ECOWAS Regional Business Incubation Programme (EBIP) 2026 for young Entrepreneurs in West Africa

Applications are now open for the 2026 ECOWAS Regional Business Incubation Programme, an initiative under the ECOWAS Youth and Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (EYWEP) implemented by the ECOWAS Centre for Youth and Sports Development with technical and financial support from AUDA-NEPAD.

The programme is designed to identify and support young entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas through a structured incubation programme that helps transform ideas into viable and sustainable businesses.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be between 18 and 35 years old
• 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 in the pre-launch stage.

Eligible Sectors

Projects should fall within one of these priority areas:

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

Programme Benefits

Selected participants will receive:

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

Program Format
At the end of the process, the best projects selected from each country will be able to benefit from grants, special prizes and a connection with financial and technical partners, according to the modalities set by ECOWAS

Category.              Indicate Amount

1st Place              $15,0000.00

2nd Place.             $10,000.00

3rd Place.              $5,000.00

Special Award Best Regional Business
Plan $5,000.00

At the end of the programme, grants may be awarded to the best projects in each participating country, subject to available funding.

Required Application Documents

Applicants should submit:

• Updated CV
• Valid ID
• Concept note describing the business idea
• Description of the problem, proposed solution, and target market
• Supporting documents (if available)
• Prototype, mock-ups, images, or proof of concept (if available)

All documents must be merged into a single PDF file.

Application Procedure:

• Applications must be submitted via the country-specific email address listed in the official call for applications.
• Refer to the application guide for the appropriate email address for your country.

Application Documents

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

Application Deadline : 16th July ((23:59 GMT)