Time Limited Programme 2024 and 2025: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Job Creation
With 60% of the Commonwealth’s population under the age of 30, there is a pressing need to create high quality employment opportunities for young people starting to enter the workforce. The World Bank estimates that 600 million new jobs will be required globally by 2030. Since SMEs make up the vast majority of businesses globally, they play a crucial role in driving job creation and supporting overall economic growth. In recognition of this need to support growing businesses, the CSC has introduced a new programme to run for both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Time Limited Programmes (TLP), known as the Commonwealth Startup Fellowship.
The programme
The Commonwealth Startup Fellowship is designed to ignite and elevate high-potential startups from low and middle income Commonwealth countries. The programme will initially run over two cohorts, in 2024 and 2025.
The programme is being delivered in partnership with the Imperial College London Enterprise Lab and offers a blend of immersive in-person experiences and online learning, starting with an in-person bootcamp at the new Imperial Global Campus in Accra, Ghana.
Following this, Fellows take part in five months of bespoke online learning and business coaching. Each business has access to tailored mentorship throughout the programme, as well being able to benefit from subject experts who can offer personalised advice on areas such as fundraising, branding, go-to-market strategies, team growth, and financial planning.
At the end of the programme, fellows will take part in an international investor event, where they have the opportunity to pitch to a global audience of investors, mentors, and partners as well as hear from high-profile speakers from across the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Startup Fellows cohort one
Nineteen startup founders from ten Commonwealth countries were selected for cohort one. The startups represented a wide range of industries, including sustainable farming, renewable energy, health, childcare, and education. Find out more about the founders and their ventures here.
The programme began with a two-week bootcamp held in Accra, Ghana in March 2025, where the Fellows attended workshops on the key aspects of building and scaling their businesses. The sessions focused on improving their skills in leadership and values, relationship management, networking, strategy and scaling, marketing, finance, and peer-to-peer reflections. The CSC’s lead Commissioner for the Commonwealth Startup Fellowship, Professor Kevin Ibeh, joined the bootcamp to welcome the Fellows and hear about their hopes for the programme.
Following five months of online support and training, the Fellows travelled to London for Capstone Week, where they have the opportunity to re-connect with each other, celebrate the end of the programme, and showcase their impact during a series of events.
The Capstone Week activities included:
- Welcome dinner for the Fellows
- Investor showcase hosted by Imperial College London
- Tour of the Houses of Parliament
- CSC panel discussion on entrepreneurship and development impact
- Small focus groups and reflections on the programme
- High-level event on the role of entrepreneurs hosted by The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and The Commonwealth Secretariat
- Farewell gathering for the Fellows
Read our Capstone Week news story to find out more about the celebrations.
Commonwealth Startup Fellows cohort two
Twenty-three startup founders from eleven Commonwealth countries have been selected to join cohort two of the Commonwealth Startup Fellowship. For cohort two, the startups came from industries including fintech, agriculture and biotech, commerce, healthcare, and impact driven social enterprises.
Cohort two joined the bootcamp in Accra in November 2025 for two weeks of immersive business training to kick off the programme. During the bootcamp, they were joined by CSC’s Chair Professor Robin Mason ORB and Commissioner Ryan Shorthouse, and had the chance to network with business leaders and Commonwealth Alumni at a high-profile reception hosted by the British High Commission in Ghana.
The Fellows were fortunate to meet His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh during his visit to West Africa to talk about how their innovative startups are tackling real-world challenges and delivering sustainable growth.
The Fellows returned to their home nations after the bootcamp to continue their online training and implement the learnings from the bootcamp. During this stage of the programme, the Fellows will have the chance to join the venture review panels with Commonwealth Alumni and access expert guidance and advice to develop and scale their startups.
We look forward to welcoming the Fellows to London for Capstone Week 2026 in April.
