Western Union Foundation Accelerator/Fellowship 2023 for Young entrepreneurs & community leaders

$25,000 in seed funding will be distributed among the Western Union Foundation Fellows based on progress and impact throughout the Fellowship. 

Application Deadline: 18th Aug 2023

About the Award: A Lifetime of Impact Begins

The Western Union Foundation Fellowship is for young entrepreneurs and community leaders who are from and working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe.

This 16-week-long program is designed to equip these next-generation entrepreneurs and leaders with the skills and experience to increase access to economic opportunity, have the opportunity to earn seed funding, integrate into their communities, succeed in the evolving nature of work, and transform their communities.

This program is offered with virtual and in-person components that allows fellows to take advantage of the global cohort while also focusing on creating local impact within their communities. Virtual Programming includes: Master Courses, Workshops, Weekly Check Ins/ In-Person Programming includes Fellow-Led Basecamps and a Fellow-Led Meetup.

Type: Entrepreneurship, Fellowship

Eligibility: This program is for next-generation high-promising entrepreneurs and community leaders who are from and working with highly marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities around the globe. Ideal applicants will join with relevant social impact and leadership experiences with proven experience of building community development projects within these communities.

Eligible Countries: We are looking for applicants from and are working in the following countries: Mexico, Kenya, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and Afghanistan.

To be Taken at (Country): TBA

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: The Fellowship begins with a virtual two-week intensive Accelerator that will focus on:

• Building Community: Community is one of the pillars of the Fellowship experience. A diverse cohort of young leaders and entrepreneurs form partnerships, collaborations, and further their growth and integration as leaders in their community
• Skill Development: Including growth mindset, courage, resilience, creativity, and leadership. Fellows will be guided through the process of overcoming key challenges faced during the process of becoming transformative leaders.
• Basecamp Training: Each Fellow is trained and receives a stipend and logistical support to lead a three-day Basecamp in their home community to empower at least 30 additional entrepreneurial leaders per Fellow.

After the two week Accelerator, each Fellow will join a year-long Fellowship including…

• Lead a Basecamp in their respective community. A stipend will be given for logistical and administrative costs.
• Join a monthly All Hands on Deck meeting that include skill development workshops and opportunities to build community amongst the cohort
• Receive $1,000 in Seed Funding to launch/grow their ventures and initiatives

• Regularly attend Master Courses with the world’s leading entrepreneurs and practitioners, further strengthen their skills, and build a powerful global network. Past Master Course teachers include co-recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest person to run for US Congress, and the inventor of Google’s self-driving car.
• Join a pod with other Fellows from their respective regions and regularly check in with each other via regular one-on-one meetings.

At the end of the year-long Fellowship, all of the Fellows will participate in a high-profile Summit to share their progress and impact throughout the program.

Duration of Award: Western Union Foundation Fellows must be able to commit to be part of the 16-week program. There  is a 2-week intensive (20-25 hours per week) followed by a 14-weeks of weekly programming (5-8 hours per week). Fellows will be given a stipend and spend an additional 80-100 hours implementing a 3-day intensive program called Basecamp.

How to Apply:

1. Complete the online application: The online application contains 5 short essay questions
2. Your application will be reviewed: Applications will be reviewed within 2-weeks of submission. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
3. You will be invited to an interview: Applicants moving forward in the process will be invited to a 20-minute Zoom interview.
4. Enrollment process: We will send out final admission decisions and enrollment agreement within 2-weeks of the interview.

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
• GOODLUCK

Visit Award Webpage for Details