Hello Innovators! 👋

Precious here from SASIE, your partner in tech entrepreneurship.

Welcome to March! We are officially moving into the third month of the year, and this is the time to move from planning to "marching" into the future with purpose. Are you looking to scale your startup with ₦1,000,000 in non-dilutive funding? Are you looking to be recognized on the global stage through the UN? Are you looking to access microloans to fuel your operations? Well, this week's issue has got you covered!

As we move into International Women's Day, we are also going to celebrate the women who paved the way. From the historic launch of the Fearless Fund in Africa to our special feature on honouring the mentors who believed in us first, this week is all about growth and gratitude! Let's make this month count!

Leading Ladies Connect (LLC) Pitch Competition 2026

The LLC Pitch Competition is back and “Bigger, Bolder, and Better” for our second year. This global pitch competition aims to shine the spotlight on women-led businesses with great ideas, significant traction, and measurable impact. You’ll have the unique opportunity to pitch your business live to Toronto (or online) to our panel of seasoned judges and industry leaders during the Leading Ladies Conference.

What You’ll Receive

1. Cash Prizes

• Grand Prize: $5,000 (two prizes)

• Award: $3,000 (one prize)

• Community Choice Award: $2,000 (one prize)

Global Visibility

• National exposure for your brand

• Featured in the LLC Business Directory

Mentorship: Access to dedicated hours with women who have successfully scaled companies

Networking

• Direct access to influential women leaders and industry partners

• Access to potential investors

Who Can Apply?

• Women entrepreneurs who identify as such

• Founders and/or co-founders

• For-profit businesses in any industry

• Businesses must be registered and operational for at least 3-6 months

• Businesses must have a clear business model and significant traction

Note: A non-refundable application fee applies ($35)

Deadline: April 1st, 2026 (11:59 PM)

Fearless Fund Africa: Live Pitch & Microfinance Fund

Fearless Fund Africa is a microfinance fund for women entrepreneurs in Africa. The fund is committed to closing the wealth gap globally. The fund is launching in Africa after its legendary success in the United States. The fund is launching a historic live pitch event in Ghana for women entrepreneurs. The fund is also launching a Microfinance Fund for high-impact loans for women entrepreneurs in Africa.

What You'll Receive

• Grant Funding: The live pitch event will offer a total of GHS 100,000 in grants.

• Microfinance Loans: Access to microfinance loans of $800-$2,000 for underserved women entrepreneurs.

• Global Platform: The chance to pitch your business idea to a world-class venture capital firm.

• Expansion Support: Access to a network focused on moving businesses from local operation to sustainable business models.

Who Can Apply?

• Women-led businesses operating on the African continent.

• For the Pitch Competition: We're inviting Ghana's entrepreneurial community to apply for our live pitch event.

• Founders offering innovative and culturally responsive products/services.

 Deadline: March 31, 2026

International Women’s Day 2026: Mentor Spotlight Nomination

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, this special call is dedicated to honoring the women who give their all to others. Behind every successful woman is often someone who first believed in her. This initiative is to honor the unsung heroines across the African continent who have helped shape the next generation of leaders. If you have been impacted by the woman in your life who has helped shape your journey, this is your chance to tell the story.

What You'll Receive

• Special Feature: You and your mentor will be interviewed and featured as part of our high-visibility campaign for International Women’s Day 2026.

• Platform & Recognition: A global platform to honor the woman who helped shape your journey and your success.

• Storytelling Impact: Your story will inspire and encourage women across the continent to become mentors to others.

Who Can Apply?

• Mentees from across the African continent who wish to nominate their female mentor.

• Women who have a compelling story to tell about how their mentor stretched them, challenged them, and helped them achieve their goals.

• Women from all sectors, including corporate professionals and grassroots entrepreneurs.

Deadline: March 2, 2026

WSIS Prizes 2026 (World Summit on the Information Society)

The WSIS Prizes is a special global platform, led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to recognize excellence in the field of digital innovation. This contest seeks to recognize projects worldwide that utilize the power of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to drive the achievement of sustainable development goals. This is the highest form of recognition in the field of digital innovation, culminating in an awards ceremony at the WSIS Forum.

