ALEN Change-Makers Venture Lab
"Turning youth ideas into sustainable ventures for community impact in Africa"
This is a flagship entrepreneurial pathway designed to identify, support, and showcase youth-led business oriented ventures, community social impact innovations, and early-stage business ideas (start-ups) that advance education, leadership, sustainability, tourism, cultural exchange, agricultural systems, and inclusive development.
What is the ALEN Change-Makers Venture Lab?
The ALEN Change-Makers Venture Lab is not a traditional scholarship or one-time grant. It is a venture-building platform for young leaders who are ready to transform ideas into practical, market-informed, and impact-driven solutions.
Through the Venture Lab, selected applicants receive support to refine their ideas, understand their target communities or customers, strengthen their business models, test their solutions, and connect with ALEN’s growing network of mentors, partners, and global changemakers.
We welcome ideas from all sectors, provided they demonstrate entrepreneurial thinking, community relevance, sustainability, and alignment with ALEN’s mission, vision, and core values.
Wondering Why this Matters?
Across Africa and the world, over 1.8 billion young people are not only seeking opportunities; they are creating them. 400 million between the ages of 15 to 35 years are in Africa, and many of them have powerful ideas for solving challenges in their communities and the continent, but unfortunately, they often lack structured mentorship, visibility, networks, and early-stage support, as well as capital to move these ideas and innovations into fully developed and implemented business or projects.
This is why we have created this Venture Lab to bridge this gap. We believe leadership should not end at conferences, summits, expeditions, and learning experiences. It should continue through practical ventures, local action, and sustainable solutions that create real value for these young leaders and their communities at large.
From Learning to Action
We help young people turn knowledge, exposure, and leadership training into practical community solutions.
From Ideas to Ventures
We support early-stage ideas to become clearer, stronger, more realistic, and more sustainable.
From Local Impact to Global Visibility
We showcase promising youth-led ventures through ALEN platforms, programs, and partner networks.
Priority Venture Areas
You may submit innovative and entrepreneur ideas in any of the following or related fields. However, each venture must connect clearly to at least one of ALEN’s mission areas.
Education and Skills
Ventures that improve access to quality and inclusive learning, digital literacy and numeracy, leadership development values, career readiness and employability, early and primary school innovation, and/or lifelong skills in formal and vocational education.
Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Exchange
Ideas that promote responsible tourism, edutourism, cultural heritage, local travel experiences, community tourism, or cross-cultural learning.
Climate Action and Sustainability
Solutions addressing waste management, recycling, clean energy, climate education, green livelihoods, conservation, or circular economy models.
Youth Employment and Enterprise i.e. in agriculture etc
Business ideas that create income opportunities, strengthen youth entrepreneurship, support job creation, or build inclusive local economies.
Community Development and Inclusion
Initiatives that respond to local challenges affecting young people, women, schools, underserved communities, or marginalized groups.
Innovation for Social Impact i.e in transportation, environment etc.
Digital, creative, technological, or community-based solutions that solve real problems and can grow sustainably.
Forms of Support to Selected Ventures
Support through the Venture Lab may be financial, non-financial, or a combination of both, depending on available resources, venture quality, feasibility, and alignment with our mission and resource partner priorities.
- Venture idea refinement and business model development.
- Mentorship from professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, and development practitioners.
- Support to develop a simple pitch deck, budget, and implementation plan.
- Market research and community validation guidance.
- Visibility through ALEN platforms, events, and storytelling channels.
- Access to selected pitching, networking, and partner engagement opportunities.
- Possible milestone-based catalytic support for highly promising ventures.
Venture support is competitive. Selected ventures are assessed based on feasibility, innovation, impact potential, applicant commitment, and alignment.
Who Can Apply?
The ALEN Change-Makers Venture Lab is open to Young leaders, Youth, University Students, Collegeg Students, Recent Graduates, Entrepreneurs, Innovators, Community organizers, Creatives, and Emerging professionals with an idea or early-stage venture/s that solves a real world problem.
Applicants may apply as individuals or teams. Ideas may be at concept stage, prototype stage, pilot stage, early business stage, or ready-to-scale stage.
You do not need to have a registered company or business entity to apply, but you must show commitment, clarity, and readiness to build your venture for long term success and sustainability.
You should apply if you meet any of the following criteria:
- Have a business idea, social enterprise, project, or community innovation.
- Can explain the problem you are solving and who your solution serves.
