CFAs: Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) Global Programme

The LIF Global programme brings together a cohort of innovators within emerging economies across the world and provides them with training, mentoring and networking opportunities, both internationally and in the UK.

Up to 75 applicants will be selected to join the LIF Global 2025 cohort, and receive a package of training, mentoring, and networking to support their growth as tech entrepreneurs. The programme will run between December 2024 and July 2025.

Objectives

• Increased business starts, survival and performance
• New and high value jobs created
• Greater adoption of engineering innovation which addresses social, environmental, and economic challenges
• Improved local ecosystems to support entrepreneurship and innovation
• Increased local and international collaboration between businesses and research institutions which will promote engineering innovation and support commercialisation
• Enhanced connection of the most promising global science, research and innovation talent to the UK and stronger relationships between the UK and participants’ countries

Cost Covered 

• Applicants must be able to commit to travel internationally. All costs associated with the LIF Global programme will be paid by the Royal Academy of Engineering, with the exception of visas and travel insurance. The Academy will consider covering the costs of any caring needs related to travel on a case-by-case basis.

Programme Structure 

• LIF Global has three pillars:
  • Individual needs analysis and goal setting 
    • LIF Global is bespoke to each participant’s needs, with the goal of supporting each individual to identify pathways to commercial growth and development. Participants will work closely with their mentors, and trainers to define short- and medium-term goals, and create action plans to achieve them.
  • Ecosystem integration 
    • LIF Global will expand and diversify participants’ networks within the academic and private sectors, creating deeper connections to their local economy. Participants will build new local and international collaborations and will also contribute to their ecosystem.
  • Cohort formation and streaming 
    • The emphasis in LIF Global is on the formation of a strong cohort. Participants will receive bespoke, individualised support and benefit from relationships and shared experiences with their LIF peers. Depending on the size of the cohort, participants may be further streamed into smaller groups each focused on a particular challenge common to members of the group.

Eligibility Criteria

• Specific eligibility criteria are as follows:
  • Applicants must be a citizen or resident of Brazil, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines, or Vietnam.
  • The innovation must be at technology readiness level 4 (TRL 4) or above. Evidence of a prototype must be provided in the application.
  • The applicant’s innovation can be any new product, technology or service, based on research in engineering defined in its broadest sense to encompass a wide range of fields, including –but not limited to –
    • agricultural technology
    • biotechnology
    • chemical engineering
    • civil engineering
    • computer science
    • design engineering
    • electrical and electronic engineering
    • materials science
    • mechanical engineering
    • medical engineering.
  • Candidates must be the original innovator and own shares in the company created.
  • The innovation should have the potential to benefit the applicant’s country, and/or other low and middle income countries, in terms of improving social welfare and driving economic development, and they should contribute one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • The primary application of the innovation must NOT be in the defence, military, or fossil fuel-based energy sectors.
  • LIF and Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation alumni can’t apply to LIF Global 2025.
  • Applicants must be able to commit to LIF Global for a minimum of 4 hours during the ‘welcome week’ of the onboarding and beginning of the remote training (the week of 9 December), and at least 20 days for training and mentoring between January and July, including a minimum of 14 days for the UK Residential in July 2025. This implies being able to secure permission from all relevant employers to attend the programme if selected. The Academy will provide documentation on LIF counting as training or continuous personal development if required once participants join the cohort.
  • Applicants will not need to cover any necessary costs associated with the training programme in the UK.
  • Candidates will need to demonstrate fluency/proficiency in English to participate. This will be a key assessment metric. Make sure to write applications and upload materials fully in English to avoid being penalised: most UK reviewers are native English speakers. Please note that the residential programme will be conducted entirely in English.

For more information, visit TIA.