Climate Entrepreneurship Academy: What Replaced It in 2026

Updated: September 23, 2026 | Reading time: 7 min | Written by: StudyTribune Team

If you’ve landed here searching for the Climate Entrepreneurship Academy: Forging Tomorrow’s Leaders, here’s what research found: no evidence this specific programme has run since its 2023 edition, which was tied to the AFS Youth Assembly. Every listing found for it dates to late 2023, with nothing published for 2024, 2025, or 2026. The original programme may have been a one-off event rather than an annual initiative.

Rather than leaving this page as a listing for something that may no longer exist, it’s been updated to cover what’s genuinely available to climate entrepreneurs in Africa right now — particularly the Acumen Academy Green RISE Africa Fellowship, which fills the same space with confirmed, currently-active programming.

What’s Actually Active: Acumen Academy Green RISE Africa Fellowship 2026

The most substantive, currently-verified programme for African climate entrepreneurs is the Acumen Academy Green RISE Africa Fellowship — a six-month hybrid leadership programme specifically for entrepreneurs building climate-aligned businesses across Africa.

Green RISE stands for Resilient Impact through Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Unlike the original Climate Entrepreneurship Academy’s one-event model, Green RISE runs a structured six-month programme combining virtual learning, in-person immersives, peer collaboration, and coaching — all while fellows remain in their current roles and running their enterprises.

The 2026 cycle had an application deadline of May 11, 2026, with the programme starting July 2026. If you’re reading this after that date, expect a similar cycle to open in early 2027 — confirm directly on the Acumen Academy website.

Two Tracks: West Africa and East Africa

West Africa Track — open to entrepreneurs working in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, driving climate solutions and creating dignified work and green job opportunities for young rural women and youth.

East Africa Track — open to entrepreneurs in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan, and Somalia, focused on strengthening climate-aligned business models, improving resilience, and scaling impact. Fellows in this track participate in in-person immersives in Kenya.

What the Fellowship Covers

The Green RISE Africa Fellowship is designed for working entrepreneurs who can’t step away from their businesses for a full residential programme. The structure reflects that:

Approximately 10 hours per month of programme participation — manageable alongside running a company
Monthly virtual workshops and peer group sessions
In-person immersives (covered costs for the East Africa track’s Kenya sessions)
Access to Acumen Academy’s regional and global network of investors, corporates, and ecosystem partners
Coaching and mentorship throughout the six months
Continued engagement in a climate-focused community of practice after the programme ends

No financial grant or stipend is part of the fellowship — this is a leadership development and network-building programme, not direct capital investment. The distinction matters for founders weighing this against competitions like the MEST Africa Challenge, which offers equity investment.

Who It’s For

The Green RISE Africa Fellowship targets:

Founders and leaders of early- to growth-stage green enterprises
Businesses working in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, water, or environmental sustainability
Entrepreneurs focused on creating jobs and economic opportunity in underserved communities — particularly for women and youth
Leaders who want to develop both technical business skills and what Acumen calls “moral leadership” — the values and decision-making frameworks needed to build long-term, inclusive impact

The fellowship isn’t designed for idea-stage founders. A running enterprise with a demonstrable climate focus is the baseline expectation.

Why Climate Entrepreneurship Matters Now

The original Climate Entrepreneurship Academy’s founding premise — that Africa’s young entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned to address climate change while creating economic opportunity — remains as relevant as it was in 2023. The continent faces disproportionate climate risks while contributing comparatively little to historical emissions. Entrepreneurs who can build viable businesses around climate solutions have both a moral case and a genuine market opportunity, particularly as global capital increasingly seeks Africa-based climate solutions.

Programmes like the Green RISE Fellowship exist specifically to close the gap between the opportunity and the capability — helping founders develop the leadership skills that business schools and accelerators typically don’t cover, alongside technical business support.

