The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced the opening of applications for the 2026 Regional Business Incubation Programme, with submissions closing on 16 July 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

The initiative is part of the ECOWAS Youth and Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (EYWEP) and is implemented by the ECOWAS Centre for Youth and Sports Development with technical and financial backing from AUDA-NEPAD.

Designed to nurture innovation across West Africa, the programme seeks to identify promising young entrepreneurs and support them through a structured incubation process aimed at transforming early-stage business ideas into sustainable and viable enterprises.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify, applicants must:

• Be between 18 and 35 years of age.
• Be a national or resident of one of the following countries:
  • Benin
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • The Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
• Have an innovative business idea, concept, prototype or project that is still in the pre-launch stage.

Priority Sectors

Eligible business ideas must align with one of the programme’s focus areas, including:

• Pharmaceutical industry
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Solar and renewable energy
• Agri-silvo-pastoral activities and agricultural value chains

Benefits for Selected Entrepreneurs

Participants chosen for the programme will receive a range of business development support, including:

• Structured business incubation
• Entrepreneurship training
• Project maturation workshops
• One-on-one mentoring and coaching
• Business model and business plan development
• Assistance with legal business registration
• Networking opportunities with technical, financial and institutional partners

ECOWAS also stated that, subject to available funding, the best-performing projects in each participating country may receive grant support at the conclusion of the programme.

Required Application Documents

Applicants are required to submit the following:

• An updated curriculum vitae (CV)
• A valid means of identification
• A concept note outlining the proposed business idea
• A description of the problem being addressed, the proposed solution and the target market
• Supporting documents, where available
• Prototype, mock-ups, images or proof of concept, where available

All required documents must be combined into a single PDF file before submission.

How to Apply

Applications must be sent through the country-specific email address provided in the official call for applications. Prospective applicants are advised to consult the application guide to identify the correct email address for their respective country.

The official application package includes:

• Call for application EBIP
• Appel à candidature EYWEP
• Appel à candidature EBIP
• CONVOCATÓRIA PARA CANDIDATURAS EYWEP
• CONVOCATÓRIA PARA CANDIDATURAS EBIP

Interested applicants can obtain further details by visiting the official webpage of the ECOWAS Regional Business Incubation Programme.

Source: opportunities for Africans