Hello Innovators! 👋

Precious here from SASIE, your partner in tech entrepreneurship.

This week's newsletter is packed with high-impact opportunities designed to fuel your growth, whether you're building a tech startup, running a green business, or leading a thriving social organization.

We have identified several critical deadlines this month, including the highly competitive Femme Inspire Program and major African tech competitions. Crucially, we’re featuring the application details for the IYBA WE4A Programme, offering $5,000 in seed capital to women-led green enterprises across eight African nations.

But the biggest news this week is the extraordinary funding available through the Dutch Government's FemFocus Grant, offering CSOs up to €27 million for women's entrepreneurship projects in Africa.

Don't wait, check the deadlines and find your next breakthrough opportunity below!

Sterling Bank Women Empower Fund (SWEF) / OneWoman Business Finance

Calling African Women Entrepreneurs: Apply to get affordable Capital

Sterling Women Empower Fund (SWEF) is a central component of Sterling Bank's OneWoman initiative that aims to provide holistic financial and capacity support to women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. It aims to improve the growth of women-owned or women-led Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing, and fashion sectors by providing access to flexible and affordable capital.

What You'll Receive

• Affordable Capital: Facility of up to ₦75 million loans for business growth and development.

• Flexible Financing: Eligibility for business support loans (up to 2-year repayment) and asset finance facilities (up to ₦50 million NGN).

• Unsecured Loan Options: First-time customers can receive up to ₦15 million NGN in unsecured financing.

• Capacity Building: Provision of access to other support programs such as the Business and Development Training Program and the IFC Training program for female entrepreneurs.

• Quick Response: Response expected within 5–7 business days upon submission of all documents required.

Who Can Apply?

Your enterprise should be a registered business working in Nigeria and fulfil at least one of the following criteria:

• The business is owned by a woman or women by at least 51%.

• The business is at least 20% owned by women, with a woman in a key leadership role (e.g., CEO, COO, MD, VP).

• At least 30% of the board are female (where there is a board).

• The business is in eligible sectors, including Health, Education, Agriculture, Fashion, Manufacturing, and Food & Beverage.

Deadline: December 31, 2025

SLA BoostHer Incubator Program

This is an incubator program created by She Leads Africa (SLA), designed solely to provide early-stage, woman-owned enterprises with the structure, tools, and guidance needed to pilot their ideas and create a sustainable business.

A cohort-driven, transformative program for female-founded, early-stage businesses ready to scale from a nascent idea to a sustainable business model. Students will gain access to individual coaching, autonomous learning materials, and peer critiques to iterate on their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and take home a functional business plan and pitch deck.

What You'll Get

• Personalized Business Coaching: Matched with a veteran coach who understands your space.

• Structured Learning: Self-directed, practical content and exercises to build a solid foundation.

• Live Masterclasses: Weekly masterclasses with actual strategies and experience from successful founders.

• Supportive Community: A robust tribe of peer female founders to learn and grow with.

• Tangible Outputs: Testing your underlying concept, a well-crafted business plan, and a polished pitch deck for fundraising.

Femme Inspire Program 2025

This mentorship and capacity-building program is designed to provide women who are in the early to mid-phase of their careers with the tools, support system, and confidence to drive career progress.

A six-week career development programme for women between the ages of 20 and 35, centred on mentorship, learning, and accountability. The 2025 version, titled "Redefining Success: Empowering Women to Lead, Succeed and Create a Collective Future," is aimed at enabling participants to redefine their career ambitions, take advantage of opportunities, and establish a robust professional network. The programme is scheduled to start in November.

What You'll Receive

• Receive valuable advice for success in the professional world and pursuing career ambitions.

• Connect with a supportive network of women colleagues and join small groups for alumnae and peer guidance.

• Develop communication skills to improve professional presence and influence.

• Learn how to utilise LinkedIn to build your brand, expand your network, and seize career opportunities.

• Learn the skills needed to write compelling resumes, cover letters, and other professional writing.

Deadline: October 31, 2025

SMEDAN National MSME Conference & Pitch Competition 2025

SMEDAN (Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria) is hosting its flagship "GROW Nigerian" National MSME Conference. The conference will strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of Nigerian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through discussions, innovation, and direct access to funding opportunities.

