Applications have opened for the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme 2026, offering young African entrepreneurs access to training, mentorship, and seed capital of up to $5,000 to support new and existing businesses across the continent. The programme, widely known as TEEP, is open to entrepreneurs from all African countries and cuts across every business sector, targeting start-ups and young enterprises with strong growth potential.
According to the organisers, the 2026 edition continues the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship as a driver of Africa’s economic transformation. The Tony Elumelu Foundation, which marked ten years of impact in 2020, says the programme is designed to empower a new generation of African entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge, and financial support required to build sustainable businesses. Successful applicants will receive what the Foundation describes as “world-class business training, mentorship, non-refundable seed capital up to $5,000, and access to global networking opportunities.”
The programme is open to African entrepreneurs with either a business idea or an existing young business that has the potential to grow and create impact. Eligible applicants must be based in African countries, and the selection process focuses on identifying outstanding entrepreneurs whose ideas or enterprises can contribute to economic development and job creation. The Foundation notes that the programme supports both early-stage ideas and operating businesses, provided they demonstrate viability and scalability.
One of the key benefits highlighted is the structure of the training, which has been tailored to address the realities faced by entrepreneurs on the continent. The Foundation explains that the training is designed to “educate and capacitise participants in starting or growing their businesses to overcome the challenges faced by entrepreneurs across the African continent.” The curriculum focuses on practical and iterative learning, ensuring that participants gain skills that remain useful well beyond the training period.
The Entrepreneurship Programme follows a clearly defined cycle, starting with the application process. Applicants who complete the application form, meet the minimum score requirements, and are accepted into the programme are classified as successful applicants. These individuals will then be enrolled in the TEF Business Management Training Programme. Applicants who are not successful at this stage will be directed to take the TEF General Business Training available on TEFConnect and may reapply for other Tony Elumelu Foundation programmes in the future.
After selection, applicants move into the verification and onboarding stage. During this phase, participants are required to submit documents that allow the promoter to verify both the identity of the applicant and the status of the business or business idea. The Foundation states that successful applicants who fail to meet the verification requirements will be removed from the programme and notified of their removal by email. This stage is intended to ensure transparency and confirm that only eligible entrepreneurs proceed.
Programme participants are expected to personally take part in all aspects of the programme. The Foundation makes it clear that participants are not allowed to designate business partners to undertake any part of the training, tasks, or activities. However, participants may share lessons learned with their partners in order to strengthen the business and institutionalise the training for long-term success.
Once onboarded, participants gain access to the Foundation’s proprietary TEF Business Management Training Programme. During this period, participants’ progress is tracked and assessed. The training is delivered in multiple languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic, to ensure accessibility across the continent. At the end of the final week of training, participants are assessed, and top-scoring individuals are notified via email that they will proceed to the business plan preparation stage.
Participants who do not complete the training stage or fail to progress beyond it are removed from the programme and informed by email. Those who advance receive a business plan template, which they must use to develop and submit a detailed business plan. These plans are reviewed and assessed based on key metrics such as feasibility and sustainability. Submission by the required deadline is mandatory to remain eligible.
Top-scoring participants from the business plan stage move on to the pitching competition. At this stage, entrepreneurs are required to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges or submit pitch videos to the promoter. The Foundation explains that selection at this stage is based on predetermined criteria, and only the strongest pitches qualify for seed capital support.
Participants who are not selected to receive seed capital after the pitching competition are notified by email and categorised as TEF Trainees. Those who fail to complete the pitching stage are removed from the programme and informed accordingly. Selected entrepreneurs are notified by email and proceed to the seed capital disbursement stage.
Seed capital is disbursed through electronic transfer into the selected entrepreneurs’ business bank accounts. The Foundation notes that banking and related charges may apply and will not be covered, meaning the final amount received may be less than the stated $5,000. Entrepreneurs funded by partner organisations will receive seed capital in line with specific partner commitments, which will be communicated separately.
The application deadline for the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme 2026 is March 1, 2026. Interested applicants are advised to visit the official programme webpage on TEFConnect for more information and to submit their applications.
Read also: Apply: Tony Elumelu Foundation 2026 entrepreneurship programme ($5,000 Seed Capital)
