Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship
The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship is an eight-month entrepreneurship programme for students and recent graduates across Africa who want to solve pressing problems, develop entrepreneurial skills and turn business ideas into sustainable ventures.
The programme is delivered by the Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre (DDQIC) at Queen’s University and supported by the Mastercard Foundation. It provides entrepreneurship training, practical venture-building experience, coaching, mentorship, financial support and access to a global network of entrepreneurs and mentors.
The programme is open to applicants from all academic disciplines and post-secondary institutions in Africa. You do not need to already have an established business; applicants who are still developing an initial idea can also apply.
Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship Details
Programme: Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship
Provider: Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre, Queen’s University
Support: Mastercard Foundation
Target: African students and recent graduates
Academic Discipline: All disciplines
Study/Programme Location: Fully virtual
Duration: Eight months
Programme Language: English
Weekly Commitment: At least 10 hours
Application Deadline: 1 December 2026
Programme Phases: Explore, Ignite, Launch & Fellowship
Final Fellows: Up to 60
Application: Online
The programme can be completed virtually and at the participant’s own pace, but participants must meet assignment deadlines in order to progress through the different phases.
About the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship
The fellowship is designed to help African students and recent graduates move from identifying a problem to developing, testing and potentially scaling a solution.
Participants learn how to research customer needs, validate problems, test assumptions, develop prototypes and create plans for marketing, distribution, partnerships, funding and business growth.
The programme uses the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, a step-by-step entrepreneurship methodology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for building scalable startups.
The fellowship combines:
- Online entrepreneurship courses
- Workshops
- Practical assignments
- Coaching
- Mentorship
- Customer and end-user research
- Prototype development
- Experiments and testing
- Milestone reviews
- Pitch presentations
- Venture incubation
- Networking opportunities
Applicants do not have to be running an existing company. Someone with only an initial business idea can also participate.
Benefits of the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship
Selected participants receive access to a range of entrepreneurship development and venture-building opportunities.
Entrepreneurship Training
Participants receive access to entrepreneurship courses and training delivered through the programme.
The programme includes a business bootcamp involving Queen’s University faculty and industry leaders, the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, pitch coaching and live workshops covering areas such as marketing, goal setting and recruiting.
Successful completion of courses can also provide opportunities to earn Queen’s University entrepreneurship micro-credentials. The university states that its digital badges and certificates are provided free of charge and can be accessed online.
Coaching and Mentorship
Participants receive guidance from coaches and mentors within the DDQIC network.
The programme provides opportunities to:
- Work with dedicated programme coaches
- Connect with entrepreneurs and innovation leaders
- Access a global network of Queen’s entrepreneurial alumni
- Receive feedback at important startup milestones
- Connect with industry leaders and entrepreneurs during the final phase
- Join a community of students and recent graduates from across Africa
The official programme information also states that participants are paired with a programme coach for one-on-one guidance and gain access to a community of more than 15 mentors.
Financial Support
Up to 60 Fellows are selected for the final Launch and Fellowship phase.
The official Queen’s University page currently states that up to 60 Fellows receive a $500 CAD stipend and have opportunities to pitch for prizes of up to $15,000 CAD in the pitch competition at the end of the programme.
The same official page’s Phase 3 description separately states that Fellows receive a USD 350 stipend. Because these two figures are inconsistent on the current official page, applicants should confirm the applicable stipend amount in their offer/programme documentation rather than relying on either figure alone.
Venture Development
Fellows receive practical opportunities to develop and test their ventures.
This includes:
- Building prototypes
- Testing solutions with potential users
- Conducting experiments
- Piloting solutions in real-life settings
- Generating expressions of interest
- Acquiring end users or customers
- Developing plans for scaling
- Building marketing and distribution channels
- Developing partnership strategies
- Developing business models and funding plans
Pitch Competition
Participants have opportunities to present their ideas and progress through pitch presentations.
Fellows can also compete for additional funding through the programme’s pitch competition. The official programme page states that prizes can reach up to $15,000 CAD.
Post-Programme Support
Support does not necessarily end at graduation.
