Deadline Date: August 09, 2026
The IGNITE Accelerator Programme is a six-week initiative that helps first-time founders develop investment-ready ventures through structured learning and mentoring support.
The programme focuses on venture development from idea to investment readiness, entrepreneurial skill-building, business model development, pitch and storytelling enhancement, market exploration and validation, structured learning through e-learning modules, practical workshops, workbook-based application, peer learning sessions, one-to-one coaching with social enterprise and sustainability leaders, and the development of mission-led startups and social enterprises prepared for real-world investment and pitching environments.
The IGNITE Accelerator Programme is designed to support early-stage founders who are developing new ideas into structured and viable ventures. It provides a clear and guided pathway that helps participants progress from concept development to investment readiness.
The programme is structured over six weeks and is designed to be both accessible and ambitious, ensuring that participants build skills aligned with real-world entrepreneurial and investment expectations. It combines structured learning with practical application to support consistent progress.
Participants engage in self-paced e-learning modules that allow flexible learning alongside their personal and professional commitments. These modules are complemented by live workshops and hands-on sessions led by experienced sector experts.
The programme also includes weekly workbooks that help participants apply learning directly to their own venture development. In addition, peer learning sessions provide opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and shared learning within a cohort of like-minded founders.
A key component of the programme is up to six hours of one-to-one coaching with experienced social enterprise and sustainability leaders. This support helps participants refine their ideas and strengthen their approach to building a sustainable venture.
The programme is designed for early-stage ventures with a clear social or environmental purpose, measurable impact, a scalable and entrepreneurial solution, an ambitious founding team, and a plan to generate at least 50 percent of income from trading.
By the end of the IGNITE Accelerator Programme, participants are expected to have a clearer understanding of their venture, a more structured approach to development, and a stronger ability to communicate their ideas effectively. The programme also aims to equip founders with a confident and compelling pitch and a foundation for continued growth beyond the accelerator.
For more information, visit Ford Family Foundation.
