SMME NEWS - JAN 2018 ISSUE

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SMME NEWS 8 January 2018 Land of Opportunity ith the start of the New Year, SMME News is focusing on usiness opportunities for student ntrepreneurs. African and global rganizations open business plan ompetitions and awards annually o support and encourage budding nd successful entrepreneurs in frica. Whether you need funding o bring your bright idea to limelight r have made innovative progress s an entrepreneur in Africa and eed a platform to demonstrate your chievements, there are opportunities ut there. elow is an AfterSchoolAfrica list of usiness plan competitions and awards or African entrepreneurs. Most of hese programs are offered annually. . The African Innovation Prize AIP) is a UK based non-profit organization ounded by Cambridge University raduates to spur student innovation nd entrepreneurship in Africa. rough university based business lanning competitions, AIP aims to ncourage students to dream, design, nd dedicate themselves to their usiness ideas. AIP also develops onnections between students and the ocal enterprise community through eeding entrepreneurship clubs within niversities, and brokering mentorship etween students and local business eaders. Business Funding Opportunities & Awards for Student Entrepreneurs 2. The Dell Social Innovation Challenge identifies and supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world’s most pressing problems with their transformative ideas. The program provides university students with world-class teaching and training, as well as with start-up capital and access to a network of mentors and advisors. 3. INDIAFRICA: A Shared Future features a series of multi-disciplinary contests across top campuses in Africa and India. The contests are aimed at offering students and professionals from both geographies a common platform for future collaborations in business, design and culture. 4. The Cola-Cola Africa Foundation Entrepreneurship programs provide students with the tools needed to prosper as a young adult. The main objective is to help today’s youth understand the importance of self-reliance and the impact they all have on the future of the economy by addressing the issue of unemployment in Africa and helping to create a culture of entrepreneurship. The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation has invested $3.1 million in programs that promote entrepreneurship amongst the youth in 12 countries. 5. Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Fellowship for South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland Students: The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation offers the exceptional Allan Gray Fellowship to Southern Africa’s pioneering bright young students. This initiative aims to develop students, known as Allan Gray Candidate Fellows, into Southern Africa’s future high impact responsible entrepreneurs. 6. The School Enterprise Challenge is a global business planning awards programme run by the educational charity ‘Teach A Man To Fish.’ It aims to create globally aware, socially responsible, young entrepreneurs. The School Enterprise Challenge is an international awards programme for schools around the world with up to $50,000 in prizes available for the most entrepreneurial schools, teachers and students. 7. The Skoll Scholarships in Social Entrepreneurship for International Students, UKprovides funding and exclusive opportunities to meet with world-renowned entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and investors. The Skoll Scholarship provides tuition for entrepreneurs who have set up or have been working in entrepreneurial ventures with a social purpose, and who wish to improve their knowledge of market-oriented practices so they can be more effective in their subsequent social change pursuits. The Skoll Scholarship covers full costs of Said Business School tuition and college fees. The Scholarship also covers partial living expenses based on need, up to an additional £8,000. 8. Google Hash Code Programming Competition for Students and Professionals in Africa, Europe & Middle East is a team-based programming competition organized by Google for students and industry professionals (18+) across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. You pick your team and programming language, Google picks a real-lifeengineering problem to solve. 9. How will you change the world with US$1 million? Apply for 2018 Hult Prize – Social Enterprise Challenge: thousands of university students worldwide team up to create start-ups aimed at solving an issue faced by billions in need. More than 10,000 applicants will begin the journey, and only 300 start-ups from around the world will move on to pitch their start-up ideas at one of five global locations, including: Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai and Shanghai. 10. The Google RISE Awards is an annual grant program for informal education organizations around the world that promote computer science for K-12/pre-university age youth. It aspires for students to be creators not just consumers of tomorrow’s technology, and that includes students from all backgrounds. This is why it’s efforts emphasize participation from girls, youth in low-income communities, and minorities who have historically been underrepresented in the field of computer science. COMPETITIONS The Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC) is open to applicants worldwide and offers a tremendous opportunity to entrepreneurs and investors alike. The Competition includes a path for Ventures (opening January 2018), as well as a path for Ideas. In offering multiple prizes and prize categories, the EBPC attracts innovative ideas in education from around the world, ranging from those structured on local or global needs, public or private issues, Pre-K through adult education, and social or for-profit ventures. Competition