Graduates can continue to receive post-incubation services, support and pitch competition opportunities through the DDQIC network.
High-performing Fellows may also be invited to serve as ambassadors and mentors for future Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship cohorts.
Inclusivity and Accessibility
The programme is designed to accommodate participants with different learning and access needs.
The programme has included:
- Downloadable course content for people with limited internet access
- Language support for French-speaking learners
- Mobile-friendly coursework
- Lower-resolution pre-recorded lessons
- Live Zoom seminars
- Screen-reader-compatible content for visually impaired learners
- Flexible learning opportunities
Queen’s University also states that its digital badges and certificates are free and available online, with each credential carrying a unique Blockchain ID for verifiable recognition.
Who Can Apply?
The fellowship welcomes students and recent graduates from Africa.
Applicants can come from any academic discipline and any post-secondary institution in Africa.
You can apply whether you are:
- Currently developing an initial business idea
- Already building a business
- Exploring a problem you want to solve
- Interested in developing your entrepreneurial skills
- Looking to develop a venture with social or financial impact
Key Eligibility Requirements
Applicants should:
- Be a citizen of an African country.
- Be a current student or recent graduate from a post-secondary institution in Africa.
- Come from any academic discipline.
- Have a desire to solve pressing problems and bring an entrepreneurial idea to life.
- Be committed to developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Be ready to make use of the programme’s resources and mentorship.
- Be willing to dedicate at least 10 hours per week to the programme.
- Have reliable internet access and a suitable device for participating in the virtual programme and completing assignments.
- Be able to complete assignments and pitch presentations in English.
Do I Need an Existing Business?
No.
You do not need to have an established business before applying.
The fellowship accepts people who are still at the initial idea stage, as well as applicants who are already developing or building a business.
English Language Requirement
The programme content is delivered in English.
Mentorship may be available in English and French, but assignments and pitch presentations must be completed in English.
Applicants who are not fluent in English can still apply. The programme states that they may:
- Form a team with someone who meets the English-language requirements; or
- Work with their university or local organisations to access language support and resources.
Programme Structure
The fellowship follows a progressive four-stage structure.
1. Explore Phase – January to February
More than 1,000 candidates enter the Explore phase.
Participants receive access to a curated selection of online entrepreneurship courses and work through the first 11 steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework workbook.
Participants are expected to:
- Observe and interview potential end users
- Clearly define the problem they want to solve
- Validate the problem by speaking with end users
- Test key assumptions
- Generate possible solutions
- Create an end-user journey map
The key questions during this phase include:
Who is my customer?
What can I do for them?
2. Ignite Phase – March to April
More than 180 finalists who demonstrate outstanding commitment and perform well during the Explore phase progress to Ignite.
Participants complete additional entrepreneurship courses and work through the remaining steps of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework.
During this stage, participants:
- Develop marketing channels
- Develop distribution channels
- Identify relevant partners
- Create a business model or funding plan
- Build a simple prototype
- Test the prototype
- Validate critical assumptions
- Conduct experiments
- Prepare and pitch their business ideas
The key questions during this stage include:
How does your end user acquire your solution?
How will this be funded or become financially sustainable?
At the end of the Ignite phase, participants pitch their ideas. The most advanced and promising business ideas become finalists for the Fellowship phase.
3. Launch and Fellowship Phase – May to August
Up to 60 Fellows are selected for the final phase.
Fellows join the DDQIC summer incubation programme, where they work on their ventures and transform their ideas into scalable startups.
During this stage, Fellows can:
- Access seed funding
- Participate in weekly 3-2-1 pitch presentations
- Pilot their solutions in real-life situations
- Generate expressions of interest
- Develop end users or customers
- Create a plan for scaling
- Work with dedicated coaches
- Work with mentors from DDQIC’s global network
The key questions during this phase are:
How do you execute your solution?
How can you scale it?
4. Graduation – August
The programme concludes in August for Fellows who complete the Launch and Fellowship phase.
After graduation, Fellows can continue to receive post-incubation support, services and pitch competition opportunities through the DDQIC network.
