A regional initiative of the ECOWAS Commission to identify, celebrate, and scale high-impact startups—advancing innovation, digital entrepreneurship, and economic integration across West Africa.

The 2nd ECOWAS Startup Awards are convened by the Directorate of Private Sector and Industry of the ECOWAS Commission, hosted in Abuja, and jointly implemented by the Pan African Alliance of Small and Medium Industries (PAOSMI) and Investment Promotion Agencies of West African States (IPAWAS).

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must meet all six requirements below.

Be a citizen of an ECOWAS Member State

Operate a startup registered and based within an ECOWAS country

Have a minimum of two (2) years of operations

Demonstrate a working product or service

Show evidence of market traction or scalability

Submit all required documentation

What you will need: Prepare these before you start—the form saves as you go.

Completed application form: Sections A–J, completed in this portal

National passport or ECOWAS-approved identity document: Lead founder — PDF or image, max 10 MB

Passport photograph: Recent colour photograph, max 5 MB

Business registration certificate issued in an ECOWAS Member State, if applicable

Two years of financial statements: Statements, management accounts or projections

Business plan: Maximum 10 pages, single spacing, Times New Roman 12

Pitch deck: maximum 10 slides

One-minute pitch video (MP4, MOV, or WebM, max 100 MB)

This second edition is expected to bring together 60 startups from across the member states and is designed in line with international best practices to ensure transparency, fairness, inclusivity, and merit-based selection.

BENEFIT:

Cash prize: $30,000 for the winner, $20,000 for the first runner-up, and $15,000 for the second.

Regional visibility: Profile across all twelve Member States.

Access to investors: Introductions through the deal rooms.

Networking: Founders, policymakers, and development partners.

Mentorship support: A 6-month acceleration programme with capacity building.

Digital tools: Computers, accessories, and software.