The Young Water Fellowship is the flagship incubation programme of Young Water Solutions, a youth-focused water and sanitation non-profit, with 15 editions delivered so far.
Each edition runs in one host country. Founders of early-stage water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) ventures get in-person startup training, then a year of coaching aimed at first paying customers. New Ghana and Uganda calls are announced for 2026, with no deadline published yet.
Benefits & funding
- Up to US$5,000 per team for a pilot project.
- In-person training (two five-day bootcamps in the Ghana edition), free of charge, with travel, accommodation and meals covered.
- 12 months of individual online coaching plus matchmaking with experts and customers.
- Duty: about 15 hours a week on average, more at peak times (Ghana edition).
Eligibility
- Founder or co-founder of an early-stage WASH venture with a solid business idea or prototype.
- Aged 18–35 at the start of the programme (September, Ghana edition).
- The Ghana edition required Ghanaian citizenship and current residence in Ghana. Terms for the 2026 Ghana and Uganda calls are not yet published.
- The venture must serve rural or urban communities in the host country.
- Able to discuss the project’s technical side in English, with a computer and reliable internet.
- Available for both in-person bootcamps in the host country and the online sessions.
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.
Eligible nationalities
Ghana
Residence required
Ghana
Age requirement
18–35 yrs
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Application process
- 1Watch the open-call section of the Young Water Solutions community page for your country’s edition.
- 2Complete that edition’s online form on you, your business idea and your motivation (40 questions in the Ghana edition).
- 3Submit a CV and, if possible, a link to a two-minute video before the deadline.
- 4A reference letter may be requested at a later stage.
Program timeline
Application deadline (Ghana 2024 edition)
Jul 28, 2024
Selected founders announced
August 2024
Online kick-off
Sep 2, 2024
Programme ends
August 2025
New Ghana and Uganda calls announced; deadline not yet published
2026