In the last three decades, participation in higher education has seen unprecedented growth around the globe. Whilst the number of skilled graduates has grown, many job markets have been unable to keep pace, leaving young people with valuable expertise but increasingly fewer traditional routes to employment. This is particularly significant in the Commonwealth, where over sixty percent of the population is under 30 and youth unemployment is a major issue in several member countries. In recognition of this growing need for new forms of job creation, the CSC is introducing a new programme to run for both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Time Limited Programmes (TLP), aimed specifically at early-stage entrepreneurs, known as the Commonwealth Entrepreneurship Fellowship (CEF).
This will be the first time the TLP has run over two years and will provide an opportunity to assess the success of the CEF and the possibility of continuing to offer the scheme outside of the Time Limited Programme.
The envisaged benefits to programme participants include exposure to high quality incubation training and a ‘protected’ space to further refine and advance entrepreneurial ideas as well as opportunities to develop impactful and enduring connections with other entrepreneurs, mentors, and the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Following a formal tendering process the CSC will seek to work with an appropriate delivery partner to offer the Commonwealth Entrepreneurship Fellowship.
Join our information session
We will be hosting an information session for prospective delivery partners between 14:00-15:00 on Thursday 27 July to provide further information about the programme.
If you are a publicly funded organisation or a charity with experience of working with early-stage entrepreneurs in low or middle income contexts, please contact engage@cscuk.org.uk for details of how you can join the session. We look forward to seeing you there.
