Your Path Forward: A Look at This Week's Top Opportunities

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Jennifer Daniel & Precious Adeyinka
September 15, 2025

Hello Innovators! 👋

Precious here from SASIE, your partner in tech entrepreneurship.

I know you're continually looking for opportunities to grow to turn your ideas into reality, climb the corporate ladder, or gain the skills you need to lead. That's why I've hand-picked this week's opportunities myself with you in mind.

Whether your passion lies in tech, health, entrepreneurship, or research, there’s an opportunity here that speaks directly to your goals. Think of this as your personal guide to the resources, funding, and networks you’ve been searching for. It’s time to take that next step.

  • 360 Woman Africa Women-in-Business Grant 2025

  • Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge 2025

  • WomenLift Health East Africa Leadership Journey 2026 🌍

  • H&M Foundation Global Change Award 2026 ♻️

  • African Women for Change Network (AFNET) Flexible Grant 2025 👩‍💼

  • World YWCA Leadership Cohort 2025 🗣️

  • Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) PhD & Master's Scholarships 2026 🎓

360 Woman Africa Women-in-Business Grant 2025

A grant program that provides ₦10 million financial assistance to foster women-owned businesses in Nigeria.

Are you a female entrepreneur in Nigeria looking for the financing to grow your business? Enter now for the 360 Woman Africa Women-in-Business Grant with an opportunity to receive up to ₦10 million in funding. Alongside the cash prize, this program offers valuable exposure, credibility, and networking opportunities. Through the program, you will get to network with investors, mentors, and other corporate executives at the ELEVATE Conference, growing your business to new heights.

What You'll Get

  • Substantial Funding: ₦10 million will be shared by four winners, and the first prize will be ₦5,000,000.

  • Networking & Credibility: Receive beneficial exposure and meet investors and mentors at the ELEVATE Conference.

  • Business Expansion Support: The grant amount is to be utilized for business growth and expansion.

Who Can Apply?

  • This grant is open to women entrepreneurs who fulfill the below criteria:

  • Must be a female business owner or founder of a registered business in Nigeria.

  • Your business must demonstrate innovation, sustainability, and growth potential.

  • You must agree to utilize the funds for business growth and agree to attend the ELEVATE Conference 2025.

Deadline: October 5, 2025

Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge 2025

A grant and mentorship program for women tech (co)founders in Africa.

Are you a woman entrepreneur building a tech startup in Africa? Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge 2025 wants to hear from you. The program was established to invest in early-stage, woman-founded tech startups with a combination of funding, experienced mentorship, and access to major investor networks. This is your chance to get the funding and connections you need to scale your business and really impact the continent's tech ecosystem.

What You'll Receive

  • Equity-Free Grants: The challenge offers up to $100,000 worth of grants that you won't have to pay back.

  • Mentorship by Experts: Be advised by experienced operators in the tech industry.

  • Investor Network: Have access to a network of investors who can fund future rounds.

Who Can Apply?

The program is available to African women tech (co)founders who meet the following criteria:

  • You need to be a female who has co-founded or founded a technology firm.

  • Your firm must be based in Africa.

  • Your venture must do business in one of the sectors discussed, including financial services, health, climate, consumer industries, and emerging technologies like AI.

Deadline: September 30, 2025.

WomenLift Health East Africa Leadership Journey 2026 🌍

12-month, fully-sponsored leadership development program for health mid-senior career women.

Are you an East African female leader in global health? The WomenLift Health East Africa Leadership Journey is a fully funded experience to prepare you to maximize your leadership potential and spur change. It delivers a safe space for you to develop your true leadership, expand your professional network, and gain the tools you require to address challenges facing women leaders in international health.

What You'll Receive

  • Full Sponsorship: In-person residencies' travel and accommodation costs are covered.

  • Professional Growth: A strong program with virtual and in-person training, one-on-one mentoring, and an independent Health Leadership Project.

  • Networking: Become part of a network of peers, mentors, and coaches who will be there to guide you through.

Who Is Eligible?

