Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Programs 2026–2027 provide young Africans with pathways to entrepreneurship, skills development, financial inclusion and employment. Through Young Africa Works and partner-led initiatives, the Foundation supports young women, entrepreneurs, refugees, displaced persons and people with disabilities to build sustainable livelihoods.
The Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Programs 2026–2027 form part of a broad portfolio of initiatives designed to help young people in Africa develop skills, create businesses and access dignified and fulfilling work.
Rather than operating as one single entrepreneurship grant or application, the Mastercard Foundation works through numerous partners and programs across Africa. Its approach combines entrepreneurship training, access to financial services, digital skills, market opportunities and employment pathways.
The Foundation’s broader goal is to enable 30 million young people across Africa to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030, with particular attention to young women, refugees and displaced persons, and people with disabilities.
Background & Entrepreneurship Programs
Entrepreneurship is an important part of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy. The Foundation works with organizations across Africa to help young people develop the skills and resources required to participate in growing economic sectors.
Its programming approach includes improving education and vocational training, expanding digital literacy and technology access, and enabling entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow through access to financial services.
The Foundation reports that it currently supports more than 1,000 programs across Africa and Canada through its partners.
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Mastercard Foundation Programs
For aspiring entrepreneurs, this means opportunities can take different forms, including business training, entrepreneurship development, digital skills, market access, financial inclusion and support for youth-led enterprises.
Key Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Programs
Young Africa Works
Young Africa Works is the Foundation’s major strategy for expanding opportunities for young people in Africa.
The strategy focuses on education and financial inclusion while supporting pathways into employment and entrepreneurship.
Young Africa Works particularly emphasizes young women, refugees and displaced persons, and people with disabilities.
Mastercard Foundation Fund for Alumni Start-ups in Transition
The Mastercard Foundation Fund for Alumni Start-ups in Transition (FAST) is among the Foundation’s programs supporting entrepreneurship.
The initiative focuses on alumni start-ups and forms part of the Foundation’s broader effort to help young people transition into sustainable livelihoods.
Africa Catalytic Investment Facility
The Africa Catalytic Investment Facility (ACIF) is another program within the Foundation’s portfolio.
Its focus connects investment and economic opportunities with the broader objective of expanding pathways to work and enterprise development across Africa.
Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture
The Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) program focuses on opportunities in food and agriculture.
The program is particularly relevant to young people interested in agricultural entrepreneurship and the wider food system.
Energizing Women & Youth in Agri-Food Systems
The Energizing Women & Youth in Agri-Food Systems Programme (EWAS) focuses on women and young people participating in agriculture and food systems.
It reflects the Foundation’s interest in agriculture as an important sector for creating economic opportunities for young Africans.
Women Creating Wealth
The Women Creating Wealth Intergenerational Edition (WCW-I) is another initiative specifically connected to women’s economic participation.
Programs of this nature are particularly relevant to young women and other entrepreneurs seeking opportunities to develop sustainable businesses and livelihoods.
Women in Sourcing and Enterprise
The Women in Sourcing and Enterprise (WISE) Program is focused on women and enterprise development.
The program demonstrates the Foundation’s broader emphasis on increasing economic opportunities for women through entrepreneurship and participation in value chains.
EASETRADE
EASETRADE is another program in the Foundation’s portfolio, with a focus on economic opportunities and trade.
The initiative is relevant to young entrepreneurs seeking pathways into markets and broader commercial opportunities.
Scaling ALX
The Scaling ALX program focuses on empowering Africa’s next generation of digital economy leaders and innovators.
Digital skills are increasingly important for young entrepreneurs because technology can provide access to customers, employment, digital services and new business models.
Who Can Benefit?
The Foundation’s entrepreneurship-related initiatives can be relevant to several groups, depending on the specific program and implementing partner.
Potential beneficiaries may include:
- Young African entrepreneurs
- Young women building businesses
- Youth-led enterprises
- Entrepreneurs in agriculture and food systems
- Young people seeking digital skills
- Small-business owners
- Refugees and displaced young people
- People with disabilities
- Young people transitioning from education into work
However, eligibility is not identical across all Mastercard Foundation programs. Each initiative has its own target beneficiaries, geographical scope and application arrangements.
Areas Covered by the Programs
Mastercard Foundation entrepreneurship initiatives span several economic areas, including:
Agriculture and food systems: Programs such as YEFFA and EWAS create pathways for young people interested in agriculture and related value chains.
Digital economy: Digital-focused initiatives support skills development and participation in technology-enabled work and entrepreneurship.
Financial inclusion: Young entrepreneurs and small businesses can benefit from programs designed to improve access to financial services.
Trade and markets: Initiatives such as EASETRADE address pathways that can connect businesses to broader economic opportunities.
Women-led enterprise: Several programs specifically focus on increasing economic opportunities for women.
How to Find Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Opportunities
One important point for applicants is that the Mastercard Foundation does not operate all of these initiatives through one central entrepreneurship application portal.
The Foundation works with partner organizations to implement its programs. Consequently, application procedures can differ significantly.
Young entrepreneurs should:
- Identify a program relevant to their interests and country.
- Check the official program information.
- Confirm the target beneficiaries and eligibility requirements.
- Identify the implementing organization.
- Review the application process and deadline.
- Prepare any required business, identification or educational documents.
- Apply through the official partner channel.
Applicants should not assume that being eligible for one Mastercard Foundation initiative automatically makes them eligible for another.
Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Young Women
Young women are a particularly important focus of the Mastercard Foundation’s work.
The Foundation states that its Young Africa Works strategy places emphasis on young women because expanding their access to education, skills, finance and economic opportunities can contribute significantly to sustainable livelihoods.
Programs such as Women Creating Wealth, Women in Sourcing and Enterprise, EWAS and other women-focused initiatives demonstrate this emphasis.
The available opportunities can vary by country and program, so interested applicants should review individual program requirements rather than relying on general Mastercard Foundation eligibility information.
Entrepreneurship, Skills and Employment
The Mastercard Foundation’s approach recognizes that entrepreneurship does not operate separately from education and employment.
Young people may need technical skills, digital capabilities, financial services, business knowledge and access to markets to establish or expand an enterprise.
For this reason, the Foundation’s programs combine different components depending on the needs of the target group.
The overall objective is to help young people move toward dignified and fulfilling work, whether through employment, entrepreneurship or other sustainable livelihood pathways.
Additional Information
The Mastercard Foundation works through partners across more than 40 countries in Africa and has offices in Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar and Addis Ababa, as well as Toronto.
The Foundation reports that 23.2 million youth have been in work since 2017, while 66% of its partners are African-led organizations.
These figures provide context for the scale of its broader youth employment strategy, although they should not be interpreted as the number of people receiving entrepreneurship grants.
The Foundation also publishes information about its programs, research and partnerships, which can help applicants identify initiatives relevant to their country or area of interest.
Explore Mastercard Foundation Programs
Final Thoughts
The Mastercard Foundation Entrepreneurship Programs 2026–2027 offer a broad range of pathways for young Africans interested in entrepreneurship, digital skills, agriculture, financial inclusion and economic participation.
The key point for applicants is that these are partner-led programs rather than one universal entrepreneurship scholarship or grant. Opportunities, eligibility requirements and deadlines vary according to the individual initiative.
Young entrepreneurs should therefore identify the program that matches their country, business interests and circumstances, then follow the official application instructions provided by the relevant implementing organization.
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