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Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has officially opened applications for its 2025 entrepreneurship programmes, which aim to give young African entrepreneurs the skills to manage their businesses effectively.
TEF invites aspiring and existing entrepreneurs from across Africa to apply for opportunities that include world-class training, expert mentoring, and non-refundable seed capital to scale their businesses.
The foundation released a statement stating that the 2025 training will include key programmes that will assist young business owners in navigating their industry terrain without experiencing difficulties.
Opened January 1, 2025, the entrepreneurship application would close on March 1, 2025, and applicants are urged to complete and submit their applications ahead of the deadline.
The foundation further noted that applicants must be at least 18 years old.
“Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Programme: the flagship TEF Entrepreneurship Programme is open to all entrepreneurs across Africa with innovative business ideas or existing businesses not older than five years. This year, there is a special emphasis on businesses leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and green initiatives. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
“IYBA-WE4A Entrepreneurship Programme: Launched by the Tony Elumelu Foundation in partnership with the European Union (EU) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), IYBA-WE4A stands for Investing in Young Businesses in Africa – Women Entrepreneurship for Africa and is exclusively for women entrepreneurs with green business ideas or existing green businesses in Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, and Togo. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, with businesses not exceeding five years in operation.
“Aguka Ideation Programme: The Aguka Ideation Entrepreneurship Programme is a partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, UNDP Rwanda and the Rwandan Ministry of Youths and Arts to support young Rwandan entrepreneurs between 18 -30 with business ideas with a seed capital of $3000, with the aim of nurturing and developing innovative concepts into viable enterprises”.
Application Details:
Platform: Applications are to be submitted through TEF’s proprietary digital hub, TEFConnect.
Application Period: January 1, 2025 – March 1, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit their applications well ahead of the deadline.
Eligibility: Open to African entrepreneurs with scalable business ideas or existing businesses not older than five years. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has provided up to 2.5 million young Africans with access to training on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed over USD$100 million in direct funding to over 21,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 800,000 direct and indirect jobs, and generated over USD$4.2 billion in revenue.
