A new funding opportunity has been announced to support women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in South Africa’s higher education sector.
Going Global Partnerships is offering a grant of £60,000 to establish a UK South Africa consortium that will design and implement capability strengthening initiatives under the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme SWEEP. The call was published on 13 November 2025 and closes on 10 December 2025.
The grant aims to strengthen entrepreneurship support structures for female university students across South Africa. The selected consortium will work within the existing SWEEP governance framework, which includes coordinators and executive committee members located at public universities. The focus will be on building innovation systems, entrepreneurial development mechanisms and practical support tools that respond directly to the challenges women face when starting or scaling businesses during their studies.
The consortium will be responsible for designing multidisciplinary and sector informed interventions that enhance entrepreneurship opportunities for female students. This will include
The initiative also presents an important opportunity for UK and South African partners to expand international engagement, share insights and cultivate joint strategies for women’s economic empowerment in higher education contexts.
To qualify, applications must meet the following criteria:
Applicants should take note of the following:
Applicants must submit their proposals through the official online application system. The platform requires registration before submission. Materials available for download include the application guidelines and a sample offline version of the form.
All proposals must be uploaded through the online system by the stated deadline. For guidance, institutions may refer to the British Council South Africa website, which provides further details on the programme and its objectives.
Prospective applicants who require clarification or additional information may contact the British Council through the designated email for this call: [email protected]. Queries should be submitted well before the closing date to ensure adequate time for preparation and completion of the full application.
This funding call represents a significant opportunity for UK and South African universities to co develop impactful, gender responsive entrepreneurship initiatives. By combining research expertise, institutional experience and cross cultural insights, the consortium will contribute to a stronger ecosystem for women’s economic empowerment within the higher education sector.
The initiative aligns with broader goals of enhancing international collaboration, strengthening student livelihoods and supporting future generations of women leaders and innovators.
All applications must be submitted by 10 December 2025 at 17.00 GMT. Institutions interested in shaping the next phase of women’s economic empowerment in South Africa are encouraged to prepare strong, collaborative proposals that demonstrate vision, capacity and commitment to long term impact.
Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the funding organization. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
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