Fellowships, grants, scholarships, hackathons, and prizes worth your time — one list, sorted by soonest deadline. Prefer remote · worldwide doors first; local capital is scarce, so we surface global builds you can join from Ghana.
70 open · sorted by deadline
| type | for | mode | region | opportunity | value | deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| prize | member | hybrid | africa | Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2027 (RAEng) source: africaprize.raeng.org.uk | up to £50,000 + 8-month training | Opens Jul 13, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | Global AI Hackathon Series with Qwen Cloud source: devpost.com / Qwen Cloud | remote · worldwide · $45,000 prizes | Jul 20, 2026 |
| fellowship | member | hybrid | africa | MEST AI Startup Program (Class of 2027) — Accra source: meltwater.org / mestafrica | up to 12 months · training + mentorship | Jul 20, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | OpenAI Build Week (Codex) — global online source: devpost.com / OpenAI | remote · worldwide · $100,000 prizes | Jul 21, 2026 |
| fellowship | member | hybrid | worldwide | Y Combinator Fall 2026 Batch source: ycombinator.com | $500,000 investment + mentorship | Jul 27, 2026 |
| fellowship | member | remote | africa | Women in AI/ML Doctoral Fellowship (KAIA Network) source: KAIA Network (via Ghana AI Summit directory) | $5,000 + mentorship · SSA PhD women | Jul 31, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | hybrid | africa | Deep Learning Indaba 2026 — Lagos (Pan-Atlantic University) source: deeplearningindaba.com | Africa’s flagship ML gathering · 2–7 Aug | Aug 02, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | remote | africa | Zindi — Google WAXAL ASR Challenge source: zindi.africa | remote · africa · $10,000 USD | see Zindi (~24 days left as of Jul 2026) |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | Native.builder: Build without limits (lablab.ai) source: lablab.ai | remote · worldwide · fully online AI-native apps | Aug 10, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | Arm Create: AI Optimization Challenge source: devpost.com / Arm | remote · worldwide · $8,000 prizes | Aug 14, 2026 |
| fellowship | member | remote | ghana | AgenticGHX Fellowship — from curious to shipping, cohort 1 source: agentic-ghx.vercel.app | free · credits + mentors | Applications opening soon |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | Build with Gemini XPRIZE source: devpost.com / Gemini XPRIZE | remote · worldwide · large prize pool (Devpost) | Aug 17, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | CockroachDB × AWS — Build with Agentic Memory source: devpost.com / AWS × CockroachDB | remote · worldwide · agentic systems challenge | Aug 18, 2026 |
| fellowship | both | hybrid | africa | Google Africa Applied AI Lab 2026 (Accra) source: blog.google / Google Africa | DeepMind model access + mentorship + funding path | Aug 31, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | hybrid | worldwide | DevNetwork API + Cloud + AI Hackathon 2026 (online track) source: devpost.com / DevNetwork | hybrid · worldwide · online build Aug 17–Sep 3 | Sep 03, 2026 |
| hackathon | both | hybrid | africa | Pan African AI & Innovation Summit 2026 — Accra source: panafricanaisummit.com | 22–23 Sep Accra · youth capacity + policy | Sep 22, 2026 |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | Internet Society Foundation — Beyond the Net Grant source: isocfoundation.org | chapter-led internet access projects | Oct 01, 2026 |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | Zindi — R.O.A.D. Barbados Historic Handwriting Challenge source: zindi.africa | remote · worldwide · $25,000 USD | see Zindi (~3 months left as of Jul 2026) |
| scholarship | member | in-person | worldwide | Chevening Scholarships 2027/28 (UK master’s — Ghana eligible) source: chevening.org | fully funded 1-year UK master’s | Oct 06, 2026 |
| scholarship | member | in-person | worldwide | Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships source: cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk | fully funded UK study · science & tech for development | typically Oct annually |
| hackathon | member | hybrid | worldwide | AI GENESIS — lablab.ai (online build → Dubai hybrid) source: lablab.ai | hybrid · worldwide · online Oct 26–Nov 2 | Nov 02, 2026 |
| scholarship | member | in-person | worldwide | Commonwealth Shared Scholarships (Ghana eligible) source: cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk | fully funded UK master’s · development themes | typically Nov–Dec annually |
