The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has opened applications for the second edition of its Startup Awards, with $65,000 in cash prizes up for grabs by innovative startups across the region, including Nigeria.
The ECOWAS Commission, in a post on its official X handle on Monday, said the awards were designed to identify, celebrate and support innovative startups while promoting digital entrepreneurship, innovation and economic integration across West Africa.
The second edition follows the inaugural ECOWAS Startup Awards held in Niamey, Niger, in November 2021.
According to the commission, applications for the 2026 edition opened on August 3 and will close on August 31, 2026.
The programme will select 60 startups from 12 ECOWAS member states, with eligible businesses drawn from six major sectors:
The top three startups will receive cash prizes as follows:
In addition to the cash awards, successful startups will benefit from:
Nigerian startups and applicants from other ECOWAS countries must meet the following conditions:
Interested applicants can submit their applications through the official ECOWAS Startup Awards portal
Applicants are required to:
Applicants are expected to provide:
The selection process will be conducted in two stages:
Applications will be scored based on the following:
The ECOWAS Startup Awards are expected to give emerging businesses across West Africa greater access to funding, mentorship, investors and regional markets while supporting the commission’s broader agenda of strengthening innovation and digital entrepreneurship.