Other Active Climate Entrepreneurship Programmes Worth Knowing

ACEP Africa Climate Academy — run by the African Centre for Energy Policy, this is a one-week fully funded residential programme in Accra, Ghana, targeting policymakers, media professionals, civil society leaders, and academics working on energy transition and climate governance. Not specifically for entrepreneurs, but relevant if your business intersects with policy or you’re looking to build relationships with policymakers. The 2026 edition ran May 25-29 in Accra with a March 22, 2026 deadline; expect a similar 2027 cycle.

Cleantech Innovation Programme (South Africa) — accepts applications from South African enterprises advancing cleantech solutions, with a July 2026 deadline for the most recent cycle. Narrower in geography but more funding-oriented than the fellowship model.

MIT Clean Energy Prize (CEP) — a global competition for climate-tech startups, with 2026 events running February through April including an Asia Final in Singapore, a Europe Final in Munich, and a Grand Final in the Boston area. Open beyond Africa but relevant to African founders with scalable cleantech solutions.

How to Position Your Application for Green RISE

The climate-business nexus needs to be explicit. Green RISE isn’t a general social enterprise programme — the climate focus is the core criterion. Applications that describe a community impact business with a climate dimension bolted on are weaker than applications where climate is the central value proposition of the business model.

The job creation angle matters. The programme explicitly prioritises entrepreneurs creating dignified work for women and youth in underserved communities. If your business model has a job-creation dimension, document it specifically with numbers and demographics — vague statements about “community impact” don’t carry the same weight.

Moral leadership is genuinely assessed. Acumen Academy is known for its emphasis on values and ethics alongside business skills — its moral leadership framework is distinctive compared to typical accelerator programmes. Applications that engage seriously with why you’re building what you’re building, not just what you’re building, are a stronger fit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applying to a climate programme with a business that isn’t primarily climate-focused. Green RISE doesn’t fund general SMEs with a green framing — the climate case needs to be central.
Treating the fellowship as a source of capital. It’s leadership development and network access, not funding. If direct investment is what you need, look at equity competitions like MEST Africa Challenge or grant programmes separately.
Missing the track distinction. West Africa and East Africa apply through separate portals with potentially different requirements and timelines — confirm which track applies to your country and apply through the correct one.
Waiting for the “right” annual cycle. Climate entrepreneurship programmes at this level tend to have application windows of a few weeks; being prepared to apply quickly when a window opens matters.

FAQs

Is the Climate Entrepreneurship Academy: Forging Tomorrow’s Leaders still running?

We found no evidence of the programme running after its 2023 edition tied to the AFS Youth Assembly. This page now covers actively-running climate entrepreneurship programmes for Africa instead.

What is the Acumen Academy Green RISE Africa Fellowship?

A six-month hybrid leadership programme for African climate entrepreneurs in West and East Africa, focused on building sustainable climate-aligned businesses. Fellows remain in their current roles while participating in approximately 10 hours per month of structured programming.

Does the Green RISE Fellowship provide funding?

No direct financial grant or equity investment — it’s a leadership development and network-building programme. Fellows remain in their current businesses and receive coaching, workshops, immersives, and network access.

Which countries are eligible for the Green RISE Fellowship?

West Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia. East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia.

When does the next Green RISE cycle open?

The 2026 cycle closed May 11, 2026. Based on this pattern, expect the 2027 cycle to open in early 2027. Confirm exact dates on the official Acumen Academy website.

How much time does the Green RISE Fellowship require?

Approximately 10 hours per month across six months, structured to be compatible with running a business simultaneously.

Are there other active climate entrepreneurship programmes for Africa?

Yes — the ACEP Africa Climate Academy (policymakers and academics), South Africa’s Cleantech Innovation Programme, and the MIT Clean Energy Prize (global) are active alternatives depending on your stage and geography.

Is there a financial award for winning or completing the fellowship?

Not as a standard component, though fellows may gain access to future funding opportunities and investor introductions through the programme’s network.