What You'll Receive

• Global Recognition: 18 Winners, as well as 72 Champions, will be officially recognized at the WSIS Forum 2026, which takes place in July.

• Publication: Your project will be published in the prestigious WSIS Stocktaking: Success Stories publication, which will be shared with global policy-makers.

• Networking: Connect with a global network of stakeholders, ranging from governments to private sector leaders to international institutions.

• Impact Validation: Your project will be recognized in the prestigious WSIS Stocktaking Report, which validates the impact of your project’s digital development.

Who Can Apply?

• Governments, private sector companies, civil society groups, academia, as well as international institutions.

• Projects must demonstrate a measurable social, economic, cultural, or environmental impact.

• Projects should show measurable social, economic, cultural, or environmental impact using technology.

• Projects should be completed or at the end of a major phase to show results.

• Individual stakeholders can submit one project per category, and there are 18 categories in total.

Deadline: March 15, 2026, at 23:00 UTC+1

Plus Factor Grant Program (by Plus Incubation Hub)

The Plus Factor Grant is a CSR initiative of the Plus Incubation Hub’s "School of Grant Success." It is designed to provide critical support to entrepreneurs at various stages of their journey. This program offers a combination of non-dilutive funding and structured business support to help African startups become investment-ready and scale their impact.

What You'll Receive

• Non-Dilutive Funding: Grant awards of up to ₦1,000,000 to fuel business growth.

• Expert Mentorship: Access to experienced business mentors and professional pitch coaching.

• Market Access: Support in gaining visibility and reaching new customer segments.

• Investment Readiness: Specialized training to help your business prepare for future high-level investment.

Who Can Apply?

• African entrepreneurs across all sectors.

• Businesses at different levels: Idea-stage, Early-stage, and Growth-stage.

• Founders who can demonstrate clear market demand and a vision for scalability.

• Applicants are committed to social impact and job creation within their communities.

Deadline: March 2nd, 2026

Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF): 2026 Grants Cycle

The Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) is currently accepting applications for the Youth Leadership Development Fund. The fund aims to strengthen, support, and promote youth ecosystem building in Nigeria. By filling the funding gap for youth activists and youth-led organizations, the NYFF enables the youth to lead the way to the development and growth of the country.

What You'll Receive

Tiered Grant Funding

• Individual/Small Grants: Focused on activists and organizations at the grassroots level.

• Development Grants: Focused on youth-led organizations working on social inclusion and governance.

• Catalyst Grants: Larger grants for civic and innovation hubs working as regional centres of excellence.

Capacity Building: Access to resources and capacity building to enhance the effectiveness of your work.

National Visibility: Opportunities to engage in outcomes-driven policy engagements.

Ecosystem Networking: Join a network of innovators using technology, media, art, and entertainment to create social change.

Who Can Apply?

• Nigerian youth activists and youth-led organizations (18-35 years old).

• Individuals and organizations working on themes such as good governance, national development, and social justice.

• Projects and organizations using technology, media, art, and entertainment to create social change.

ICYMI

• Product Designer (Global), Fully Remote | Full-Time

• VIRTUAL ASSISTANT (REMOTE), Location: Remote

• AI Tutor, Location: Remote

• Hiring: Customer Success Manager, Remote (Worldwide)

• BAKER HUGHES INTERNSHIP 2026, Location: Nigeria

• Business Development Manager, Location: Hybrid

• Entry-Level Data Analyst, Remote

• Share the wealth! Do you know another 'No Ordinary Woman' in need of a ₦100M fund or a $5,000 grant? Share this mail with her! I'll share my '2026 Grant Application Checklist' with you as my special thank you for adding to the growth of our community, if you share this email with 3 friends

• Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

• Contact us at [email protected] for partnerships or for an opportunity to have your brand associated with any of our newsletters. We can also jump on a call to understand your need(s).