Important: this programme is not fully funded, whatever some websites say. Participants selected into the programme pay a programme fee of US$900, paid to the Melton Foundation, with scholarships of up to 80% available. Only the one-week in-person Co-Lab in Germany is fully funded. You pay nothing to apply.
The Melton Foundation is accepting applications for the Global Solvers Accelerator (GSA) 2027, a ten-month leadership and peer-learning programme for changemakers aged 20–35 who already lead a social, economic or environmental project. Each year 15–20 practitioners from around the world are selected. The programme mixes online learning with a fully funded week-long Global Solvers Co-Lab in Germany (3–10 July 2027), and graduates join the Melton Senior Fellowship network of more than 650 fellows.
Deadline: 22 November 2026 (no time given; the form is long, so finish it a day or two early).
Key Details
- Organiser: Melton Foundation (partners include the Ernst Abbe Stiftung, the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy and Melton Foundation Africa)
- Length: ten months, about four hours a week
- Format: online sessions, peer exchange and project work, plus an in-person Co-Lab in Germany, 3–10 July 2027
- Cohort: 15–20 participants worldwide
- Age: 20–35
- Fee: US$900 if selected (scholarships up to 80%)
- Deadline: 22 November 2026
Benefits
- Fully funded participation in the week-long Global Solvers Co-Lab in Germany
- Training modules, mentoring and peer learning focused on your own project
- Part of the programme fees goes into a shared GSA Fund awarded to participant projects near the end of the programme
- Lifelong membership of the Melton Senior Fellowship, a global network of 650+ fellows
- Cross-cultural connections with practitioners from many countries (the 2025 cohort had 20 participants from 18 nationalities, chosen from 660 applications)
Eligibility
- Aged 20–35
- Actively running, co-leading or shaping an ongoing project, enterprise, research effort, movement or community initiative tied to the SDGs, with influence over its decisions
- A track record of real social impact
- Enough English to take full part
- Able to commit about four hours a week for ten months
- Able to attend the Co-Lab in Germany from 3 to 10 July 2027
How to Apply
- Read the programme details, fee and scholarship information on the official GSA page.
- Download and read the Application Guide linked on that page; the foundation warns the form is complex.
- Complete the GSA 2027 application form.
- Submit before 22 November 2026.
- If selected, apply for a fee scholarship (up to 80%) during onboarding.
Tips
- Budget honestly: with the maximum 80% scholarship you would still pay about US$180, so check you can cover it before accepting.
- Write about real tensions in your work. Melton says GSA is not about showcasing success but about working through hard questions.
- Show your decision-making role in the project, not just participation.
- Start your German Schengen visa planning early if selected; appointments in Lagos, Abuja and Nairobi can take weeks.
- The 2026 Co-Lab was held in Accra, Ghana, so African applicants are clearly part of this community.