| fellowship | member | remote | africa | Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme source: tonyelumelufoundation.org / tefconnect.com | $5,000 seed + training (all 54 African countries) | typically Jan–Mar annually |
| fellowship | both | remote | worldwide | Mozilla Foundation Fellows Program source: mozillafoundation.org | 1-year public-interest tech fellowship | watch next nominations |
| fellowship | member | in-person | africa | African Union Digital & Innovation Fellowship source: auinnovationfellowship.com / au.int | 12 months · fully funded · AU institutions (Addis) | watch next cohort |
| scholarship | member | remote | worldwide | Andela × CNCF Kubernetes African Developer Training source: andela.com / cncf.io | cloud-native training · African technologists | watch next cohort |
| fellowship | both | remote | africa | Mastercard Foundation × Meltwater — Future of Learning EdTech Fellowship source: mastercardfdn.org / meltwater.org | equity-free funding + mentorship for African EdTech | watch next cohort |
| fellowship | member | remote | africa | Code for Africa — AI Ethics Fellowship source: codeforafrica.org | $500/month · 3 months · policy track | watch next call |
| scholarship | member | remote | worldwide | Google DeepMind AI Master’s Scholarships (Africa partners) source: deepmind.google / iie.org | funded AI master’s · Wits, Stellenbosch, Makerere, AIMS | varies by university |
| scholarship | member | in-person | africa | AIMS South Africa / Google DeepMind — AI for Science Master’s source: ai.aims.ac.za | 40 full scholarships · tuition + living + compute | typically Mar (next cohort) |
| fellowship | member | remote | worldwide | Google PhD Fellowship — Africa source: research.google | stipend + Google research mentor (university nomination) | typically Mar–Apr |
| fellowship | member | remote | africa | Code for Africa — AI for Good Fellowship source: codeforafrica.org | $500/month stipend + mentorship | watch next call |
| scholarship | member | in-person | worldwide | DAAD STEM Master’s Scholarships (developing countries) source: daad.de | fully funded STEM master’s in Germany | check DAAD database |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation source: google.org | $1M–$3M + Accelerator | watch next open call |
| scholarship | member | in-person | worldwide | DAAD In-Country/In-Region Programme — Sub-Saharan Africa source: daad.de | Master’s/PhD at African host universities | typically Apr |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Science source: google.org | $500k–$3M + Google.org Accelerator | watch next open call |
| fellowship | member | remote | worldwide | Mastercard Foundation Associates Program source: mastercardfdn.org | paid work placements + training for young Africans | watch annual call |
| fellowship | member | remote | worldwide | Schmidt Science Fellows source: schmidtsciencefellows.org | interdisciplinary postdoc fellowship | nomination · typically May–Jul |
| grant | both | remote | worldwide | Internet Society Foundation Research Grant Program source: isocfoundation.org | up to $200k (individuals) / $500k (orgs) | watch annual window |
| fellowship | member | remote | worldwide | AI2050 Early Career Fellowship (Schmidt Sciences) source: ai2050.schmidtsciences.org | up to ~$300k over 2 years · bold AI research | watch annual call |
| fellowship | member | hybrid | africa | Data Science Africa (DSA) summer schools & workshops source: datascienceafrica.org | free/affordable ML schools across Africa | watch dsa calendar |
| grant | both | remote | africa | Lacuna Fund — open ML datasets (Agriculture, Language, Health, Climate) source: lacunafund.org | dataset creation grants · LMICs | watch next RFP |
| grant | both | remote | worldwide | Mozilla Builders Accelerator (open-source AI) source: builders.mozilla.org | up to $100,000 non-dilutive + 12-week curriculum | watch next cohort |
| grant | both | remote | africa | LINGUA Africa — Inclusive AI Language Projects source: microsoft.com/research + masakhane.submittable.com | funding + Azure/GCP credits | watch next open call |
| scholarship | member | in-person | worldwide | DAAD SECAI Scholarships — Master’s in AI (TU Dresden / Leipzig) source: daad.de | funded AI master’s · up to 24 months | check call |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | Mastercard Foundation — Young Africa Works / Digital source: mastercardfdn.org | digital skills & youth employment (institutional) | partnership route |
| scholarship | member | remote | worldwide | Andela Learning Community (ALC) pathways source: andela.com | free tech learning community · Africa | rolling |
