AU Go Gal! Innovation 2025 Initiative Mentor

The African Union has launched a call for volunteer mentors under the AU Go Gal! Innovation 2025 Initiative, a project aimed at empowering young female innovators across Africa.

The initiative is looking for experienced professionals who are passionate about innovation, youth empowerment, gender equality, and economic development to support 20 promising female talents between the ages of 15 and 25.

The AU Go Gal! Innovation 2025 Initiative is a concept developed by the African Union Innovation Lab (AU InnoLab) in collaboration with key partners including the African Union International Center for Girls & Women’s Education in Africa (AUCIEFFA), GIZ African Union, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the UN Women Liaison Office to the AU & UNECA, and the World Bank Group.

These young women are working on bold ideas, and we want mentors who can help them move from vision to impact. According to the organizers, “We’re calling on people who have guided early-stage innovators before and want to support Africa’s next generation of changemakers.”

The selected 20 female innovators will be developing creative solutions in the following three thematic areas:

i. Women and Youth Financial Inclusion
ii. Economic Inclusion & Decision-Making
iii. Girls and Women’s Education

Their projects span different stages, from conceptual ideas to market-ready products, and will be refined with the help of mentors. The program will lead up to a final Spark Tank pitch event in October 2025, where the participants will showcase their innovations.

According to AU InnoLab, the initiative has five major objectives:

i. Empower young women in innovation by offering a platform for their active involvement in the innovation space, thereby addressing the gender disparity in innovation and technology.
ii. Enable young women to contribute to the Socioeconomic Development of the continent through scalable, sustainable solutions.
iii. Connect young women in innovation to mentorship and industry leaders for capacity building and career opportunities.
iv. Demonstrate young women’s potential and ability to contribute towards Africa’s socio-economic development through innovation.
v. Converge multi-stakeholder efforts to actively promote and sustain the involvement of women in the innovation space and technology ecosystem.

Each of the five regions in Africa will be represented by four selected participants, making a total of twenty young innovators. The selection will be based on specific eligibility criteria set by the program.

Eligibility:

i. Participants must be young African women
ii. Aged between 15 and 25
iii. English and French language
iv. Participants must be citizens of an African Union member state, residing on the continent.
v. Applicant should present an original, practical, and scalable solution that addresses a pressing community, regional, or continental challenge. The innovation should be in the area of Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion or girls and women’s education, including innovations on enhancing young women’s participation in economic decision-making processes towards empowerment.
vi. The idea should demonstrate clear potential for solving real-world problems in Africa, with a strong focus on sustainability, scalability, and community impact. Solutions that integrate social, environmental, and economic considerations are particularly valuable.
vii. Whether the idea is in the conceptual phase, prototype stage, or has already been tested in a real-world environment, ideas at all stages are eligible.
viii. A demonstrated commitment to solving problems that benefit the community, with a focus on underserved or marginalised populations. The project or innovation should address issues that are relevant to the local context of the participant’s home country or region, with a vision for broader application across Africa.
ix. Evidence that innovation can be expanded or adapted for other regions or countries. Preference will be given to projects that have the potential to grow beyond a single location and contribute to broader socioeconomic development. The project should have a plan for long-term sustainability, either financially, socially, or environmentally. This may involve partnerships, funding strategies, or self-sustaining models.
x. Educational Background & Technical While formal education is not the sole determinant, applicants should demonstrate the ability to actualise their digital and innovative solutions. Applicants with an exceptional track record in relevant courses, self-learning, or experiential learning in innovative-related fields will also be considered.
xi. Commitment and availability to fully participate in training, mentorship, networking events, and other activities organised under the AU Go Gal! initiative.
xii. Be able to present and communicate innovation, its potential impact, and the long-term vision. This includes the ability to pitch ideas to investors, stakeholders, and potential partners.
xiii. Ability to write clear proposals, reports, and updates. The submission should demonstrate good writing skills in terms of clarity, structure, and attention to detail.

Selected participants will be paired with mentors from the private and public sectors, who will guide them through every step of their innovation journey.

In addition to mentorship, five finalists will receive recognition and support to push their solutions even further, improving their access to potential funding and investors.

The initiative is positioned as a key step toward digital inclusion, youth training, and the growth of entrepreneurship among women in Africa. It also aligns with long-term development goals that focus on reducing poverty and increasing participation in decision-making for women and youth.

The deadline for submitting applications is 8th August 2025.

How to apply:

To apply, interested candidates must complete the application form using the following links:
English application: HERE
French application: HERE