Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme 2026

Expired Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 10:50

$5,000 USD non-refundable seed capital plus business training and mentorship for African entrepreneurs developing scalable technology solutions including waste and recycling sectors.

Source: https://linkedin.com/posts/regional-leadership-center-east-africa_funding-mentorship-opportunities-for-african-activity-7419619989239779328-8ziE

Funding Details

Funder

Tony Elumelu Foundation

Funding Goal

To empower African entrepreneurs by providing seed capital, business training, and mentorship to help them start and grow scalable businesses across any sector in Africa.

Funding Amount

$5,000 USD non-refundable seed capital (5.000 € – 5.000 €)

Deadline

2026-03-01 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Online application through the TEF portal. Applicants submit a business plan and personal information. Selected candidates receive seed capital, training, and mentorship over a structured programme period.

Target Region

Africa

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:06

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be an entrepreneur or business owner based in Africa
• Open to both new startups and existing young businesses — confirm age-of-business criteria on the TEF portal

Project Scope

• No sector restriction — applications from waste, recycling, circular economy, and technology sectors are all eligible
• Programme covers any of the 54 African countries

Required Documents

• Business plan and online application required via TEF portal

Constraints

• Seed capital of $5,000 is non-refundable (grant, not loan)
• 2026 round deadline was March 1, 2026 — monitor TEF portal for next annual cycle

Summary

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Programme is one of Africa's largest entrepreneurship initiatives, offering $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital to selected African entrepreneurs. The programme is open to both early-stage startups and existing young businesses operating in any sector across Africa, with no industry restriction applied. The 2026 edition had a deadline of March 1, 2026. Beyond the seed grant, participants receive structured business training through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme curriculum, as well as access to mentorship from experienced business leaders and the broader TEF alumni network. The combination of capital, training, and mentorship is designed to help entrepreneurs move from idea to execution and scale their ventures sustainably. The programme targets individual entrepreneurs and small business owners across all 54 African countries. It is sector-agnostic, meaning applicants from agriculture, technology, waste management, recycling, creative industries, and all other fields can apply. The foundation has supported thousands of entrepreneurs across Africa since the programme's inception in 2015. For organizations working in plastic waste or circular economy in Africa, the programme could be relevant if they have an entrepreneurial founder or business unit, though the grant amount is relatively modest and the programme targets individual entrepreneurs rather than established non-profit membership organizations.

Historical Context

The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme has run annually since 2015 and has supported thousands of entrepreneurs across Africa. The 2026 edition is referenced in this LinkedIn post with a March 1, 2026 deadline. The programme is well-established as a recurring annual initiative.

Why it was added

Africa plastic recycling social enterprise funding

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