15 grant opportunities currently open to African applicants! From $2,000 UNESCO grants to €4 Million FID, $100,000 UNICEF, Tony Elumelu, Mastercard & more. No agent needed. Check eligibility, deadline and apply FREE before they close.
Are you in Africa and looking for FREE money to start your business, fund your research, grow your NGO, or study abroad? Good news!
These 15 grant opportunities are CURRENTLY OPEN to African applicants as of November 2026. No agent needed. No payment needed. Apply yourself FREE.
Don't just read - pick the one that fits you and APPLY TODAY. Most close this November!
1. UNESCO Research Continuity Grants - Up To $2,000
Who: African researchers with Master's degree whose research was stopped by conflict or disaster
Amount: Up to $2,000
Deadline: 15 November 2026
Apply: unesco.org - Search "SCRS Research Continuity Grants"
Why Apply: Small but very easy to win. Only 6 grants, but few people apply.
2. Fund For Innovation In Development (FID) - Up To €4 MILLION
Who: NGOs, universities, companies, social enterprises fighting poverty in Africa
Amount: €50,000 to €4 Million
Deadline: OPEN ALL YEAR - No deadline
Apply: fundinnovation.dev
Why Apply: Biggest grant on this list. If your idea works, FID will fund it to scale.
3. UNICEF Femtech Ventures - Up To $100,000
Who: Women entrepreneurs building tech for women's health, safety, wellbeing
Amount: Up to $100,000 + mentorship
Deadline: 11 November 2026
Apply: unicef.org - Search "Femtech Ventures"
Why Apply: For women in health-tech. Must have working prototype.
4. Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme - $5,000
Who: African entrepreneurs with new or existing business (all sectors)
Amount: $5,000 seed capital + 12 weeks training + mentorship
Deadline: Opens yearly - Join waitlist now on tefconnect.com
Apply: tefconnect.com
Why Apply: Most popular grant in Africa. Over 20,000 Africans funded since 2015. Nigerians win plenty!
5. Mastercard Foundation Scholars / Agribusiness Grants
Who: Young Africans, students, agribusiness owners, women
Amount: Full scholarship + business grants vary
Deadline: Rolling - Check mastercardfdn.org
Apply: mastercardfdn.org
Why Apply: Pays school fees + gives business support. Very trusted.
6. Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator - £20,000 to £50,000
Who: Government ministries in Commonwealth Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, etc) + NGO partners
Amount: £20,000 - £50,000
Deadline: 11 December 2026
Apply: thecommonwealth.org - Blue Charter Incubator
Why Apply: For ocean, fisheries, environment, climate projects.
7. African-European Museum Partnership Grants
Who: Museums & heritage organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa + European partner
Amount: Exhibition & Public Engagement grants
Deadline: 4 December 2026
Apply: expertisefrance.fr
Why Apply: For culture, arts, museum people. EU funded.
8. MoFund Africa Impact Academy Cohort 2 - $5,000 to $20,000
Who: African-founded organisations in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia (Health, Education, Energy, Agriculture) - 2+ years old
Amount: $5,000 - $20,000 grants for graduates
Deadline: 5 November 2026 (TODAY - Hurry!)
Apply: mofund.sikaiq.com
Why Apply: Free 10-month training + chance for grant. First cohort 10 orgs got funded.
9. AWARD Women In Agriculture Leadership Fellowship
Who: Mid-career African women agricultural scientists (Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal)
Amount: 2-year fellowship + mentoring + training (Fully funded)
Deadline: 6 November 2026
Apply: awardfellowships.org
Why Apply: For women in agriculture research. Very prestigious.
10. The Future Is Female Mentorship Program
Who: African women building tech startup (female-founded, with MVP)
Amount: Free PR, communications & visibility mentorship (worth thousands)
Deadline: 13 November 2026
Apply: thefutureisfemale.com
Why Apply: Helps you get featured in Forbes, BBC, TechCabal. No cash but visibility = investors.
11. Zonta Amelia Earhart Fellowship - $12,000
Who: Women doing PhD in aerospace engineering or space sciences
Amount: $12,000
Deadline: 15 November 2026
Apply: zonta.org
Why Apply: For women in aviation / space. Few Africans apply, so chance is high.
12. USADF - United States African Development Foundation Grants
Who: African cooperatives, youth groups, small businesses, agribusiness
Amount: Up to $250,000
Deadline: Rolling - Apply anytime on usadf.gov
Apply: usadf.gov
Why Apply: US Government money for grassroots African businesses. Very real.
13. Google.org / Google for Startups Black Founders Fund - Up To $100,000
Who: Black-owned tech startups in Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana)
Amount: Up to $100,000 non-dilutive + Google mentorship
Deadline: Opens in batches - Join waitlist on google.com/startups
Apply: google.com/startups
Why Apply: No equity taken. Google gives cash + training.
14. African Women's Development Fund (AWDF)
Who: Women-led organisations in Africa working on women's rights, health, economic justice
Amount: $5,000 - $50,000
Deadline: Rolling calls on awdf.org
Apply: awdf.org
Why Apply: Main fund for African women organisations. Very trusted since 2001.
15. FG NERSI N50,000 Monthly Relief + FG TVET + NELFUND
Who: Vulnerable Nigerians (NERSI), Youths learning skills (TVET), Students (NELFUND)
Amount: N50,000 monthly (NERSI), Free training + N30,000 stipend (TVET), Student loan (NELFUND)
Deadline: ONGOING
Apply: NERSI via OPay *955*20#, Moniepoint *557*327#, MoMo *671*0#, Wema *945*23#, NairaGram *726*00# | TVET: tvet.education.gov.ng | NELFUND: nelf.gov.ng
Why Apply: Nigerian government money. No agent. Free.
How To Win A Grant - 5 Secrets
1. Apply early: Don't wait for deadline day. Portal crashes.
2. Read eligibility: If they say women only, men should not apply. If they say Kenya only, don't waste time.
3. Tell a story: Don't just say "I need money". Say "My business feeds 50 families in Imo State and with $5,000 I will employ 10 more."
4. Have documents ready: CAC certificate, NIN, business plan, bank statement, passport photo. Scan them now.
5. NEVER pay anyone: Real grants are FREE. If anyone asks for N5,000 to "help you get grant", it is scam. Report them.
WARNING: Avoid Grant Scammers!
- No real grant will ask for your PIN, OTP, or BVN on WhatsApp.
- No real grant will ask you to pay "processing fee" to unlock money.
- Only apply on OFFICIAL website. Check spelling - scammers use fake sites like tefconnect.net instead of .com
- If it sounds too easy, it is fake.
Share this list to your WhatsApp groups now. You may change someone's life today!
Which of these 15 grants will you apply for? Tell us in comments.
This report originally appeared on Imo Media Hub - www.imomediahub.org - Your No.1 Portal for Grants and Opportunities in Africa. Sources: UNESCO, UNICEF, Commonwealth Secretariat, FID, OPay, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
