5 Startup Challenges and Accelerator Programmes Closing in November 2026

If you’re building a startup and looking for funding, mentorship, or a way into international markets, several programmes are accepting applications before the end of this month.

Some are aimed at founders working on climate and deep-tech problems. Others want early-stage companies building AI, fintech, crypto and software products. Depending on the programme, you could get grant funding, direct investment, access to investors and corporate partners, or hands-on support.

We’ve listed five, starting with the earliest deadline. The first closes on November 6 and the last on November 30, 2026. Before you apply, note that three of them require in-person attendance in the US, and one requires your startup to be based in Ohio or move there.

4 Paid AI Fellowships for 2027 You Can Apply to Now

From a Gates Foundation fellowship based in Abuja to a £18,000 AI safety research stint in London, here are four paid AI fellowships open now, who qualify, and when to apply.

TechloyDavid Adubiina

1. MIT Solve Global Climate Challenge 2027 (closes November 6) 

Are you building technology that helps communities deal with climate change? MIT Solve’s 2027 Global Climate Challenge seeks solutions to some of the hardest climate problems facing communities today.

Communities already face more severe heat, flooding, drought, and wildfires, often without the resources to protect essential services or recover afterwards. It is especially interested in solutions that work within existing infrastructure and budgets, with measurable impact and a path to financial sustainability.

Solve is accepting solutions in four areas:

• making cities more climate-resilient through better construction, retrofitting and transport
• protecting people and essential services from extreme weather
• improving agriculture and regional food supply chains
• restoring ocean and coastal ecosystems

Solve defines technology broadly, from AI, robotics and software to traditional knowledge systems. It is particularly interested in technology that improves local decision-making.

The prize funding is the main draw. Every team selected as a Solver gets a $10,000 grant, and there is more than $1 million in prize funding. Solve says Solver teams receive about $40,000 each on average. Selected teams also join a nine-month support programme with coaching, workshops and pro bono resources such as software licences and legal services.

African startups working on solar-powered cooling, resilient food supply chains, water management or climate-risk monitoring could be a good fit, depending on the solution and the impact it can show. Your solution must be at least at prototype stage. Concept-stage ideas aren’t eligible, except under Solve’s Indigenous Communities Fellowship.

• Who it’s for: Anyone, anywhere, with a technology-based climate solution at the prototype, pilot, growth, or scale stage.
• What you get: A $10,000 grant for every selected team, a chance at more than $1 million in prize funding, nine months of support, and events in Cambridge, Massachusetts (April) and New York (September).
• Deadline: November 6, 2026, 12:00 p.m. EST (6:00 p.m. WAT).

2. MassChallenge 2026–27 (closes November 9)

If you want to build relationships with large companies and move your product closer to commercial adoption, MassChallenge’s 2026–27 programme is worth a look.