- Are committed to leadership, sustainability, and community impact.
- Want mentorship, visibility, business development support, or venture guidance.
- Can connect your idea to at least one ALEN or our partners priority areas listed on this page.
How the Venture Lab Works
1. Apply with an Idea or Existing Venture
Submit an application explaining your venture, the problem it solves, your target community or customers (market), and the nature of support you need depending on the stage of your venture.
2. Screening
Applications are reviewed based on clarity, feasibility, innovation, sustainability, impact potential, and alignment with our mission and partner priorities.
3. Shortlist
Shortlisted applicants will receive tailoed guidance to refine their ideas, strengthen their business models, and prepare for implementation or pitching; depending on the venture stage.
4. Learning & Mentorship Phase or Pitch & Visibility Route
Selected ventures will be invited to present their ideas through ALEN programs, summits, conferences, virtual sessions, learning expeditions, or partner-facing opportunities in their home countries or abroad.
5. Catalytic Support
The strongest ventures will receive mentorship, visibility, partner referrals, technical guidance, and/or milestone-based financial support; depending on the needs stressed and identified.
What We Look For
We are looking for ideas/ventures that are not only inspiring, but also practical, feasible, and capable of creating measurable value beyond oneself to the entire community.
Problem Clarity
Does the applicant clearly understand the problem?
Community or Market Relevance
Is there a real need for the business, project, or solution your venture is addressing? What is it?
Entrepreneurial Potential
Can the idea generate value and become scalable and sustainable?
Impact Potential
Can the venture improve lives, communities, systems, or opportunities?
Feasibility
Can the idea realistically be tested (if not already) and/or implemented?
Founder Commitment
Does the individual applicant or Team show seriousness, skills (at least basic), leadership potential, and readiness to act upon their idea or implement the venture over a long term?
Ready to Build Your Impact Venture?
If you have a business idea, project, enterprise, or community innovation that can create meaningful change, we invite you to apply to the ALEN Change-Makers Venture Lab.
This is your opportunity to move beyond inspiration and begin building something practical, sustainable, and impactful or scale beyond your current reach.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is this a scholarship?
No. The ALEN Change-Makers Venture Lab is not a traditional scholarship. It is an entrepreneurial venture-building pathway for those with ideas, projects, or early-stage businesses that can create community impact in terms of improved wellbeing for the founder, job creation for the others, and large community benefit.
Do I need to have a registered business, company, or fully developed ideas to apply?
No. You may apply with an idea, prototype, pilot project, existing initiative, or early-stage business. However, you must show a clear problem, proposed solution, target users or customers, and implementation plan.
Can I apply as a an Individual or as a team?
Yes. Applications are open to both individuals and teams. Team applications should clearly explain each member’s role or skills (additionality).
What sectors or areas are accepted?
We welcome ideas from all sectors, including education, tourism, climate action, agriculture, technology, creative industries, youth employment, community development, and green enterprise. However, in some circumstance we may call for specific ideas that connect to our mission and partners priority areas.
Does every selected applicant receive funding?
Depending on the business idea and feasibility, as well as performance through pitches, and funding availability. Therefore, financial support is available, but not automatic. Selected ventures will receive mentorship, visibility, technical guidance, networking opportunities, and, where available and applicable, milestone-based catalytic financial support.
What kind of support can I request?
Applicants may request mentorship, training, visibility, technical support, business development guidance, market access, pitching opportunities, prototype support, or catalytic financial support.
Can applicants from outside Africa apply?
Yes. ALEN welcomes young changemakers from different (developing countries ) including those from outside of Africa, provided their proposed venture demonstrates community relevance, entrepreneurial potential, and alignment with ALEN’s mission.
How will applications be reviewed?
Applications will be reviewed based on problem clarity, feasibility, innovation, sustainability, impact potential, applicant commitment, and alignment.
Where can I get further support or information if required?
Please contact us at our official email at:
or quickly send us a text on our whatsApp support line at: +12027024211.
📢 No Scholarship Opportunities Available at the Moment
Dear ALEN Community and Supporters,
Thank you for your interest in our scholarship opportunities! Currently, there are no open scholarship applications. However, we are committed to supporting education and will announce new opportunities as they become available.
When a new scholarship opportunity opens, it will be displayed here along with the application form and all relevant details. Stay connected and check back soon for updates!
In the meantime, feel free to explore our website and follow us on social media to stay informed about upcoming opportunities and other educational programs.
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