2026 Big Bets Fellowship: Africa — Powering Africa’s Leadership to Create Universal Opportunity
- Omran Aburayya
- 21 hours ago
- 5 min read
Imagine you’re a visionary African leader — someone who has spent years working in your community or region and now dreams of scaling up your impact. You want to drive systems change, reimagine institutions or build innovations that tackle some of the continent’s biggest challenges. The 2026 Big Bets Fellowship: Africa, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, offers exactly that: a transformational leadership journey, a global network, and the strategic support you need to turn your boldest ideas into reality.
🎓 Fellowship Summary
Location: Africa (with virtual sessions + in-person convening in Italy)
Funder: The Rockefeller Foundation
Program Type: Leadership fellowship; systems-change, innovation, and policy development
Duration: ~5 months (May to fall 2026)
Target Group: African leaders with 5–15 years of experience in professional, entrepreneurial, or community work
Focus Areas: Systems change (policy, food systems, health, energy, trade, AI/data, and more)
Benefits: US$ 5,000 stipend; full travel coverage to in-person convening; strategic coaching & network access
Program Dates:
Onboarding call: week of May 4, 2026
Virtual sessions: weekly (May–August)
In-person convening: week of August 23, 2026, at Bellagio Center (Italy)
Amplification Moment: Fall 2026
Application Deadline:
Eligibility & Pre-Application: 1 December 2025
Full Application (for invited finalists): late January 2026
Interviews: January 2026
Fellows Announced: Late February 2026
Eligibility:
5–15 years’ relevant experience
Deep engagement in African contexts (professional, community, lived)
Ability to work on bold, systemic “Big Bet” project in specified thematic areas
Must be a member of the Big Bets Community to be eligible
🌐 Fellowship Overview
The Big Bets Fellowship: Africa is The Rockefeller Foundation’s flagship leadership program for 2026, built around the conviction that Africa’s next generation of leaders can design and drive transformative, large-scale systems change.
Rather than offering project-implementation funding, the fellowship emphasizes leadership development, strategic capacity building, and exposure: fellows receive a Big Bets Toolkit, mentorship, peer learning, and a global platform to amplify their ideas.
The program combines virtual engagement (weekly online sessions from May through August) with a residential convening at the Bellagio Center in Italy (week of August 23, 2026). Travel costs for the convening are covered by the Rockefeller Foundation, though fellows are responsible for any visa-related logistics.
After the formal program, there will be an “Amplification Moment” in fall 2026, where fellows’ work can be showcased and connected to broader networks.
🎁 Fellowship Benefits
Stipend: Fellows receive a US$ 5,000 stipend to support their participation.
Travel Support: All travel costs to the Bellagio Center convening are covered.
Leadership Development: Through a structured curriculum, fellows strengthen systems thinking, coalition-building, storytelling, and strategic partnerships.
Mentorship & Network: Access to experts, global peers, and The Rockefeller Foundation’s network, including Bellagio alumni.
Visibility & Platform: Opportunities for amplification via Foundation-hosted events, partner convenings, and shared platforms.
Community: Membership in the Big Bets Community, which provides ongoing access to resources, peer learning, and upcoming Fellowship opportunities.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To apply, you should meet the following:
Have 5–15 years of experience in relevant work (professional roles, entrepreneurship, or community-based) that drives impact.
Deeply engaged in the African region: through personal experience, professional contribution, or community involvement.
Demonstrate a bold “Big Bet” idea: your project should aim for systemic solutions, not incremental change.
Be collaborative, curious, and committed to community-driven learning.
Be willing to challenge the status quo and take courageous, innovative paths.
Big Bets Community membership is mandatory before applying.
Conversational English: evidence suggests proficiency around B1 (CEFR) level is expected.
Legal ability to participate from your country.
Ownership or rights to the intellectual property of your project idea or appropriate permissions to develop it.
ℹ️ Project (Big Bet) Selection Criteria
The Rockefeller Foundation defines a “Big Bet” as a bold, deliberate effort to tackle serious problems at scale — not simply to improve things slightly, but to fundamentally reimagine systems.
Projects eligible for this Fellowship should aim to address one or more of the following priority areas:
Regional & International Collaboration: New models of cooperation between African nations, regional organizations, and global partners to strengthen collective leadership in multilateral systems.
Renewable Energy: Accelerated deployment of decentralized solar or wind power in underserved communities to close energy poverty and drive green industrialization.
Public Health & Heat Resilience: Strengthening health systems for disease outbreak response, climate resilience, and extreme-heat adaptation.
Food Systems: Transforming food security, such as providing nutritious school meals or supporting smallholder farmers.
Markets & Trade: Building or reforming trade systems, regional economic integration, and inclusive markets for typically excluded participants.
Enabling Conditions Through Innovation: Using AI, data access, policy innovation, and other tools to support African-led, system-level change for underserved communities.
Projects should show potential for systemic impact, be built for sustainability, and ideally demonstrate early signs of traction or viability.
📝 Application Process
Here’s how to apply, step by step:
Applications are limited to community members. Membership is free and gives early access to application forms and Fellowship updates.
Fill out the Eligibility & Pre-Application Form (by 1 December 2025)
You'll answer questions about your background, experience, and “Big Bet” idea.
Invitation to Full Application
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a detailed application in early January 2026.
Submit Full Application (Deadline: Late January 2026)
This typically includes:
Personal and professional background
Detailed project description and vision
Strategy, theory of change, and anticipated impact
Resource plan (how you see your project scaling or sustaining)
Leadership vision and motivation
Confirmation of IP rights or permissions for your project
References / Letters of Recommendation
Finalists will likely need to submit at least one reference or recommendation.
Interview
Online interviews will be held in January 2026 to assess alignment, vision, and readiness.
Final Selection
Fellows will be announced by late February 2026.
🗂️ Resources
🚀 Why This Fellowship Matters (for African Leaders)
Leverage Africa’s Momentum: With the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, Africa has tremendous energy and innovation. This Fellowship helps channel that into systemic leadership.
Systems-Level Impact: Rather than incremental change, this is about bold “bets” — rethinking how institutions, markets, and cross-border systems work.
Build Strategic Capacity: Through immersive leadership training, systems thinking, and coalition building, Fellows can sharpen their ability to scale change in complex environments.
Global Platform & Network: Fellows will gain access to The Rockefeller Foundation’s ecosystem, plus Bellagio networks and global changemaker communities.
Amplification & Sustainability: The “Amplification Moment” and ongoing community support mean that your work doesn’t just get built — it gets seen, scaled, and strengthened.
👌🏻 Tips for Applicants
Articulate a bold vision: Your “Big Bet” should be more than a good idea — it should aim to transform systems, not just patch problems.
Show traction or potential: Even early-stage projects should demonstrate promise, realistic feasibility, and potential for scale.
Leverage your local context: Use your lived and professional experience in African systems to show deep understanding and legitimacy.
Be strategic about partnerships: Think about who else you need — government, civil society, regional organizations — and how you’ll work with them.
Prepare for the convening: If selected, you’ll travel to Bellagio. Plan your visa, travel documents, and schedule early.
Be ready to engage: The program is demanding: weekly virtual sessions, in-person residency, and a final amplification moment. Make sure you can commit.