Themes: • Urban Education • Connecting Research to Practice • Teaching & Learning • Technology in Grades K through 12 • Special Education & At-Risk Students • Open & Collaborative Solutions: The Education Ecosystem • Online & Distance Learning in Higher Education • Global/Borderless Education Solutions • Early Childhood Education • Workforce Learning Ventures and Ideas As of the 2017 Competition, the Venture and Idea paths of the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition will run in series rather than concurrently. If your innovation is further along in its development, the Venture path opens for submissions in early January 2018. Applicants in the Venture path are generally expected to already have or plan to generate revenue, grants, customers, or investors. The Idea Path, aimed at entrepreneurs in the early stages of ideation or product/service development, recently held its IdeaFest competition finals in conjunction with the Reimagine Education Awards & Conference in December 2017. Applicants in the Idea path are expected to be prerevenue and pre-investment. Please note: even if your idea is in the early stages of development, if you plan to generate revenue, grants, customers, or investments, you are still eligible to apply to the Venture Path! How to enter For enquiries go to educomp@gse. uppen.edu and to enter go to www. educationcompetition.org VALEO INNOVATION 2018 Valeo wishes to encourage students from all over the world to innovate and to develop their entrepreneurial spirit, offering the winners the opportunity to create their own start-ups. ABOUT VALEO Valeo is an automotive supplier and partner to automakers worldwide. As a technology company, we design innovative solutions for smart mobility, with a particular focus on intuitive driving and reducing CO₂ emissions. The Group also provides and distributes spare parts for automakers and independent aftermarket operators. THE AIM OF THE CHALLENGE The aim is to reward an innovative project, whether it is a technological innovation or an idea for new ways to use cars. The participants will have to propose new solutions in one of the following categories: Vehicle Electrification, Autonomous Vehicle and Digital Mobility. RULES AT A GLANCE The competition is open to students who have completed high school and are now in higher education (e.g. university) in higher education from all disciplines and to the teachers, one per team. Entrants must compete in teams made up of between two and a maximum of five people. Teams can take part to the challenge by presenting a relevant, innovative project in English by submitting: 1. Mp4 video pitch (maximum 3 minutes) that explains the project in a clear, simple and audible way, 2. Accompanied by 5 slides describing the composition of the team; the problem identified; the existing or known solutions; the proposed technical solution; the target market and the business model. Yale Young African Scholars YYAS accepts applications from current secondary school students in Africa who will have to complete at least one full academic term or semester after August 2018. In addition, applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of an African country. YYAS does not accept applications from students in their final term of secondary school, from secondary school graduates, or from university students. YYAS cannot accept applications from students who are younger than 14 years old by the application deadline. Students who have attended YYAS previously are not eligible to reapply, but are encouraged to apply for the Yale Young Global Scholars Program. A typical YYAS participant has: • Excellent academic records • Demonstrated leadership potential • Strong written and verbal communication skills • A desire and ability to work cooperatively with peers • Persistence and determination when facing challenges • High standards of personal and professional conduct • The ability to read, analyze, and reflect on large quantities of difficult material in English • Interest in engaging in discussions about intellectual, moral, and political issues in Africa If you have any specific questions about your eligibility, please email african.scholars@yale.edu.
January 2018 SMME NEWS 9 Apply Now for Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme 2018 – $100 million to create 10,000 African Entrepreneurs in 10 Years The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme – TEEP – to offer 10,000 aspiring African Entrepreneurs an opportunity to benefit from $100 million grant to create 1,000,000 jobs and contribute $10 billion in annual revenues to Africa’s economy over the next 10 years. Application Period: Interested entrepreneurs will be able to submit their applications to join the programme as from 1st January 2018 until Midnight WAT on March 1, 2018. Offered annually? Yes. For a period of 10 years Opportunity is open to: All citizens (18 and above) and legal residents of all African countries with businesses that operate in Africa. About Entrepreneurship Programme: Nigerian billionaire investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu has committed $100 million to create 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa over the next 10 years. Elumelu made the commitment on Monday during a press conference in Lagos to announce the launch of The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP). Value of Programme: The 1,000 start-ups selected from a pool of applicants across Africa will participate in a comprehensive programme which will include; • A customized 12-week business skills training course • Start-Up Enterprise Toolkit • Mentoring • Resource Library • 2-Day Boot Camp • Seed Capital Funding • Elumelu Forum • Alumni Network To apply and for more info visit www.tonyelumelufoundation.org Call for Applications: Microsoft Airband Grant Initiative (fund to overcome barriers to affordable internet access) 2018 About the Award: