Nigerian startups and small businesses have a fresh opportunity to secure up to $65,000 through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Startup Award 2026.
The initiative is designed to support promising businesses with funding, visibility and opportunities to scale across West Africa. Here’s what you need to know about the award, eligibility requirements and how to apply.
The ECOWAS 2026 Startup Awards applications come with a total cash prize of $65,000 up for grabs among the top three startups.
The second edition of the ECOWAS Startup Awards is designed to identify, celebrate and support high-impact startups contributing to digital transformation, regional integration and sustainable value-chain development across West Africa.
The programme is being convened by the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Private Sector and Industry, hosted in Abuja and jointly implemented by the Pan African Alliance of Small and Medium Industries (PAOSMI) and the Investment Promotion Agencies of West African States (IPAWAS).
The initiative follows the inaugural edition held in Niamey, Niger, on November 18 and 19, 2021.
The 2026 edition is expected to bring together 60 startups from ECOWAS member states and will feature masterclasses, startup clinics, pitch competitions, exhibitions, investor deal rooms, policy dialogues and post-award acceleration.
Prizes to be won
The top three winners will share the cash prize of $65,000, with the winner going home with the sum of $30,000, first runner-up to get $20,000, and second runner-up receives $15,000.
Besides, there will be cash rewards, and regional exposure across the ECOWAS bloc, investor introductions, networking opportunities with founders and policymakers, mentorship and a six-month acceleration programme, for selected startups
Eligible sectors
Here are the six sectors eligible for the awards, the EdTech, Fintech, Health Tech, Agri Tech, Clean Tech, and TravelTech.
EdTech startups will focus on education technology and skills development, FinTech, on businesses developing technology-driven financial products and services, and HealthTech startups using technology to improve healthcare delivery and related services.
While AgriTech businesses work in agricultural technology and food systems, CleanTech on clean technology, climate solutions and green innovation, and TravelTech on tourism, hospitality and travel technology.
Requirements
Applicants must meet six eligibility requirements to participate in the competition.
They must be a citizen of an ECOWAS member state, operate a startup that is registered and based within an ECOWAS country.
Besides, applicants must have been operating for at least two years, has a working product or service, and demonstrate market traction or scalability, and must submit all required documentation.
Applicants are expected to prepare the following documents and materials before beginning the application:
A completed application form covering Sections A-J.
A national passport or ECOWAS-approved identity document for the lead founder, in PDF or image format and not exceeding 10MB.
A recent colour passport photograph of not more than 5MB.
Business registration certificate issued in an ECOWAS member state, where applicable.
In addition, have two years of financial statements, management accounts or projections. A business plan of no more than 10 pages, single-spaced and written in Times New Roman, size 12. A pitch deck of no more than 10 slides.
A one-minute pitch video in MP4, MOV or WebM format, with a maximum file size of 100MB.
Eligible startup founders across ECOWAS member states can apply through the official ECOWAS Startup Awards application portal.
Applicants are advised to have all required documents ready before starting the process.