The Western Union Global Fellowship is a 16-week virtual program run by the Watson Institute in partnership with the Western Union Foundation. It supports early-stage entrepreneurs and community leaders whose ventures serve refugee, highly-marginalized, or forcibly displaced communities.
Fellows join a global cohort for entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and peer community, and each Fellow organizes a local “Basecamp” to extend the program’s impact in their community. The 2026 cohort runs fully online from August through December.
Benefits & funding
- Fully-funded participation — no cost to Fellows.
- Financial stipend for participating Fellows (exact amount not published).
- A separate community-development stipend to organize and run a local Basecamp.
- 16 weeks of entrepreneurship curriculum, workshops, and financial-literacy tools.
- Mentorship from expert mentors and Entrepreneurs in Residence.
- Access to a global alumni network and ongoing support.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be 18 years or older.
- You are an entrepreneur or community leader who has experienced, supports, or comes from refugee, highly-marginalized, or forcibly displaced communities.
- Your business or organization has been operating 1–5 years with fewer than 10 employees, with engaged customers, measurable results, and some secured funding (grants, investment, donations, or revenue).
- You are located in and/or creating impact in one of the program’s focus cities: Denver, Austin, or Miami (United States); Santa Ana (Costa Rica); Pune (India); Quezon City (Philippines); Vilnius (Lithuania); Buenos Aires (Argentina); Rome (Italy); São Paulo (Brazil); or Lima (Peru).
- Able to commit 8–10 hours per week, with core workshops on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings (Mountain Time).
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Complete the online application (about 30 minutes).
- 2The Admissions Committee reviews submissions on a rolling basis.
- 3Selected candidates are invited to a 20-minute Zoom interview.
- 4Final selections are confirmed and Fellows enroll ahead of the program start.
Program timeline
Priority application deadline (extended); rolling review continues until places fill.
July 12, 2026
August 11, 2026
Program begins; virtual immersive weeks (Aug 11–14 and Aug 17–20).
Weekly workshops, mentorship, and Basecamp planning.
August–November 2026
Virtual Summit and program close.
December 3, 2026