Mastercard Foundation FAST Program 2026 – Funding Opportunity for Young African Entrepreneurs @Funding Opportunity for Young African Entrepreneurs

The Mastercard Foundation has opened applications for the Fund for Alumni Start-ups in Transition (FAST) Program, an initiative designed to empower young African entrepreneurs by providing funding, mentorship, and enterprise development support.

The FAST Program aims to strengthen youth-led enterprises and support emerging entrepreneurs as they transition from education to sustainable employment and business creation.

Programme Overview

The FAST Program is an ongoing initiative that supports young entrepreneurs through financial support, training, and mentorship. The programme focuses on building strong entrepreneurial ecosystems while helping young innovators turn ideas into viable businesses.

Key objectives of the programme include:

• Supporting early-stage African entrepreneurs
• Providing financial and technical support for business development
• Connecting participants with mentors and entrepreneurial networks
• Strengthening youth-led enterprise ecosystems across Africa

Applications for the 2026 cohort opened on 20 February 2026.

Programme Partners

The FAST initiative is delivered through a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and several African innovation and entrepreneurship organizations.

Key programme partners include:

• CcHub Nigeria
• MDF Global
• Concree
• Savannah Innovations Lab
• Center for Enterprising Organizations
• Inkomoko
• African Leadership Academy

These organizations collectively provide mentorship, business training, and technical support to participating entrepreneurs.

Who Can Apply

The programme is specifically designed for young African entrepreneurs who are either aspiring founders or currently operating early-stage ventures.

Eligible applicants include alumni from the following programmes:

• Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)
• African Leadership Academy (ALA)
• Anzisha Prize
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Applicants who are still completing their studies may receive provisional acceptance and join the next cohort after graduation.

Financial Support and Funding

Participants in the FAST Program may receive financial support depending on the development stage of their business.

Funding is provided across two main stages of entrepreneurial growth.

Idea Phase

The Idea Phase supports early-stage entrepreneurs working to refine and validate their business concepts.

Funding support includes:

• Average funding of USD $3,000
• Maximum funding up to USD $5,000

This stage focuses on:

• Idea validation
• Market research
• Product or service concept development

Build Phase

The Build Phase supports entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their ideas into operational businesses.

Funding support includes:

• Average funding of USD $12,500
• Maximum funding up to USD $15,000

At this stage, participants focus on:

• Business model development
• Market expansion strategies
• Operational growth and scaling

Funding amounts are determined based on the needs and maturity of each enterprise. Not all participants will necessarily receive financial support.

Programme Benefits

In addition to financial support, the FAST Program provides a wide range of entrepreneurial development opportunities.

Participants gain access to:

• Business development training
• Mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs
• Networking opportunities with African founders
• Enterprise development support
• Access to innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems

These resources help young entrepreneurs strengthen their leadership capabilities and grow sustainable ventures.

Commitment to Inclusive Entrepreneurship

The FAST Program prioritizes inclusive economic participation across Africa. The initiative aims to create opportunities for diverse groups of young people, including:

• Young women entrepreneurs
• Refugees and displaced individuals
• Young people living with disabilities

This inclusive approach ensures that entrepreneurship opportunities reach a broader and more diverse community of innovators.

Programme Language Accessibility

The application and programme materials are accessible in multiple languages to reach entrepreneurs across different regions.

Supported languages include:

• English
• French
• Portuguese
• Arabic

This multilingual approach allows wider participation across Africa and the Middle East.

Programme Focus Area

The FAST Program operates under the Education and Transitions focus area of the Mastercard Foundation.

This focus area aims to support young people as they transition from education into:

• Employment
• Entrepreneurship
• Sustainable livelihoods

Through this initiative, the foundation helps create pathways to dignified and fulfilling work for African youth.

Conclusion

The Mastercard Foundation FAST Program provides a powerful opportunity for young African entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into sustainable enterprises. Through funding, mentorship, and strategic partnerships, the programme equips emerging founders with the resources needed to build impactful businesses and contribute to Africa’s economic development.

VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering the funding. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.