What You'll Receive

• Pitch Competition Grant: Chance to take home a maximum of ₦20 Million NGN in grants (₦10 Million NGN for the grand prize, with other significant prizes for finalists).

• Networking & Connections: Get involved with deal rooms and roundtable sessions designed to connect MSMEs with investors, buyers, and partners.

• Expert Advisory (Business Clinic): Exposure to a "One-Stop Shop" of heads of key government and regulatory agencies (CAC, NAFDAC, BOI, FIRS, etc.) for on-the-spot solutions to business challenges.

• Training & Insights: Gain insights from industry experts and government officials on matters like MSME funding, digitalization, and green business.

Deadline: October 28, 2025

FemFocus – Encouraging Women's Entrepreneurship Grant

This is an important grant opportunity initiated by the Government of the Netherlands (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to create sustainable economic prospects for women in Africa. The program focuses on large, well-established Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with the ability to implement multi-country, five-year projects with exceptionally large budgets.

A very competitive, large-scale grant programme providing substantial funding to CSOs to empower women entrepreneurs in some African nations. The programme focuses on Individual Empowerment (building business capability, market, and access to finance) and Societal Transformation (eliminating structural barriers and attaining gender equality in the business environment). Extremely few high-impact proposals will be supported.

What You'll Receive

• High Grant Value: Grants ranging from €18.26 million to a maximum of €27.41 million per project.

• Long-Term Funding: Projects will have a duration of 60 months (5 years), effective from January 1, 2026.

• Capacity Building Support: Support for projects enhancing business capacity and expanding women entrepreneurs' access to markets and finance.

• Multi-Country Impact: The chance to manage a high-profile project involving women's economic empowerment in at least two eligible African nations.

Deadline: January 7, 2026

IYBA WE4A Programme 2025: Supporting Young African Enterprises

Investing in Young African Businesses – Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (IYBA WE4A) Programme 2025

This is a groundbreaking program initiated by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) together with the European Union (EU) and others, specifically to support women entrepreneurs in Africa operating in the green economy.

A revolutionary program providing seed capital, training, and mentorship to female-owned businesses, driving Africa's green and sustainable economic revolution. The program aims to empower women business owners of businesses engaged in climate action, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy in eight focal African countries.

What You'll Receive

• Seed Capital: $5,000 USD worth of non-refundable seed capital to drive business growth and innovation.

• World-Class Training: Interactive and experiential entrepreneurship training through the TEFConnect platform.

• Personalized Mentorship: Guidance from experienced business leaders in the areas of strategy, leadership, and finance.

• Networking & Visibility: Access to corporate partners and investors, and visibility on TEF platforms.

• Comprehensive Support: Resources and tools to scale the growth and impact of green businesses.

Who Can Apply?

• Female co-founder or founder.

• Business needs to be green or environmentally sustainable (e.g., action on climate, renewable energy, recycling, sustainable land use).

• Age should be 18 years or older.

• Business should be registered for a maximum period of five years.

Businesses should be located within one of the participating countries:

• Cameroon

• Kenya

• Malawi

• Mozambique

• Senegal

• Tanzania

• Togo

• Uganda

Deadline: January 25, 2026

VenturLoop (Startup Matchmaking Platform)

VenturLoop is a trailblazing platform with a genius algorithm and an AI mentor (Loop) that helps match startup founders with the essential resources needed to build and scale. Though it has a core interest in India's startup ecosystem, it is open to founders from all over the globe wishing to connect with co-founders, authenticated investors, accelerators, and partners.

What You'll Get

• Co-founder Matching: Discover and meet potential partners with matching goals, skills, and interests.

• Verified Investor Access: Pitch your startup idea in a snap to a list of verified Venture Capital firms and angel investors using a One-Click Investor Pitching function.

• Accelerator & Incubator Gateway: Find, filter, and apply to the top incubator and accelerator programs from one system.

• Collaboration Tools: Network with co-founders and collaborators to collaborate on live projects and build your dream team.

Who is Eligible?

• Startup founders from all over the world, idea stage or seasoned venture.

• Entrepreneurs are actively looking for a co-founder, investor, collaborator, incubator, or accelerator.

• The site is particularly ideal for those interested in the Indian startup scene.

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