High-performing Fellows may also be invited to become ambassadors and mentors for future cohorts.
What Participants Will Do
Throughout the programme, participants will:
- Complete online entrepreneurship courses.
- Complete structured assignments.
- Use the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework to develop their venture idea.
- Research customer and end-user needs.
- Conduct interviews and observations.
- Validate the problem they want to solve.
- Test their assumptions.
- Design solutions based on user feedback.
- Develop a prototype.
- Conduct experiments.
- Develop marketing and distribution plans.
- Identify potential partners.
- Develop business models or funding plans.
- Present their ideas during milestone reviews.
- Participate in pitch presentations.
- Work with coaches and mentors.
- Test their solutions in real-world environments.
- Work towards obtaining users, customers or expressions of interest.
- Develop a plan for scaling their venture.
Programme Outcomes
According to DDQIC’s published programme information, the fellowship has reported several outcomes from previous cohorts.
The organisation states that:
- 84% of 2023 participants reported that their venture had hired at least one young person since starting the programme.
- 97% of 2022 Fellows said the programme was “very” or “extremely” helpful in helping them further their venture.
- There was a 100% increase in participants indicating that they had paying users or customers from pre-programme to post-programme.
The programme identifies several Sustainable Development Goals as areas it addresses, including:
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Application Checklist
Before starting your application, use this checklist to make sure you are prepared.
Eligibility Checklist
- African citizen
- Current student or recent graduate
- Studying at or graduated from a post-secondary institution in Africa
- Any academic discipline is acceptable
- Have an entrepreneurial idea or an existing business
- Interested in solving a pressing problem
- Willing to develop your entrepreneurial mindset
- Able to commit at least 10 hours per week
- Have reliable internet access
- Have access to a suitable device for the virtual programme
- Able to complete assignments in English
- Able to deliver pitch presentations in English
- Able to meet assignment deadlines throughout the programme
Preparation Checklist
- Identify the problem you want to solve.
- Think about the people who experience the problem.
- Develop or refine your initial business idea.
- Consider how your idea could create social or financial impact.
- Make sure you can dedicate at least 10 hours every week.
- Ensure you have reliable internet access.
- Ensure you have a suitable device.
- Prepare to participate in online courses and activities.
- Prepare to conduct interviews and research with potential users.
- Be prepared to develop and test a prototype.
- Be prepared to pitch your idea.
- Be prepared to work in English.
Application Checklist
- Review the eligibility requirements.
- Access the official application portal.
- Complete the online application form.
- Provide accurate personal and academic information.
- Explain your entrepreneurial idea or existing venture.
- Explain the problem you want to solve.
- Demonstrate your commitment to entrepreneurship.
- Submit the application before the deadline.
- Keep a record of your application submission.
- Monitor your email for application updates.
Deadline
The application deadline for the current fellowship cycle is 1 December 2026.
The official Queen’s University page confirms December 1, 2026 as the application deadline.
Application Deadline: 1 December 2026
Applicants should submit their applications before the deadline and ensure that they are able to commit to the full programme if selected.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted online through the official Queen’s University/Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre application system.
The application process involves completing the online application and providing information about yourself, your entrepreneurial interests and the idea or venture you want to develop.
Applicants should ensure they understand the programme’s time commitment and English-language requirements before submitting their application.
The programme is fully virtual, so applicants should also have reliable access to the internet and a suitable device.
Application Link
Official Application Portal:
The official Queen’s University programme page also provides the current application information and deadline.
Conclusion
The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship is an eight-month virtual entrepreneurship programme for African students and recent graduates who want to develop an idea, strengthen an existing venture or learn how to build a sustainable business.
Participants receive entrepreneurship training, coaching, mentorship, practical venture-building experience, networking opportunities and access to financial support and pitch opportunities. The programme progresses from Explore, to Ignite, and then to Launch and Fellowship, with up to 60 participants selected for the final phase.
If you have an entrepreneurial idea but have not yet built a business, you can still apply. The programme is specifically designed to help participants move from identifying a problem to testing a solution and developing a venture.
Deadline: 1 December 2026.
