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Fellowship · Partly funded

Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship (2027 cohort)

Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre (DDQIC), Queen's University

An 8-month, fully virtual entrepreneurship fellowship for African students and recent graduates developing business ideas, with training, mentorship and seed funding opportunities.

Award
Stipend of $500 CAD (listed for up to 60 fellows); pitch prizes up to $15,000 CAD
Who can apply
Africa
Where
Virtual (Queen's University, Kingston, Canada), remote possible
Deadline
1 Dec

About the programme

A structured entrepreneurship programme run in three phases (Explore, Ignite, and Launch and Fellowship) over about eight months. It combines online courses, the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, mentorship from entrepreneurs, pitch coaching and micro-credentials from Queen's. Up to 60 fellows are selected for a summer incubation phase with seed funding and pitch competitions. The page says applications are not yet open and invites people to sign up for notification when they launch.

Eligibility

  • Must be an African student or recent graduate
  • Students and recent graduates from any academic discipline at any post-secondary institution in Africa
  • Able to commit at least 10 hours per week
  • Able to work in English (programme content, assignments and pitches are in English)
  • Sign in to check these against your background.

What they look for

  • Committed to developing an entrepreneurial mindset
  • Ready to use programme resources and mentorship

What you receive

  • Training from Queen's faculty and the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework
  • Pitch coaching and live workshops
  • Micro-credentials from Queen's University
  • Mentorship and networking with entrepreneurs and alumni
  • Stipend of $500 CAD for up to 60 fellows (page also mentions USD 350 stipend in Phase 3; amounts conflict)
  • Opportunity to pitch for prizes up to $15,000 CAD
  • Seed funding access during incubation
  • Post-incubation support

How to apply

  1. Sign up on the page to be notified when applications launch
  2. Phase 1 Explore (January-February): online courses and first 11 steps of the framework
  3. Phase 2 Ignite (March-April): finalists continue and pitch ideas
  4. Phase 3 Launch and Fellowship (May-August): up to 60 fellows join summer incubation
  5. Graduation at end of August

Applications are submitted on Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre (DDQIC), Queen's University’s own site. Open Doors helps you prepare; it is not the official application portal.

From people who applied

No notes yet.

Source and verification

Last checked
9 Nov 2026, read automatically from the official page

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