Six New Grant Application Calls for African Entrepreneurs

Here are six new funding opportunities that can help African entrepreneurs turn their visionary projects and business ideas into reality.

The research project Art Rights Truth (ART), in collaboration with CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, are funding collaborative projects from artists and activists that use art to amplify civil society’s impact.

Funding Details:

Up to £4,000 per selected proposal (10 proposals will be chosen).
Funds can be used as seed money for new projects or to enhance ongoing initiatives.
Successful applicants will be expected to create new arts-based work or interventions using the funding.

Submission Guidelines:

Proposals may include an appendix of up to two extra pages with examples of artistic work.
Video proposals are accepted, with a maximum length of four minutes.
Applications can be submitted in English or Spanish.
Send your proposals to artrightstruth-project@york.ac.uk before 15 September 2024, 5pm GMT.

Women Creating Wealth – Intergenerational Edition

The Graça Machel Trust has announced the expansion of the Women Creating Wealth – Intergenerational (WCW-I) edition, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. This program is dedicated to transforming Africa’s economies by providing meaningful support to women entrepreneurs, enabling them to scale their businesses, uplift their communities, and foster productive exchanges and collaborations among women.

Applications are now open to ambitious young and established women entrepreneurs who have the vision to grow their businesses 10X (times) in the next five years and create job opportunities.

Eligible applicants must:

Be a woman entrepreneur operating in one of the following countries at the date of application:
- Kenya
- Malawi
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Zambia
Completed secondary school education.
Have an annual business turnover of between USD 10,000 to USD 500,000 (or the equivalent in local currency).
Have at least 2 years of experience operating any form of business.
Not presently engaged in another entrepreneurship support program lasting longer than a week.
Currently employ a minimum of 5 young people, with the potential to expand further, creating additional job opportunities for youth.
Have an operational business or a product/service that can be tested in the market, with the potential for growth and impact.
Sole proprietorships, partnerships, companies, cooperatives, or groups are eligible.

Program Delivery:

The Ignite course will be offered on an online platform (Learner Management System), requiring internet access.
Self-Learning: Sessions designed for independent study.
Customized coaching sessions and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
Virtual networking sessions, roundtables, and workshops, with opportunities for face-to-face events.

What Will You Receive?

Structured training through the WCW Online Ignite courses.
Dedicated support through customized coaching, mentoring, and technical advice.
A toolbox of resources for business growth.
Access to a vibrant and supportive Business Community.
Invitations to regular entrepreneurship networking events and roundtables to build social capital.
Access to a pool of rated service providers to support growth, market access, and finance.

Social Enterprise Accelerator (SEA) Program [Deadline: September 22]

Do you own an enterprise that aims to solve social, economic, or environmental challenges in Ghana? The Social Enterprise Accelerator (SEA) Program, spearheaded by Densu Associates in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is now accepting applications. This initiative is designed to support young women leading social enterprises, as well as those enterprises focusing on women.

Who Should Apply:

Social enterprises or cooperatives led by young women
Social enterprises serving women, people with disabilities, refugees, or displaced individuals
Enterprises addressing social, economic, or environmental issues
Social enterprises based in Ghana

What the Program Offers:

Up to 12 months of tailored training and coaching to help grow your business
A grant of up to GH₵ 50,000 to support your enterprise
Networking and referral opportunities to scale your business

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be women or run businesses focused on supporting women, people with disabilities, refugees, or displaced people.

How to Apply: Complete this application form before September 22, 2024, 11:59 PM GMT. If you need the form in an alternative format, or for further inquiries, reach out to info@densu.org.

D-Prize Startup Grants for Social Entrepreneurs [November 3]

Are you an entrepreneur passionate about solving global poverty? D-Prize is offering startup grants of up to $20,000 to launch organizations that distribute high-impact products or services aimed at improving lives in low- or middle-income countries where extreme poverty still exists.

Benefits include:

Seed funding to kickstart your vision into a large-scale solution.
Support for a pilot project as part of a larger vision for social change.

Eligibility:

The D-Prize is for new organizations or first-time entrepreneurs who have not yet launched their organization, nor raised other funding.
Applications from existing organizations are considered if your focus is on distributing an evidence-based poverty intervention.
Organizations must not have more than 18 months of full-time operations or have raised more than $30,000 in external funding.

Visit the D-Prize website for more information and to explore the D-Prize Challenges and to apply

Regular Submission Deadline: November 3, 2024.

JICA NINJA Acceleration Program for Growth Stage in Uganda [Deadline: Rolling]

The Japan International Cooperation Agency and Uganda’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), partnering with Asia Africa Investment and Consulting (AAIC) have launched the NINJA Growth Acceleration Program for Startups in Uganda.

This initiative, which is being implemented by Hindsight Ventures, is intended to support Growth Stage Startups (SUs) through a 3-Month Accelerator program that focuses on expanding their business to regional/global markets beyond Uganda and on attracting or getting future fundraising.

A total number of 10 startups will be selected for the Acceleration Program. They will then be supported with business development strategy, market penetration/expansion, and promotion of their investment readiness during the duration of the program. Additionally, opportunities for business and investment matching will be offered through the Demo Day and Japan Roadshow respectively.

Who Can Apply?

Growth Stage startups that have already achieved a certain level of business performance with growing customers/revenues and are expected to continue and accelerate their growth.
Startups in all sectors are eligible to apply to this Program.
Have a company that is legally registered and operating in Uganda.
The annual revenue is atleast 500 million ugx. (This is a rough guideline and does not prevent companies with annual revenues below 500 million Uganda Shillings from applying.)
Have at least one successful previous fundraising or have attracted interest of, or are in talks with an external investor.
Have a full-time committed team with key qualifications.
Willing to receive coaching and learn.

Takeaways from the program

3 months accelerator program: 10 Growth Stage Startups (SUs ) will be selected for a mentorship, business development and market access accelerator, that will be delivered by successful founders, industry leaders, domain experts and investors; alongside leaders from Hindsight Ventures and their global network.

Demo Day: The 10 startups that graduate from the program will be presenting at the Demo Day in front of investors, business leaders, corporations, enablers, DFI’s, Government, which will be hosted in Kampala, Uganda.

Technology Credits: Each startup gets in excess of $600,000 in technology credits from partners such as AWS, Zoho, IBM, Microsoft, Canva, DigitalOcean, FreshWorks and more.

Japan Roadshow: 3 startups will be selected for the Japan Roadshow post 3-Months Acceleration Program.

Find details on how to apply here: JICA NINJA Acceleration Program

Call for Proposals: Opportunity-driven Skills and VET in Africa (TEI OP-VET) [Deadline: November 3]

The TEI OP-VET project is looking for innovative proposals for Vocational Education and Training (VET) projects that address the skills dimension of selected sectors under the European Union’s Global Gateway initiatives in Africa by responding to concrete job opportunities arising from these investments.

Proposals Should:

Be aligned with the priorities of the EU and its African partner countries, and address specific Global Gateway priority areas and related value chains.
Be designed in close cooperation with the private sector (EU and/or local).
Address skills shortages that impede investment and value chain development, demonstrating tangible employment potential.
Improve the capacity of local VET providers to offer employment-relevant training.
Enhance gender equality.

Funding details:

Funding window available for applicants: €1-2 million
Funded projects will be implemented during a timeframe of up to 24 months.

Interested?

Detailed requirements are accessible via the “Good Grants Platform” and submitted by November 3, 2024.

Online Info/Q&A Sessions for Applicants: