As part of the implementation of the Creating Opportunities for Young People and Women in Africa (COYWA) programme, a call for applications has been launched to identify and support dynamic, innovative and committed young entrepreneurs. This programme, which aims to strengthen entrepreneurial skills and stimulate innovation, supports initiatives with a strong socio-economic impact, particularly those benefiting young people and women. It builds on the achievements of the programme, the first cohort of which delivered particularly impressive results. Indeed, 47 young entrepreneurs from 25 African countries were trained through a blended learning programme covering key topics such as financial education, digital literacy, branding and digital marketing. Cohort 1 stood out for its 99 per cent success rate, maximum satisfaction levels across all evaluation indicators, and the recognition of 15 participants who received honourable mentions. These participants can now act as mentor-facilitators in the programme’s subsequent phases. Based on these results, AUDA-NEPAD and AECID have decided to expand the initiative by launching Cohort 2, adopting a sub-regional model that combines four weeks of online training with five days of intensive face-to-face training. The first face-to-face session for this new cohort will take place in June 2026 in Praia, Cape Verde, at the University of Cape Verde’s Business Lab. It will bring together 75 participants from ECOWAS countries, including 25 from the host country.