| scholarship | both | remote | worldwide | Anthropic AI Fluency courses (free certificates) source: anthropic.com | free · students, educators, nonprofits | rolling |
| grant | both | remote | worldwide | AWS Activate / Cloud credits for startups source: aws.amazon.com | cloud credits for early-stage builders | rolling |
| scholarship | member | remote | worldwide | DeepLearning.AI short courses (many free / low-cost) source: deeplearning.ai | certificates · agents, LLMs, MLOps | rolling |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | Devpost — Machine Learning / AI hackathons (online) source: devpost.com | remote · worldwide · multi-prize calendar | rolling |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | DoraHacks — frontier AI / agent hackathons source: dorahacks.io | remote · worldwide · online builds | rolling |
| scholarship | member | remote | worldwide | fast.ai Practical Deep Learning (free course) source: course.fast.ai | free world-class DL course | rolling |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | GitHub for Nonprofits / Nonprofit Developer Pack source: github.com | free GitHub + partner tools for nonprofits | rolling |
| scholarship | member | remote | worldwide | GitHub Student Developer Pack source: education.github.com | free tools + cloud credits for students | rolling |
| grant | both | remote | worldwide | Google Cloud research / teaching credits source: edu.google.com | compute for faculty & research projects | rolling |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | Google for Nonprofits + Cloud free-tier pathway source: google.com/nonprofits | Workspace + Maps + limited Cloud free tier | rolling |
| grant | both | remote | worldwide | Google for Startups Cloud Program source: cloud.google.com/startup | up to $2k–$100k+ Cloud/Firebase credits | rolling (startups) |
| fellowship | both | remote | worldwide | Hugging Face open-source & community programs source: huggingface.co | open models, datasets, community grants | rolling / watch blog |
| hackathon | member | hybrid | africa | IndabaX local events + Zindi IndabaX hackathons source: deeplearningindaba.com / zindi.africa | country ML meetups + prize challenges | rolling by country |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | Kaggle competitions (remote ML prizes) source: kaggle.com | remote · worldwide · cash + medals | rolling |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | lablab.ai — open online AI hackathons (rolling calendar) source: lablab.ai | remote · worldwide · free AI builder hacks | rolling |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | Microsoft for Nonprofits + Azure credits source: microsoft.com/nonprofits | software + cloud for eligible nonprofits | rolling |
| hackathon | member | remote | worldwide | MLH Global Hack Weeks & virtual events source: mlh.io | remote · worldwide · student-friendly | rolling |
| grant | org | remote | worldwide | OpenAI for Nonprofits (ChatGPT Business discount) source: openai.com | discounted nonprofit seats | rolling |
| grant | both | remote | worldwide | OpenAI Researcher Access Program (API credits) source: openai.com | up to $1,000 API credits | rolling |
| fellowship | member | remote | worldwide | YC Startup School (free online founder course) source: startupschool.org | free · accountability + curriculum | rolling |
| hackathon | member | remote | africa | Zindi — live AI/ML prize challenges (Africa-first) source: zindi.africa | cash prizes · $1k–$25k typical | rolling |
| hackathon | member | remote | africa | Zindi Google WAXAL ASR Challenge source: zindi.africa | $10,000 USD prize pool | rolling / see Zindi |
| prize | member | remote | africa | Zindi R.O.A.D. Barbados Historic Handwriting Challenge source: zindi.africa | $25,000 USD prize pool | rolling / see Zindi |
No opportunities match this filter. Try remote + worldwide for hackathons.
$ Board is always expanded — filters only hide rows, they never collapse the list. Sorted by soonest deadline (rolling last). member = person · org = institute · mode = remote / hybrid / in-person · region = who can join. Always confirm on the primary source.
The fellowship takes members from curious to shipping in one cohort: a real problem, compute and API credits, diaspora mentors, and a demo day. It is free — selection is rubric-scored, and what the rubric values most is demonstrated drive to build, not credentials. Strong work on any open problem is the best application there is. Cohort 1 dates will be announced here and in the community chat.