Internet connectivity is an increasingly critical part of accessing a better education, jobs and health care, and in participating in the 21st century economy. Yet, with more than half of the world’s population lacking internet connectivity, often in rural and other underserved communities, there is still a long road ahead of us. Eligibility: • Grant fund applicants must be early stage internet and energy startups. • Applicants must be commercial organizations with at least two fulltime employees, have a prototype of a working solution and have preferably paying customers. • These solutions ideally More opportunities combine new cloud services and applications, low-cost forms of internet connectivity, and new payment mechanisms designed for consumers and smaller businesses in underserved markets. Application Deadline: 31st January 2018 Pangea Accelerator Program for African Entrepreneurs 2018 Pangea is happy to announce that the application round to join The Pangea Accelerator in Nairobi is open. The program enables African startups to take it to the next level with our three months accelerator program and the opportunity to get up to $50 000 in funding. Application Deadline: 19th February 2018 Eligible Countries: African countries About the Award: The Pangea Accelerator offers dedicated expertise to help your company reach full potential and connect you to capital and investors to scale your company. Apply before 19th February for a chance to accelerate the growth of your company. • Validation and Scalability: Get the skills and tools you need to validate and scale your business. Loans blacklisted, garnish sametime payout. Requirements, Id, 3months bank statement, latest payslip. Mbali 078 320 3908 • Mentoring: Tap in to a pool of experience and expertise from the angel investor and diaspora communities in Europe, US and Africa. Learn from succesful entrepreneurs, angel investors and experts. • Management and Operation: Learn how to run the daily operational activities of your business • Access investors: As a startup, having the right investment and competence partner is a crucial aspect of growing your business. At Pangeaa, we match you with best investors to accelerate your company. Field of Funding: Fintech – Agribusiness – Green Initiatives – Education – Healthcare – and many more. Eligibility: • Impact Driven Early Stage Startups: Your idea is unique and scalable. • Pre-Revenue & Revenue Companies: You have either generated some income or in the process of doing so. • Potential To Create Employment: Your project will create jobs in your community. • Passionate Team: You believe in your project and work hard to reach your goals. Duration of Program: 3 months How to Apply: visit www.pangeaa. com U.S. African Development Foundation Grants for African Enterprises 2018 The U.S. African Development Foundation invites proposals for grant financing and local support, from African enterprises, cooperatives, and producer groups with innovative solutions that extend their own capabilities to increase revenues, create jobs, improve farmer incomes, and achieve sustainable market-based growth. Application Deadline: 29th January 2018 Type: Grants Eligibility: • USADF will only consider proposals from 100% Africanowned enterprises, associations or cooperatives operating in the specified country sectors. • Applicants must be legally registered in their country, with a proven ability to track, manage, and use internal and external resources to achieve growth. • The majority of USADF’s funding agreements range between $100,000 and $250,000. USADF does not provide funding to government agencies, political parties, or organizations that are not based in Africa Selection Criteria: Successful Proposals Must Loans blacklisted, garnish sametime payout. Requirements, Id, 3months bank statement, latest payslip. Contact Nozipho 073 2994675. • Have a clearly defined market opportunity to grow revenues that can increase farmer incomes. • Have a clearly defined plan of how they can increase revenues and farmer incomes in 2- 4 years. • Be able to make significant cash or in-kind contributions toward making the project successful. • Be able to impact hundreds of farmers. • Be able to identify additional financing options available after the USADF grant ends. Organization Requirements 1. The organization must be 100% African-owned and managed by country nationals. 2. The organization must be a legally registered African entity (or in the process of becoming legally registered. Registration must be completed before any funding may be provided). 3. The organization must demonstrate that it has successfully worked together and has the capability to effectively use grants funds.. 4. The ownership and management must be in agreement on the problem to be addressed and have a commitment to benefit their community. 5. The organization must have basic functional management and controls to account for USADF funds. Supporting Documents 1. Completed Application Form. – Required 2. Copy of a valid organization or nterprise registration form. – Required 3. Most Recent Business Plan. – Preferred but Optional 4. Two Years of Financial Statements – Preferred but Optional Grant Application Instructions Send a copy of the completed application form and a copy of the registration document to the address listed below for your country. Be sure to include a copy of your recent business plan and financial statements if you have them. Note: USADF is only accepting applications from cooperatives, associations, or enterprises directly involved in the sectors listed for each country in the table below. USADF is not accepting applications from NGOs. Application materials submitted after January 29, 2018 will not be considered Loans blacklisted, garnish sametime payout. Requirements, Id, 3months bank statement, latest payslip. Contact Thabsile 0603123733.
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