The Western Union Foundation Fellowship is offering a fully-funded fellowship designed to support entrepreneurs and community leaders from marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced communities worldwide.
In a document seen by Nairametrics, the program is set up to be a venture and leadership accelerator to equip participants with skills and experience to increase access to economic opportunities and establish networks to transform communities. The program is virtual and global in nature.
According to the foundation, the program is for individuals seeking entrepreneurial training, access to funding opportunities, mentorship, accelerated leadership skills and venture impact.
Eligibility criteria
The eligibility criteria include being an entrepreneur or community leader from a highly marginalized community or working with such communities. Applicants should be leading early-stage social impact ventures or community initiatives with a proven track record of impact, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Early-stage ventures are defined as those with a working prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) and demonstrated impact, revenue, and active customers or beneficiaries.
Priority will be given to applicants from or working in specific countries, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Benefits of attending the program
Guidance and support: Selected participants will receive support from the Watson Institute team, including guidance on growing and scaling their work and impact.
Opportunity to facilitate workshops: They will also facilitate an impact workshop and training (called a Basecamp) in their community for stakeholders.
Cash and equipment support: Fellows will receive a stipend, playbook, and team support to assist them in these endeavours.
How to apply
- Application Submission: Complete the online application by answering four short essay questions, which should take approximately 45 minutes to complete. The deadline for submitting your application is August 18th, 2023.
- First Round Review: The admissions team will review applications on an ongoing basis starting from July 7th, 2023. Applications are reviewed in two batches, and it is encouraged to submit your application early. Applications received before July 28th will be reviewed by August 14th, while applications received after July 28th will be reviewed by September 7th.
- Interview: Qualified applicants will be invited to a 20-minute Zoom interview, beginning on July 10th, 2023.
- Admissions Committee Review: The most exceptional applicant profiles will be shared with an external admissions committee for final review.
- Acceptances Announced: In mid-August, the admissions team will begin notifying applicants of their final acceptances and fellowship awards. Applicants who submitted before July 28th will receive their admissions decision by August 14th, while those who submitted after July 28th will receive their decisions by September 7th.
- Fellowship Confirmation & Enrollment: To finalize enrollment, accepted fellows must review and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with two rounds of review. Interviews will be conducted via Zoom for qualified applicants, and the strongest profiles will be reviewed by an external admissions committee.
Acceptance notifications and fellowship awards will be announced starting in mid-August. Finally, selected fellows will need to review and sign Watson’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to finalize their enrollment.
The final deadline for applications is August 18th, 2023. For more information and to apply, check here