Google ADIEP Digital Skills Programme | How to Apply

On November 17, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, Google and the AfCFTA Secretariat stood together to launch something with a specific, hard number attached: training for exactly 7,500 African SMEs, delivered free, across 25 scheduled cohorts running from that November through June 2026. Those 25 cohorts have now wrapped.

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If you missed the structured ADIEP programme, there’s genuinely good news — Google’s broader Hustle Academy, the umbrella initiative ADIEP sits under, has continued running in a redesigned format through 2026, and registration for that ongoing programming is open right now. Here’s the full picture, including the important distinction between the specific ADIEP cohort structure that’s concluded and the broader Hustle Academy programming still accepting entrepreneurs.

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Two Related but Distinct Programmes

Google’s Hustle Academy launched back in 2022 and has since trained more than 18,000 small and medium-sized businesses across Africa, covering business strategy, leadership, digital tools, and technology adoption. ADIEP — the AfCFTA Digital Inclusion & Entrepreneurship Programme — is a specific, co-branded initiative built jointly with the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, designed with a hard cap of 7,500 SME participants and a defined three-module curriculum focused specifically on cross-border trade under the AfCFTA framework, alongside AI and cloud skills. That specific programme ran its 25 scheduled cohorts between November 2025 and June 2026, and has now concluded its structured intake.

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Separately, and worth knowing about if you missed ADIEP specifically, Google redesigned the broader Hustle Academy format for 2026, moving toward one-day bootcamps and 60-minute expert-led webinars rather than the longer structured cohort model. This broader programming is currently open for registration, with recent activity focused on South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria specifically, though Google has run country-specific expansions and partnerships — including a recent one with Absa Bank in Kenya — that suggest continued, ongoing rollout beyond a single fixed programme.

Google ADIEP Digital Skills Programme Summary

Eligibility Requirements

Based on the official launch details, ADIEP’s eligibility criteria included:

• Your SME must have been operating for at least six months at the time of application — a specific requirement worth flagging, since it wasn’t captured in shorter summaries of the programme
• You must be based in one of the 19 eligible AfCFTA member states: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, Egypt, Tunisia, or Morocco
• You must own or manage the business applying, rather than being an employee without ownership or management authority
• You need access to a smartphone or computer with internet connectivity, since the entire programme is delivered virtually
• No formal degree or prior technical qualification is required — the programme is explicitly designed to be accessible to entrepreneurs without a technical background

The broader, ongoing Hustle Academy bootcamps and webinars have used simpler, less restrictive eligibility, generally open to entrepreneurs, SME owners, and even students in the featured countries, without a hard six-month operating history requirement.

What the Programme Provides

ADIEP’s curriculum was built around three core modules:

• Session 1 — AfCFTA Cross-Border Digital Trade: co-created directly with the AfCFTA Secretariat, covering what the trade area means for African SMEs, how to identify and adapt to cross-border market opportunities, and practical guidance on logistics, customs, taxes, and digital trade compliance
• Session 2 — Boost Your Productivity with AI: covering practical AI applications for customer service, time management, and content creation, along with ethical and responsible AI use
• Session 3 — Introduction to Cloud for Small Businesses: covering cost savings, scalability, security, and collaboration through Google Workspace and Google Cloud specifically, with basic guidance on migrating business processes to the cloud

Beyond the structured sessions, participants received live virtual workshops led by expert trainers, personalised mentoring for real business challenges, and access to a continent-wide peer network of fellow entrepreneurs — described in some coverage as extending to virtual meetups and shared resource cooperatives among alumni. Training was delivered in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese, reflecting the genuinely continent-wide scope of the initiative.

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Required Documents

For the original ADIEP application:

• Completed online application form, submitted through Google’s official RSVP platform
• Basic SME details, including your operating history and business ownership or management role
• Confirmation of your eligible country and preferred training language

How to Access Current Hustle Academy Programming

Since ADIEP’s structured 25-cohort intake has concluded, entrepreneurs interested in similar free training should look toward Google’s ongoing, redesigned Hustle Academy programming instead:

1. Check Google’s official Hustle Academy registration page directly for current bootcamp and webinar openings in your country.
2. Confirm your country is currently included in the active rollout — recent 2026 activity has centered on South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria specifically, though this has expanded through local partnerships in the past.
3. Complete the online registration form with your business and contact details.
4. Confirm your preferred session language and format, since the redesigned programme now runs as shorter one-day bootcamps and 60-minute webinars rather than the longer structured cohort model ADIEP used.
5. Attend your scheduled session, and take advantage of the ongoing Hustle Academy network of past participants, entrepreneurs, and industry specialists that extends beyond any single training event.
6. Watch for country-specific partnerships, such as Google’s recent collaboration with Absa Bank in Kenya, which can offer additional local funding, mentorship, or training beyond the core Hustle Academy format.

Application Status

ADIEP’s structured programme, capped at 7,500 SMEs across 19 eligible countries, ran its full slate of 25 cohorts between November 2025 and June 2026, and that specific intake has now closed. Google’s broader Hustle Academy has continued into 2026 in a redesigned, more flexible format — one-day bootcamps and short webinars — with registration currently open, primarily focused on South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria as of this writing, alongside occasional country-specific partnership expansions. There’s no fixed application deadline for this ongoing broader programming, since it operates more as continuous, rolling training rather than a single capped cohort structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ADIEP still accepting applications?

The specific ADIEP programme, capped at 7,500 SMEs across 25 cohorts, ran its full structured intake from November 2025 through June 2026 and has concluded. Google’s broader Hustle Academy continues offering free training through a redesigned 2026 format.

Which countries were eligible for ADIEP?

Nineteen AfCFTA member states: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco.

Did my business need to already be operating to qualify?

Yes, for ADIEP specifically — SMEs needed to have been operating for at least six months at the time of application. This requirement hasn’t been consistently stated for the broader, redesigned Hustle Academy bootcamps.

Is there a cost to participate?

No. Both ADIEP and the broader Hustle Academy programming have been consistently free, with no application or participation fees charged.

What languages was the training offered in?

ADIEP was delivered in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese, reflecting its continent-wide scope across multiple linguistic regions of Africa.

Can I still access similar free training if I missed ADIEP?

Yes. Google’s broader Hustle Academy has continued into 2026 with a redesigned format of shorter bootcamps and webinars, with registration currently open, particularly for entrepreneurs in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Disclaimer: All programme details in this post were verified from official and independent news sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice, particularly regarding current country availability for ongoing Hustle Academy programming. Always confirm the latest details directly on Google’s official Hustle Academy registration page before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Google or the AfCFTA Secretariat.

Official Application Portal