Do you have a digital-enabled mobile solution for critical humanitarian needs? Apply for the GSMA Innovation Fund Challenge before 12 February 2024
Do you have a digital-enabled mobile solution for critical humanitarian needs? Apply for the GSMA Innovation Fund Challenge before 12 February 2024
The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), a global non-profit industry organization that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide, invites applicants for the GSMA Innovation Fund for Humanitarian Challenges. The Fund aims to support innovative mobile solutions for development (M4D) that address critical humanitarian needs.
The specific objective of this new Fund is to test innovative use cases, partnerships, and business models that can improve access to sustainable digital-enabled solutions for those affected by – or vulnerable to – humanitarian challenges.
Successful participants will be offered the following benefits:
- Funding of up to £250,000 to support developing, testing and scaling innovative M4D solutions.
- Technical support and mentorship to strengthen grant recipients’ projects and business models.
- Connect awardees to GSMA’s network of mobile operators and partners to facilitate the deployment of solutions.
Interested participants must fulfil the following criteria to apply:
- Projects must use mobile technology to deliver services addressing humanitarian challenges such as disaster response, refugee support, or crisis recovery.
- Target beneficiaries must include vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly, disabled, or displaced people.
- Applicants can be technology companies, social enterprises, NGOs or other organizations.
- Proposed solutions should be scalable and have the potential for sustainable impact.
- Projects must coordinate or partner with mobile network operators for deployment.
To apply, visit Applications.
Are you an early-stage startup with a scalable business idea? Apply for the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme by 1 March 2024
Are you an early-stage startup with a scalable business idea? Apply for the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme by 1 March 2024
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), an African private-sector-led philanthropic foundation empowering young African entrepreneurs across 54 African countries, opened applications for the 2022 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.
The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme is a 10-year flagship initiative with a commitment of USD 100 million to identify, train, mentor and fund entrepreneurs able to change the face of business in Africa. TEF training is designed to be self-paced for each entrepreneur to allow necessary flexibility for participants to learn while managing their businesses and other responsibilities.
Through the programme, successful applicants will be offered the following:
- 12 weeks of business management training
- Seed capital of USD 5,000
- Networking with business leaders from the TEF network
- Access to business advisory services and market linkages via the TEFConnect proprietary platform
Interested applicants are required to fulfil the following eligibility requirements:
- Have a scalable business idea or early-stage company operating for less than five years
- Be above 18 years of age
- An application must only focus on one business entity or idea
- Business must not adversely affect the environment, lives, and property
- Business ideas must be the original work of those making the submissions
To apply for the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, visit: TEF Entrepreneurship Programme Application
Are you a women-led social enterprise empowering women economically via platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram? Apply for funding and mentorship from the Chat for Women’s Livelihoods Accelerator Program before 31 January 2023.
Are you a women-led social enterprise empowering women economically via platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram? Apply for funding and mentorship from the Chat for Women’s Livelihoods Accelerator Program before 31 January 2023.
The Chat for Women’s Livelihoods Accelerator Program, a six-month accelerator program invites social enterprises working to empower women in low-income countries economically. The program is aimed at supporting women-led social enterprises that are using chat platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram to empower women economically.
Successful applicants will benefit from the following:
- Access to up to $15,000 in seed funding upon completion of the program
- One-on-one mentorship from experienced social entrepreneurs and industry experts
- Customized training and capacity-building workshops on business strategy, fundraising, growth hacking, and more
- Networking opportunities with potential investors, partners, and fellow social entrepreneurs
- Global visibility and promotion through the program partners’ communications channels
Interested applicants should fulfil the following criteria to apply:
- The enterprise must use chat platforms as a primary channel to deliver their products/services
- It should address challenges faced by women such as financial inclusion, skills development, healthcare access, etc.
- The legal entity should have been registered and operating for at least 6 months
- The founding team must have at least one female founder
- Annual revenue should be less than $100,000
- The enterprise should demonstrate strong growth potential and social impact
To apply, visit: application form
Call for applications for the Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship program! Apply before 18 February 2023
Call for applications for the Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship program! Apply before 18 February 2023
Quality Communications (Qualcomm) invites applicants for the Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship program. Through the program, Qualcomm seeks to identify and support promising early-stage startups interested in applying advanced connectivity and processing tech to innovate end-to-end systems solutions. Successful applicants will receive the following benefits:
- One-on-one mentorship with Qualcomm leaders regularly until product realization
- Masterclass on product management, pitch clinic, hardware architecture and intellectual property rights
- Demo day with the startup ecosystem
- Networking with industry leaders, venture capitalists, investors and other accelerators
To apply for the program, visit: Applications
Are you a startup entrepreneur with a tech solution addressing challenges in the healthcare sector? Apply for the HealthTech Hub Africa (HTHA) Accelerator Program before 11 December 2023.