  • Identify as a female.

  • Have 10-25 years of experience in public health policy, practice, or research.

  • Be a citizen of, and live and work in, one of the following nations: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, or Ethiopia.

  • Be proficient in written and spoken English.

Deadline: October 10, 2025.

H&M Foundation Global Change Award 2026 ♻️

A grant and innovation challenge for entrepreneurs and innovators in sustainable fashion.

Are you an innovator with an idea for a more circular and sustainable fashion industry? The H&M Foundation Global Change Award is an annual challenge that speeds up bold ideas with the potential to transform the industry. With a focus on sustainable materials, responsible production, and conscious consumption, this program offers a unique opportunity to gain funding, mentorship, and exposure to a global network of experts.

What You'll Receive

  • €200,000 Grant: Ten winners share a total grant of €2,000,000, which is awarded through a public vote, and no equity is taken.

  • One-Year Accelerator: Winners are accepted into the "Changemaker Programme," a one-year accelerator in partnership with Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, to help them develop and scale their ideas.

  • Networking: Join an international network of innovators, researchers, and investors to form partnerships and amplify your impact.

Who Can Apply?

  • Wildcards: Surprising, potent ideas that don't fit into a specific category.

  • Sustainable Materials and Processes: Groundbreaking developments in the creation and use of sustainable materials.

  • Responsible Production: Answers that optimize the production process to be more sustainable.

  • Mindful Consumption: Ideas that allow consumers to make more sustainable choices.

Deadline: October 6, 2025.

World YWCA Leadership Cohort 2025 🗣️

A fully-funded, virtual leadership and internship program for young women.

Are you an enthusiastic young woman interested in women's rights and intergenerational leadership? The World YWCA Leadership Cohort 2025 is a pioneering opportunity to deepen your competencies, participate in global research, and reap international exposure. This is an online internship culminating in a fully-funded trip to New York for an in-person delegation at the Commission on the Status of Women. This is your chance to make a difference and be part of a worldwide community of change-makers.

What You'll Receive

  • Full Sponsorship: All travel costs to the in-person event in New York are covered, including round-trip flights, visas, lodging, and meals.

  • Stipend: The participants will be awarded a small stipend.

  • Professional Development: The program provides a mix of learning, research, and practical tasks to enhance your leadership skills.

  • Global Exposure: The program culminates in an in-person delegation to the 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) in New York, a significant UN event..

Deadline: September 28, 2025

African Women for Change Network (AFNET) Flexible Grant 2025 👩‍💼

A chance to support women-led initiatives and organizations in Africa.

Happen to be a woman leader or an organization that aims to create positive change to your community? AFNET Flexible Grant offers a chance for funding to facilitate your leadership, advocacy, and sustainable development activities. The grant has a flexible nature, and it funds different organizations as well as individual leaders that are working on the ground.

What You'll Receive

  • Funding: The selected organizations are eligible to receive a grant of $5,000 or less.

  • Support: The grant is to support women-led projects and organizations that seek to effect positive change in their communities.

Who Can Apply?

The grant is open to a variety of applicants, including:

  • Nonprofit organizations

  • Grassroots organizations

  • Community-based organizations

  • Individual leaders

  • Social enterprises

Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) PhD & Master's Scholarships 2026 🎓

A scholarship program fully-sponsored for African researchers in the area of entrepreneurship.

Are you an African scholar seeking to learn about entrepreneurship in Africa? The Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) is offering fully-funded Master's and PhD student scholarships for 2026. The initiative is set to accommodate exceptional researchers who will contribute significantly to the knowledge and development of entrepreneurship in Africa. Through the initiative, you will be funded financially, accompanied by an international network, and in a position to conduct effective research.

What You'll Receive

  • Full Funding: It is a full-funded scholarship that covers full tuition, a living stipend, and research expenses for activities such as data collection and fieldwork.

  • Professional Development: International co-supervision and international travel to attend conferences and workshops.

  • Networking: The opportunity exposes you to a global community of researchers and scholars.

Deadline: October 17, 2025.

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