Fast, unrestricted grants for individuals with zero-to-one ideas
A Mercatus Center fellowship and grant programme backing individuals worldwide with high-variance, trajectory-changing projects, including a dedicated interest in Africa.
Use when
You are an individual with an unusual, ambitious project and no institutional backing, and you need a small unrestricted cheque quickly.
Skip when
You want conventional startup capital for an incremental business, or you need a large structured round rather than a personal grant.
Status (8 Sep 2026): rolling, no deadline, with responses typically inside a week. There is no fixed grant range - funding is project-specific, in practice roughly US$10,000 to US$100,000. The only stated eligibility rule on the application form is being 13 or older, and it funds individuals rather than registered entities, so no CAC or company registration is needed. Africa is a selectable region on the form.
Equity-free acceleration plus up to $500,000 follow-on in Morocco
Kigali's venture studio and early-stage investor
Mini-MBA and seed prizes for Cameroonian women entrepreneurs
