ECOWAS has opened applications for its new Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Programme, offering cash grants up to $15,000 to early-stage business owners across seven West African countries. The initiative, known as EYWEP, was launched in Dakar, Senegal, on the sidelines of the regional Ministers of Youth and Sports meeting. It targets entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 who already operate a business and need targeted support to grow it.
The programme is run by the ECOWAS Centre for Youth and Sports Development, with funding and technical backing from the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). The pilot phase covers Benin, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
What The Programme Offers
EYWEP provides an integrated package beyond cash prizes. Winners receive mentoring, access to business networks, capacity-building training, and connections to financial and technical partners. The programme is designed to help entrepreneurs at the start-up, consolidation, or growth stage.
Prize amounts are structured by rank. First place earns $15,000, second place $10,000, and third place $5,000. A special $5,000 award goes to the best regional business plan. The launch ceremony in Dakar included a symbolic presentation of the first round of support to selected beneficiaries in the pilot countries.
Nigerian women entrepreneurs have demonstrated strong rates of business ownership, though capital access gaps remain a key barrier to growth across the region. EYWEP’s financing mechanisms are structured specifically to address that constraint for high-potential enterprises. Research has also shown that closing the female entrepreneurship gap carries measurable economic returns at the regional level.
Who Can Apply And How
Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old and nationals or residents of one of the seven pilot countries. They must already run a business, formal or informal, or have an active entrepreneurial project underway. Start-ups at any stage, from early structuring to active growth, are eligible.
Selection criteria include the project’s relevance, growth potential, financial viability, socioeconomic impact, and the candidate’s motivation. Evaluators will also weigh job creation potential and the applicant’s capacity to benefit from coaching.
Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file sent to the country-specific email address listed on the official programme page. The required documents include a CV, a valid ID, a company presentation note, a simplified business plan or business model overview, a projected financial plan, and any applicable legal documents. The email subject line must read: “EYWEP Program Application, Existing Businesses.”
The Broader Goal
ECOWAS framed the programme as a direct translation of regional policy into action. The body stated that EYWEP will “contribute to strengthening the economic resilience of member states and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”
The programme is intended to function as a permanent regional platform for cooperation and investment in entrepreneurial talent. ECOWAS has positioned entrepreneurship as a driver of job creation, private sector growth, and regional integration across West Africa. For young women entrepreneurs in the pilot countries, the combination of grants and structured support represents a concrete entry point into that system.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for the EYWEP grant programme?
Applicants must be aged 18 to 35 and nationals or residents of one of the seven pilot countries. They must already operate a business or active entrepreneurial project.
What is the top prize amount in the EYWEP competition?
The first-place winner receives a $15,000 grant. Second place earns $10,000, third place $5,000, and a special regional business plan award offers an additional $5,000.
Which countries are included in the EYWEP pilot phase?
The pilot covers Benin, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
What documents are required to apply for EYWEP?
Applicants must submit a CV, valid ID, company presentation, simplified business plan, projected financial plan, and legal documents if applicable, all in one PDF.
Who funds and implements the EYWEP programme?
The ECOWAS Centre for Youth and Sports Development runs the programme, with financial and technical support from AUDA-NEPAD and Spain’s AECID.
