⚡ Applications open · Cohort A · July 17 deadline

For organisations · NGOs · Startups · Government

Host a
Fellow.

A CCA-F certified AI architect embedded in your organisation for 9 months. They arrive trained. They bring Claude API access. They solve a real problem for your community. Fully funded — no cost to you.

Apply to host → Download brochure

What host organisations receive

What you get.

Hosting a Yard Fellow is not volunteering to train someone. It is receiving a trained AI practitioner who arrives on Day 1 with a credential, a plan, and the tools to execute it.

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A certified AI architect

Every Yard Fellow passes the CCA-F exam before placement. They understand the Claude API, prompt engineering, MCP, and agentic systems. Not a trainee — a practitioner.

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9 months of embedded work

Not a 3-week project. 9 months means your fellow can scope, build, test, deploy, and iterate on something that genuinely changes how your organisation operates.

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Claude API access included

Fellows bring Claude token access via The Yard's Bedrock gateway. No USD credit card. No billing setup. Your organisation gets AI capability without the procurement headache.

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Zero cost to host

The Yard pays the fellow's stipend. The Yard covers the Claude tokens. The Yard handles HR, payroll, and NSSF/NHIF compliance. You provide a desk, a supervisor, and a real problem to solve.

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A real deliverable

Every fellow agrees a measurable impact goal with their host org before placement. After 9 months you have a working AI tool, a trained internal champion, and a documented case study.

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Ongoing Yard connection

Fellows return to The Yard every Friday for Ship Night. Your organisation gets indirect access to the full Yard community — 25 builders, GPU compute, and the Incubation Lab pipeline.

What we ask of you

Your commitment.

Hosting is straightforward. We ask for three things and nothing more.

What you provide

A named supervisor — one person who meets the fellow weekly

A hybrid workplace — desk access when needed, remote flexibility

A real problem — something AI could genuinely improve in your work

9-month commitment — no early exits without agreement

Monthly check-in — 30 minutes with The Yard programme manager

What you don't provide

Salary or stipend — The Yard pays the fellow

Claude API costs — The Yard covers token access

HR or payroll admin — The Yard is employer of record

Training — fellows arrive CCA-F certified

Equipment — fellows bring their own

Ideal host organisations

Who should apply.

We approve host organisations carefully — matching is double opt-in and both sides rank preferences. These are the types of organisations that make the best hosts.

NGOs & Social enterprises

Health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, climate. Any mission-driven organisation with a programme that AI could make more effective, faster, or more scalable.

Government agencies

County government, national agencies, parastatals. AI can transform service delivery, data analysis, and citizen communication. We particularly welcome applications from county-level bodies.

Startups & SMEs

Early-stage and growth-stage companies building for the African market. A Yard Fellow can accelerate your AI roadmap by 6–12 months — without the cost of a senior hire.

Research institutions

Universities, think tanks, research labs. Fellows can bring AI-powered analysis, literature review, data processing, and tool-building to academic and policy research.

Development organisations

Bilateral donors, multilateral agencies, and international NGOs with Kenya and East Africa programmes. Fellows can build AI tools that serve your beneficiaries directly.

Media & Information

News organisations, fact-checkers, public interest media. AI is reshaping journalism — a Yard Fellow can help you use it responsibly, efficiently, and at scale.

Host org timeline · Cohort A

Key dates.

Apply to host

Submit your host organisation application. Tell us about your organisation and the problem you want a fellow to solve.

Now → July 17, 2026

Approval

The Yard reviews your application. We may schedule a 20-minute call to understand your context and the problem better.

July — August 2026

Fellow matching

Approved host orgs attend Super Day. Fellows and organisations rank preferences. Double opt-in matching — both sides choose.

August — September 2026

Placement begins

Your fellow arrives for Phase 2 — 9 months embedded. Monthly check-ins with The Yard. Fridays at The Yard for Ship Night.

October 2026

Apply to host
Cohort A.

Email us at invest@theyard.africa with your organisation name, a brief description of the problem you'd like a fellow to work on, and a contact name. We'll respond within 48 hours.

DEADLINE: JULY 17, 2026