Application Deadline: March 1st, 2026
Applications are now open for the 2026 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme. The Tony Elumelu Foundation, which celebrated ten years of impact in 2020, is empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, through the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme. Successful applicants receive a world-class business training, mentorship, non-refundable seed capital up to $5,000, and global networking opportunities. The Programme is open to entrepreneurs across Africa, both new start-ups and existing young businesses, operating in any sector.
Eligibility:
- The Entrepreneurship Programme identifies outstanding African entrepreneurs who have start-ups or business ideas with the potential to grow.
- Eligible Countries: African countries
Benefits
- The training has been tailored to educate and capacitise you in starting or growing your business to overcome the challenges faced by entrepreneurs across the African continent.
- The curriculum focuses on practical, iterative learning that is useful even long after the training period.
The Programme, Participation & Disqualification
1. The Programme is made up of the following stages all of which form the Programme cycle:
Application Process
2. Successful Applicants are those Applicants who complete the Application form, attain the minimum application score requirements and are accepted into the Programme.
3. Successful applicants will be enrolled into the TEF Business Management Training programme.
4. Unsuccessful Applicants will be directed to take the TEF General Business Training on TEFConnect and will be eligible to reapply for other TEF Programmes.
Verification & Onboarding
5. Applicants will be verified and onboarded by the Promoter. Verification will involve the submission of required documents by the Applicant in order to enable the Promoter to ascertain the state of the Business or Business idea as well as the identity of the applicant.
6. Successful Applicants who do not meet the verification requirements will be removed from the Programme and notified of removal via email.
7. Programme Participants are not allowed to designate their Business Partners to undertake any part of the Programme. All trainings, tasks and activities to be undertaken under the Programme shall be carried out by only the Programme Participants. However, Programme Participants may share the training points with their business partners to institutionalise the training for the success of the Business or the Business Idea.
8. During the TEF Business Management Training Programme™ Participants’ progress will be tracked and assessed. The training shall be made available in English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic.
9. Upon completion of the last week of the TEF Business Management Training Programme Participants will be assessed, and top scoring Programme Participants will be notified via email that they will be proceeding to the Business Plan preparation stage.
10. Programme Participants who do not complete this stage or do not proceed beyond this stage of the Programme will be removed from the Programme and be notified via email.
Business Training
11. Once Successful Applicants are onboarded, they will proceed to the training stage and are granted access to undertake the Foundation’s proprietary TEF Business Management Training Programme™ .
Business Plan Preparation & Submission
12. Programme Participants who have been onboarded to the TEF Business Management Training Programme will receive a business plan template to develop a business plan document for review and assessment. This review and assessment will be based on relevant metrics including feasibility and sustainability. Programme Participants must submit their Business Plans by the required deadline to be eligible for consideration for the next stage of the programme.
13. The top scoring Programme Participants from this stage will be notified via email and will proceed to the Pitching Competition stage.
14. Any Programme Participant who does not complete this stage of the Programme or is not successful at this stage will be removed from the Programme and notified of removal via email.
Pitching Competition
15. Top scoring Programme Participants shortlisted from the business plan stage will participate in the Pitching Competition where they will pitch their business plans to a panel of judges or submit their pitch videos to the Promoter.
16. Top scoring Programme Participants from the Pitching Competition will be selected based on a predetermined selection criteria and will be eligible to receive the Seed Capital.
17. Programme Participants who are not selected from the Pitching Competition to receive the Seed Capital will be notified via email and will be categorised as TEF Trainees.
18. Any Programme Participant who does not complete this stage of the Programme will be removed from the Programme and notified of removal via email.
Seed Capital
19. The Selected Entrepreneurs from the Pitching Competition will be notified via email.
20. Disbursement of the Seed Capital will be made via electronic transfer into the Selected Entrepreneurs’ Business Bank Account. Banking and other charges may apply and shall not be borne by the Foundation. The total amount received may therefore be less than US$5,000 equivalent. TEF Partner funded entrepreneurs will receive seed capital in line with the partner commitments and this will be communicated in due course to Programme Participants who will be funded by partners.
21. The disbursement of the Seed Capital will be by payment into the Selected Entrepreneurs
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme
