Initiative· Impact
The Tony Elumelu Foundation programme: what $5,000 in seed capital comes with
Every year the Tony Elumelu Foundation backs African entrepreneurs with training, mentoring and $5,000 of non-returnable seed capital. Who it's for, when it opens, and how to apply.
- Backer
- Tony Elumelu Foundation
- Offers
- GrantsTrainingMentoring
- Who it's for
- African founders 18+ with an idea or a business under five years old
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Programme is one of the best-known backers of early-stage African founders, and it's free to apply.
What you get
Selected entrepreneurs go through business training and get personalised support on their business plan, with EY involved in that support. At the end, they receive non-returnable seed capital of $5,000. That's a grant, not a loan, and TEF does not take a stake.
Who can apply
According to the foundation, you need to be:
- 18 or older
- from an African country, living in Africa, and planning to build your business there
- working on a business idea, or running a business that is under five years old
Past beneficiaries can't apply again.
When it opens
The foundation says its application portal opens every year on 1 January and closes at midnight on 1 March, on its own platform, TEFConnect. Some older pages give a later closing date, so check TEFConnect for the current cycle before you plan around it.
Watch out for scams
TEF says it doesn't use third parties to handle applications and never asks for payment at any stage. If someone asks you for money to "help you apply", walk away.
Your next step
Create your TEFConnect account now, before the portal opens, and draft your answers in a document: the problem you solve, who pays you, what you've done so far and what $5,000 would let you do next. Creatives running a business, such as a studio, label or fashion brand, are entrepreneurs too.
Sources
- #seed funding
- #founders
- #training
Your story could be next.
Applying is free, and it starts on your Launchpad.