Business Funding Opportunities

Are you interested in raising business funds to start your own business or expand your existing business?

Are you looking for business grants, funding opportunities, business plan competitions, empowerment opportunities, fellowship opportunities, or startup accelerator/incubator programmes?

Have you been looking for ways to get free grants and write a winning proposal but find it difficult, boring, or don’t know how to go about it?

If your answer is yes to these questions, congratulations! You are in the right place at the right time.

I have curated and listed some of the latest funding opportunities for you and I encourage you to explore them below, section by section

BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

• NANSInnovate Competition 2026 for Nigerian Student Entrepreneurs
• Africa Energy Innovation Competition 2026: Up to US$10,000 in Grants and Business Support
• CBN Regulatory Sandbox Cohort 2 for Nigerian Fintech Startups 2026
• Africa Business Innovation Lab (ABIL) Open Calls 2026: Funding and Support
• UNDP Timbuktoo Pan African Incubation Program for Edtech Startups 2026

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BUSINESS GRANTS

• NiYA x Cascador Business Development Programme 2026 (Up to ₦5 Million Undiluted Funding)
• FG EMERGE Grant: How Nigerian Mineral Exploration Companies And Researchers Can Access This Fund
• Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2026: A Shot At Global Recognition For Nigerian Tech Founders
• Miller Center Accelerator Program 2027: Free 6-Month Support For Social Enterprises
• Fembol Student Innovation Grant 2026: ₦2.5 Million in Funding Students Ideas

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EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurship Program 2026: Free Business Skills Training for MSMEs
• Japan-UNITAR Youth & Women Programme 2026 (Nigeria)
• ECOWAS Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Programme 2026
• YASIF Nigeria IBM SkillsBuild Free Digital Skills Training Program Phase 2
• 3MTT National Impact Challenge 1.0 (Win Laptops, Tablets, Data Bundles)

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FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMMES

• African Union Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme 2026/2027 for Youth- and Women-Led SMEs
• AGP Ascent Fellowship 2026: Free Online Fellowship for Entrepreneurs
• Commonwealth Startup Fellowship 2026/2027 for Early-Stage Startups: Fully Funded Programme in Ghana and the UK
• Transfyr AI Fellowship Program 2026: $125,000 in Support
• Bosun Tijani Foundation Gen AI Fellowship Cohort 2: ₦50,000 monthly stipend

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STARTUPS ACCELERATOR/INCUBATOR PROGRAMMES

• Fast Forward Accelerator 2027: $25,000+ Grants for Non-Profit Tech Startups
• SMEDAN Young Entrepreneurs Program 2026: New Support for Nigerian Startups and Innovators
• Ideation Hub African Masterclass Series 6.0: Free 12-Week Impact Accelerator for Young Africans
• Axis Sprint 001 Accelerator 2026 for african Founders: 12-Week Venture-Building Programme
• UNDP Africa Timbuktoo Launchpad Program 2026 for GreenTech Startups

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BUSINESS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• NiYA x Cascador Business Development Programme 2026 (Up to ₦5 Million Undiluted Funding)
• NANSInnovate Competition 2026 for Nigerian Student Entrepreneurs
• Ideation Hub African Masterclass Series 6.0: Free 12-Week Impact Accelerator for Young Africans
• MORE HEALTH for Africa Program Cohort 3: €80,000 for Healthcare Innovation
• Africa Business Innovation Lab (ABIL) Open Calls 2026: Funding and Support

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

• UNDP Timbuktoo Pan African Incubation Program for Edtech Startups 2026
• Wema Bank SME Business School 2026: Free Business Training for Nigerian Entrepreneurs
• SMEDAN Cluster Development Support (CDS) for MSMEs 2026
• How To Start A Cooking Gas Business in Nigeria 2026 (Step By Step Guide)
• ICC-WTO-ITC Small Business Champions Competition 2026

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PRIZES AND AWARDS

• ECOWAS Startup Award 2026: $65,000 Prize for Innovative West African Startups
• Climate Resilience Awards for Business 2026
• UNESCO UNEVOC Skills in Action Photo Competition 2026: $750 in Prizes
• Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2027: £50,000 Grants
• iF Social Impact Prize 2026 for Social Entrepreneurs (EUR 100,000 Prize)

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

• Digital Entrepreneurship Training and Business Support Programme for Women in Northern Nigeria
• Pave Her Way Women’s Grant Programs 2026: Up to $90,000 in Funding
• Women In Business Competition 2026: Up to ₦3 Million in Grants
• Mastercard Foundation Pathways to Scale (P2S) Programme 2026 for Women-Led Businesses
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurship Program 2026: Free Business Skills Training for MSMEs

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INTERNSHIP PROGRAMMES

• Enovate Lab Impact Fellowship 3.0 Internship (Monthly Stipend)
• SMEDAN Launches Undergraduate Internship Program for Student Entrepreneurs
• FCMB Flexxtern Internship Program for Young Nigerians (Fully Paid)

STANDARD BUSINESS PLANS

Whether you’re starting a new business, repositioning your existing business, or targeting outside investors, getting a clearly detailed business plan can make the journey to your business goal easier, faster, and less costly.

Writing an investor-grade business plan can be challenging and time-consuming, even for those who have done it before.

To help my loyal subscribers and readers and help them save time and money, I have decided to develop the most asked for business plans.

If you’re like most small-business owners, you’ve never had to create a business plan before. In fact, you may have never even seen a formal business plan document let alone had to put one together.

I have developed the following business plans…

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If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 07031542324 or utibeman@gmail.com

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