Africa Funding Readiness Fellowship Program 2025

Africa Funding Readiness Fellowship is an immersive and intensive training which aims to help nano, micro, small and medium enterprises achieve financial readiness to secure funding. The fellowship will prepare business owners for investment through workshops and mentorship and will provide direct access to a network of over 50 investors.

African Funding Readiness Fellowship is an expanded version of Countdown to Capital a 4-day intensive training held in 2022 for 20 entrepreneurs.

Who is Eligible?

The African Funding Readiness Fellowship is a 6-month intensive training which offers nano, micro, small, medium and large-scale entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn the rudiments of building a legacy enterprise. The Fellowship will cover themes around:

• Fundable Business Structures
  You will learn how to build business structures that attract funders to your enterprise, including financial management, understanding financial risks, and required legal structures.
• Business Leadership
  Driving Vision, Strategy, and Growth; learn how to guide your business toward achieving its goals by setting a clear vision, making strategic decisions, and inspiring teams to perform at their best. Balancing innovation, adaptability, and collaboration to foster sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
• Business Strategy, Operations and Technology Adoption
  Optimizing Success, Aligning Business Strategy, Streamlining Operations, and Leveraging Technology Adoption. This highlights the importance of integrating business strategy with efficient operations and the adoption of emerging technologies to drive growth, improve competitiveness, and ensure long-term sustainability in today’s dynamic market environment.

Key Benefits of the Fellowship

1. Funding Readiness Training
   This is a 6-month intensive training designed to equip founders and entrepreneurs with fundamental entrepreneurship training e.g. business leadership, strategy and operationalization. Founders will learn how to apply winning strategies to grow their businesses, develop funding plans, etc.
2. Mentorship
   AFRF will provide one-on-one mentorship to fellows to complement the learning modules from the workshop. Mentors will provide strategic guidance and assist fellows in navigating the intricacies of building a successful business.
3. Access to Funding
   We will host a demo day and provide an opportunity for fellows to pitch to investors. We will also partner with local lending institutions to provide low-interest loans to selected fellows.

Apply Now: Access Recently Updated Funding and grants opportunities for Startups

Application Procedure

• Stage 1 Application (October 21 – December 16, 2024)
  First Stage Application: Applicants are to record a 120-second video pitch.
• Second Stage Application (January 2025):
  Successful semifinalists from Stage 1 will be asked to answer some specific questions, related to the Fellowship goals, in writing. The Fellowship accommodates only 100 entrepreneurs

Click here to start your application

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