Are you a startup entrepreneur with a tech solution addressing challenges in the healthcare sector? Apply for the HealthTech Hub Africa (HTHA) Accelerator Program before 11 December 2023.
HealthTech Hub Africa, a hybrid pan-African healthtech accelerator invites applicants for the 2024 HealthTech Hub Africa (HTHA) Accelerator Program. The program is designed to provide startups with the necessary resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help them scale their solutions and make a meaningful impact in the healthcare sector.
Successful applicants will receive the following benefits:
- Access to mentorship from industry experts
- Funding opportunities from investors
- Networking with key stakeholders in the healthcare and technology sectors
- Platform to showcase solutions to a wider audience
- Valuable insights into market trends and user needs
- Guidance on refining business models and growth strategies
Interested participants must fulfil the following requirements to apply:
- Be a health technology startup based in Africa
- Have a viable and innovative solution addressing a significant healthcare challenge
- Demonstrate strong potential for scalability and impact
- Have a minimum viable product (MVP) or prototype
- Have a dedicated and passionate team committed to driving the solution forward.
To apply for the program, visit: Application form
Do you have a solution that creates a positive social, economic, and environmental impact in your country? Apply for funding from the Global Innovation Fund.
Do you have a solution that creates a positive social, economic, and environmental impact in your country? Apply for funding from the Global Innovation Fund.
The Global Innovation Fund (GIF), an initiative aiming to support and scale innovative solutions to global development challenges, invites applicants for the 2023 edition. Launched in 2014, GIF provides funding, expertise, and networks to help innovators turn their ideas into impactful solutions. The primary aim of the Global Innovation Fund is to identify and support innovative ideas that have the potential to create positive social, economic, and environmental impact in developing countries.
The GIF program is designed to benefit individuals and organizations, including entrepreneurs, researchers, social enterprises, non-profit organizations, and government entities. The program mainly focuses on supporting innovations that address the needs of vulnerable populations, such as women, children, refugees, and those living in poverty.
Successful applicants to the program will receive the following:
- Funding at various stages of innovation, including seed, scale-up, and performance-based funding
- Access to a network of experts, mentors, and advisors who guide and support innovators. This includes technical expertise, business development support, and connections to potential partners and investors
- Learning and knowledge sharing among innovators through workshops, webinars, and peer-to-peer exchanges
Interested applicants must fulfil the following to be eligible for the GIF program:
- Be innovative, offering a new approach or significantly improving upon existing solutions
- Demonstrate the potential to create positive social, economic, or environmental impact, particularly in developing countries
- Have the potential to scale up and reach a large number of beneficiaries
- Have a clear plan for the financial sustainability of their innovation beyond the GIF funding
- Have a solution aligned with at least one of GIF’s focus areas: agriculture, energy, health, education, and governance
To apply for the GIF program, visit Applications.
Are you a social entrepreneur that addresses pressing needs in your community? Apply for funding from the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation
Are you a social entrepreneur that addresses pressing needs in your community? Apply for funding from the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation.
The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK), a global venture philanthropy supporting early-stage, high-impact social enterprises, invites social entrepreneurs to apply for funding. The foundation seeks to support outsized impact through entrepreneurs and enterprises that address pressing societal problems affecting people.
The foundation seeks to find social enterprises that fulfil the following:
- Address a critical social or environmental issue as the focus of their work
- Have founders who intend to expand their impact significantly over time
- Be operating in Africa, Europe, India, Latin America, and the United States
- Be an independent non-profit or impact-first, mission-driven for-profit entity
- Have one or more founders who are full-time or intend to be
- Demonstrate diversity of people proximate to the problem at hand and a commitment to foster justice, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices
- Have a program, product or service already in the market with an early indication for impact
Applicants admitted for interviews will be taken through three phases of interviews to assess their eligibility for funding. Successful applicants will be accepted through a final due diligence phase to work towards clear goals for the new venture, including metrics and milestones to help the social enterprise achieve its mission.
Applicants that have successfully passed through all the interviews will receive funding twice a year over a three-year term, totalling USD 300,000.
To apply for the opportunity, visit: Application form
Do you have a research-backed innovation addressing food security? Apply for funding and mentorship from the WFP Ignite SEED Innovation Programme before 9 October 2023.
Do you have a research-backed innovation addressing food security? Apply for funding and mentorship from the WFP Ignite SEED Innovation Programme before 9 October 2023.
The World Food Program Ignite Innovation Hub invites early-stage innovators with research-backed ideas in the food systems to apply for the Ignite SEED Innovation Programme. The ten-month Program aims to help innovators develop and scale their solutions to address food security and improve climate resilience for local communities.
