 Fellows join a summer incubation program, get a stipend, dedicated coaches, and compete in a final pitch competition |
In Phase 1, you’re mostly answering two questions: who is your customer, and what can you actually do for them. You’ll be doing interviews, validating your assumptions, and mapping out how your end user experiences your idea.
By Phase 2, the questions get harder. How does your customer actually get your product or service to them? How is this thing going to make money or stay funded long term? You’ll be building a prototype too, even a rough one, just enough to get real feedback from real people.
Phase 3 is where it gets real. If you’re one of the 60 selected, you’re building, pitching weekly, and working toward scaling whatever you’ve got going. Fellows who finish strong get invited back as mentors and ambassadors for future cohorts. So the fellowship doesn’t fully let go of you after August.
Important dates for the 2027 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship
- Application deadline: December 1, 2026, at 12:59pm ET
- Selection results: end of December 2026
- Phase 1 (Explore): January to February 2027
- Phase 2 (Ignite): March to April 2027
- Phase 3 (Launch and Fellowship): May to August 2027
- Graduation: August 2027
Don’t submit your application after the deadline. Late applications won’t be reviewed, so get your submission in with time to spare instead of waiting till the last minute when the portal might be slow from traffic.
How to apply for the 2027 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship
You apply through Queen’s University’s official application form, not through email or any third party site. Go to the application link below, fill in your details honestly, and submit before December 1, 2026, at 12:59pm ET.
Apply here: https://queensu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2skpzGTY6MedJJk
[LOCAL TIP: add a real detail from your own experience helping students apply for fellowships like this, such as what usually trips people up on the application form]
If you still have questions about how the process works, Queen’s has a FAQ page for the African Entrepreneurship program where a lot of the common questions are already answered.
TL;DR
- What: 2027 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship, run by DDQIC and the Mastercard Foundation.
- Who can apply: African citizens who are students or who graduated within the last 5 years, any course of study.
- Deadline: December 1, 2026, at 12:59pm ET.
- Duration: 8 months, fully virtual, January to August 2027.
- What you get: free training, mentorship, up to $15,000 CAD in pitch prizes, and a $500 CAD stipend for top Fellows.
- Apply: https://queensu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2skpzGTY6MedJJk
