Southeast Asia Acumen Fellowship

Benefits & funding

• Acumen covers program-related Fellowship expenses, including seminar lodging, food, transportation, and visas.
• International travel is not provided; for required immersives, travel support is limited to travel to and from a city within the participant’s country.
• The eight-month curriculum includes one five-day orientation, two five-day full-time in-person immersives, three virtual Learning Labs, self-paced assignments, and monthly one-to-one calls with the program team.
• Graduates join the Foundry and may access selective coaching, community, visibility, and opportunities to pitch for catalytic capital; participation does not guarantee investment or a grant.
• The Fellowship provides no cash award or additional stipend.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be social entrepreneurs or senior decision-makers currently leading, or playing an integral role in, an organization or initiative that tackles poverty and creates social impact. The work is normally full-time; exceptional part-time applicants must demonstrate a full-time commitment to this mission.
• At least five years of work experience is required.
• Applicants must be older than 18, so the minimum age is 19; there is no maximum age. No specific academic qualification is required.
• Applicants need English proficiency, reliable internet access, and availability for the entire program, which has a 100% attendance requirement.
• The applicant’s work must have direct impact in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, or Vietnam. Applicants are normally expected to reside in Southeast Asia, but the local team may consider exceptions for a concrete regional connection such as long-term employment or the focus of the applicant’s social-impact work.
• Previous participants in an Acumen Fellows program cannot apply. Graduates of Leadership Essentials for Innovative Builders, Inclusive Economy Leadership SEA Program, Resilient Small-Scale Fisheries Leadership Accelerator, Leadership Program for Climate Resilience Innovators Pakistan, Leadership Essentials for Social Innovators India, or Social Impact Leadership Accelerator-Vietnam are also ineligible.
• Only one person from the same organization can advance in a given year, and normally no more than one person from the same organization can be accepted within three years; applicants at large organizations may be considered when their roles and teams are substantially separate.

Application process

1. 1
   Read the official applicant toolkit and review the full application before drafting.
2. 2
   Submit the online application describing the applicant, their work and impact, and their readiness for the program. The most recent deadline was January 15, 2026, and applications are now closed.
3. 3
   Shortlisted applicants join the selection conference, held in person or virtually; the 2026 conference took place on April 11 and 12.
4. 4
   Selected applicants are notified and supported as they begin the Fellowship; the 2026 program began in May.

Program timeline

1. Information session 1

   November 20, 2025

2. Information session 2

   November 26, 2025

3. Information session 3

   December 10, 2025

4. Application deadline

   January 15, 2026

5. Selection conference

   April 11–12, 2026

6. Fellowship begins

   May 2026

7. Eight months after the start

   Program concludes; the official page does not publish an exact end date