Tony Elumelu Foundation has opened applications for the 2026 Entrepreneurship Programme, offering a $5,000 seed capital grant. This is the largest African philanthropic initiative committed to empowering African entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship across the continent.
Applicants are required to register on the grant portal and complete the programme’s application form with valid and accurate information.
Programme participants who have successfully met all completion requirements for the investment readiness phase will be required to submit the necessary documents in order to receive their seed capital to launch or scale their business.
Eligibility criteria include:
Applicants must be 18 years and above.
Applicants must have a business idea or own a business that is not older than five years.
Applicants must reside in Africa and plan to establish their business in Africa.
Applicants must not have benefitted from any previous programmes.
Applicants must not have previously applied in the same application window of the same year.
All applicants are required to upload a valid, clear, and accessible government-issued ID that displays their date of birth and photo, along with a high-resolution headshot.
Successful applicants of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme will be notified of their participation confirmation on 22 March 2026.
For the $5,000 non-refundable seed capital, each applicant must have the following available: a Business Registration Certificate, evidence of tax registration, a valid reference letter from the business’ bank, a duly completed Partner Consent Form (for participants who are co-owners of their business), and a valid medical report.
The application portal for the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme opened on 1 January 2026 and will close at midnight on 1 March 2026.
How to apply:
Interested applicants should visit and apply via www.TEFConnect.com. All applicants will be notified after the closing date, and shortlisted applicants who successfully pass the LSEG World-Check screening and physical verification exercise will be considered for the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.
