Closed cycle
microgrant
Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme
Pan-African entrepreneurship programme: a US$5,000 non-refundable, non-equity seed grant plus training, mentorship and network access, open to entrepreneurs (0-3 year startups and aspiring founders) who are citizens or legal residents of any of the 54 African countries. Applications run annually (~Jan-Mar) via TEFConnect.
The money
AwardUSD 5,000
Cycle
annual — not accepting applications
Important dates
Deadline2026-03-01
Opens2026-01-01
Next expectedaround 2027-01-01
Note2026 cycle ran 1 Jan - 1 Mar 2026 (now closed). Runs annually; next_expected is an estimate for the 2027 window, not a published date.
How they pay
The field no other directory carries. Getting it wrong is the most expensive mistake in the whole process.
Methodthe funder does not say
Pays individualsyes
Pays internationallyyes
Entity requiredunknown
NoteDisburses seed capital to individual entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries; the specific rail is not stated on the funder's page.
Eligibility
Age18+
Countries
only 54 countries — Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana… show all
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, United Republic of, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Student requiredunknown
Individuals onlyunknown
Entity requiredno
Must leave your jobunknown
Relocation requiredunknown
AI policy
Stancethe funder does not say