Apply for AU Youth Startup Programme to showcase at the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025
Applications are currently open for the African Union Youth Startup Programme at the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025. Young African entrepreneurs creating solutions that meet actual needs in their communities or across the continent are welcome to apply.
The AU Youth Startup Programme is administered by the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, in collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). The Programme gives young African innovators a chance to showcase their ideas, prototypes or products and connect with venture capitalists as well as influential people throughout the continent.
The programme began in 2021 at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Durban, when 150 enterprises run by young people were chosen from all around the continent. The second edition, held in Cairo in 2023, offered workshops, pitch sessions, hands-on training and networking opportunities with investors and business leaders.
The AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade in the coming years, driving value addition, industrialisation, job creation, and competitiveness internationally.
For the 2025 edition, the African Union Commission is extending the initiative to 75 startups in partnership with Afreximbank and the Algerian government. Selected startups will access Africa`s integrated market of over 1.4 billion people with a collective GDP of more than $3.5 trillion and thus have a unique and valuable platform for growth and visibility.
The AU Youth Startup Programme aims to assist young African business people who are creating useful solutions in fields such as digital services, health, education, and agriculture.
Slated to hold in Algiers, the IATF2025 programme gives selected startups the opportunity to:
- Present goods, concepts, or prototypes to a worldwide audience
- Meet with other founders, investors, and company executives
- Participate in training sessions and get guidance
- Encourage greater trade throughout Africa as a goal of the AfCFTA
Benefits
Selected startups for the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 will receive:
- A fully funded booth to display your goods and services at the AU Youth Startup Pavilion in Algiers
- Access to business leaders and investors’ matchmaking sessions
- Access to complimentary instruction and guidance from seasoned business owners
- Visibility to more than 35,000 participants, including legislators, partners, and buyers
- Establishing connections with almost 2,000 exhibitors from Africa and other continents
- The opportunity to be considered for funding support or recognition
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Who can apply
To be eligible for the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be between 18 and 35 years old at the time of application
- Belong to the African diaspora or be a citizen of an AU member state
- Have a working prototype that tackles issues in food security, education, or health in Africa, or be the owner or co-owner of a registered startup
- Be available during the IATF dates
- Exhibit a strong interest in economic development, sustainability, or innovation
Key dates to remember
- Applications open: May 9, 2025
- Application close: May 30, 2025
- Notification of selected startups: July 31st, 2025
- IATF 2025 at Algiers: September 4 – 10, 2025
How to apply
Interested startups should submit their application for the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 through the official application portal on or before Friday, May 30, 2025.
Do you have an innovative business (small, mid-scale business or startup) that adds value, creates opportunities or solves bold problems? Then you`ve got a story worth telling? Shoot us an email with SUBJECT “Story Worth Telling (+Name of Business)” to editorial@smepeaks.com