Selected participants will receive the following benefits:
- Mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and food systems experts
- Access to WFP’s network of partners and stakeholders
- Funding to support prototyping, testing, and scaling their solutions
- Training and workshops on business development, marketing, and fundraising
Interested participants must meet the following criteria to apply:
- Have a research-backed idea or invention in the food systems sector
- Have at least two team members based in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, or Somalia
- Be interested in transforming their idea into a venture
- Be passionate about disrupting food systems to achieve zero hunger
- Be available for program activities for the duration of the innovation program, including in-person and online sessions
- Female entrepreneurs and non-academic innovators are specifically encouraged to apply
Innovators interested in the Program must submit a proposal outlining their idea, team, and how they plan to use the Program to scale their solution. To apply, visit: Application form
Are you a woman entrepreneur struggling with access to finance, markets and networks? Apply for the IFC She Wins Africa program before 15 September 2023
Are you a woman entrepreneur struggling with access to finance, markets and networks? Apply for the IFC She Wins Africa program before 15 September 2023.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) invites applicants for the She Wins Africa program, launched to support women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa. The She Wins Africa program addresses the challenges women entrepreneurs face in accessing finance, markets, and networks. The program provides participants with training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help them build skills and knowledge to build and grow their businesses.
The program includes the following components:
- Investment readiness training: Participants will receive training on how to pitch their businesses to investors, develop financial projections, and build robust business plans.
- Mentorship: Participants will be matched with experienced mentors who can provide guidance and support.
- Networking opportunities: Participants will have the opportunity to connect with other women entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders.
Interested participants must meet the following criteria:
- Be for-profit businesses.
- Have a female founder or co-founder.
- Be based in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Have been operating for at least one year.
- Have a clear business model and financial projections.
Successful applicants will receive the following benefits:
- Increased access to finance: The program provides participants with training on how to pitch their businesses to investors. This can help them secure the funding they need to grow their businesses.
- Improved business skills: The program provides participants with training on various business topics, such as marketing, sales, and financial management. This can help them improve the performance of their businesses.
- Increased networking opportunities: The program allows participants to connect with other women entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders. This can help them build relationships and collaborate on new projects.
- Increased visibility: The program allows participants to be featured on the IFC’s website and in its marketing materials. This can help them raise awareness of their businesses.
To apply for the program, visit Applications.
The Power of Mentorship
The Power of Mentorship: Why It’s Key for a Startup Entrepreneur
Starting a new business can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. For a startup entrepreneur, navigating the complexities of the business world can be challenging, making the journey to success seem daunting. In such situations, mentorship emerges as a powerful tool that can significantly impact the trajectory of a startup. In this article, we delve into the reasons why mentorship is a key factor for a startup entrepreneur’s success and how to identify a mentor who can support you.
Here’s how a mentor can help:
Learning from experience: Mentors bring a wealth of knowledge and experience. They have likely encountered similar challenges and obstacles that a startup entrepreneur is facing. By sharing their experiences, mentors provide valuable insights and lessons that can help new entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls and make informed decisions. With a mentor’s guidance, entrepreneurs can make well-informed decisions, mitigating the risk of costly errors and preserving valuable time and resources
Building a strong network: Mentors often have extensive networks within the industry. Introductions and connections made through a mentor can open doors to potential investors, clients, or partners. A robust network can accelerate a startup’s growth and increase its chances of success.
Objective feedback: Mentors can offer impartial and constructive feedback. They can objectively assess the startup’s strategies, products, or services, identifying areas for improvement. Constructive criticism allows an entrepreneur to refine their ideas and make necessary adjustments.
Fostering accountability: Mentors help hold entrepreneurs accountable for their actions and goals. By setting milestones and regularly reviewing progress, mentors keep entrepreneurs focused and on track, preventing distractions or deviating from the startup’s vision.
Gaining Confidence and Leadership Skills: Mentorship empowers entrepreneurs with valuable leadership skills. By observing and learning from their mentors, startup entrepreneurs can hone their own leadership style and cultivate the confidence needed to lead their teams effectively.
Innovative Thinking: Mentors often challenge conventional thinking and encourage innovative approaches. This mindset shift can inspire the entrepreneur to think outside the box, leading to creative solutions and competitive advantages.
Mentorship is undeniably a critical element for startup entrepreneurs. The guidance, support, and wisdom shared by mentors can make a significant difference in the journey towards entrepreneurial success. Embracing mentorship not only enhances the startup’s prospects but also fosters personal growth and resilience. Aspiring entrepreneurs are encouraged to seek out mentors who align with their vision, values, and goals, as the power of mentorship can be the catalyst that propels their startups to new heights of achievement.
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