Your Next Move: Grants for Revenue-Gen Startups + SASIE Founder Success

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Jennifer Daniel & Precious Adeyinka
October 13, 2025

Hello Innovators! 👋

Precious here from SASIE, your partner in tech entrepreneurship.

The funding ecosystem is buzzing, and I’ve pulled together some incredible, high-impact opportunities to assist you in raising significant capital and gaining global visibility. If you've been holding out for a push to pivot, scale, or think bigger, this is it.

Today's newsletter is packed with actionable opportunities to grow your business, including:

  • A $50,000 non-equity grant for revenue-generating startups (you keep 100% of your company!)

  • A Fully Funded International Fellowship (Dalai Lama Fellows) to advance your leadership and social change.

  • A $25,000 pitch competition for African founders solving cross-border mobility challenges.

  • And a worthwhile business growth masterclass series for women in processing.

Don't think small again and begin scaling. The capital and confidence you need are in this newsletter. Let's get to work!

SASIE Idea To Venture Cohort 2

Ihifix AfriScale Business Fund (Upskill MSME Virtual Training)

Fund, Training & Support to African MSMEs

The Ihifix AfriScale Business Fund is an internationally sponsored, no-cost capacity development opportunity for MSME owners in key African markets. The two-month, fully online programme aims to equip small business operators with digital skills—from e-commerce to AI tool adoption- to grow their operations, gain new visibility, and improve their businesses through a rigorous curriculum and a competitive pitch process.

What You'll Receive 

  • Business Support Package: A support package of up to $3,000 (₦600,000+) for top-performing participants.

  • Digital Skills Training: Extensive online training on digital marketing, e-commerce, business AI tools, and cybersecurity.

  • Internationally Recognized Certification: Access to self-study online courses and certifications from organizations like Google and HP.

  • Mentorship: Assignment with experienced business mentors for one-on-one coaching for approximately a month.

  • Networking: Access to a global network of peers and expert mentors.

  • Post-Training Hackathon: A remote hackathon and final pitch competition in which to practice skills and battle for investment.

Who Can Apply?

  • MSME owners based in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.

  • Have to be an MSME owner eager to grow their business through digital tools.

  • Must agree to commit to attending the full 2-month program (including the half-day live kickoff session).

  • Must be willing to commit to completing a minimum of 2 additional courses to earn certificates and benefits.

Foundation for Business Growth Training Series for African Women

Reaching New Markets with Green Strategy (FREE Training)

This set of training is a great opportunity for African women entrepreneurs in the processing industry. It's designed to equip you with the practical skills not just to grow your business, but to grow it in a manner that's digital, modern, and sustainable. The focus on green tactics within the program is highly relevant and positions course participants for the future market scenarios.

What You'll Get

  • Free Training in practical business skills to build and grow your business.

  • Essential Digital Skills to succeed and flourish in the modern business environment.

  • Sustainability Skills to adopt eco-friendly practices and entice new customers.

  • Networking with a community of like-minded women in the processing industry.

Deadline: October 17, 2025

NiYA Startup Pitch Competition

Win Up to $25,000 for Your Nigerian Tech Startup

NiYA Startup Pitch Competition, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), is offering sufficient funding to successful tech startups by Nigerian youths. The initiative comes with active participation in the NiYA Community by the applicants to make sure that the candidates are serious about leveraging available resources for growth.

What You'll Receive

  • Financial Grant: Award of up to $25,000 USD to expand your tech startup.

  • Networking and Visibility: Exposure through the NiYA Community and their networks, e.g., SuperTeam Nigeria.

  • Structured Preparation: The process requires a completed pitch deck and completion of course certificate, thus making founders investment-ready.

  • FREE Downloadable Resource: The NiYA Pitch Deck Template, a step-by-step guide from their own sample deck, highlighting the 7 most critical slides judges review to fast-track your preparation.

Job Alliance Cross-Border Jobs Startup Competition 2025

Competition & $10k Grant for African Labour Mobility Startups

Job Alliance Cross-Border Jobs Startup Competition seeks innovative solutions that are shaping the future of labour mobility for Africans. The competition wants to identify and encourage startups building platforms or services to offer more secure, equitable, and scalable opportunities for African talents to migrate, connect, and thrive across borders, either within Africa or globally.

What You'll Receive

  • Financial Grant: An award of $10,000 each to all the top 3 chosen startups.

  • Tech Perks: Exposure to the Jobtech Alliance's tech perks, valued at up to $200,000 each company (AWS credits, etc.).

  • Mentorship: Access to mentorship and community through the Jobtech Alliance, LaMP, and IOM partners.

  • Follow-on Support: Eligibility for follow-on support for high-traction startups.

Who Can Apply?

  • Startups which provide cross-border labour mobility solutions for Africans (between Africa and across the world, or across African borders).

  • Startups that enable worker mobility through recruitment, placement, or service management.

  • Startups that provide enabling services for migrants, including finance, language training, compliance, housing, or recruitment.

  • Should have registered a company (company can be in any stage, idea/MVP or otherwise, but traction is preferred).

  • Should be in accordance with the precepts of responsible and professional labour migration.

Deadline: October 31, 2025.

EIC Accelerator 2025

Blended Finance & Grant Capital for Scale-Up of Deep-Tech

The EIC Accelerator is the flagship programme of the European Innovation Council, designed to support high-impact, deep-tech innovations of SMEs and start-ups that have the potential to create new markets or challenge existing ones globally. It provides an influential combination of grant and equity finance (Blended Finance) to help companies bridge the gap between technical proof-of-concept and commercial-scale application.

What You'll Get

  • Blended Finance: A bespoke combination of grant and equity investment to scale up your innovation.

  • Grant Funding: Maximum of EUR 2.5 million (available for a Grant-Only component).

  • Equity Investment: Managed by the EIC Fund to raise the whole investment needed for rapid scale-up.

  • Total Budget: The present call has an indicative budget of EUR 634 million.

  • Expert Support: Access to Business Acceleration Services for mentoring, coaching, and strategic partnering.

Deadline: December 18, 2025

Dalai Lama Fellows Program 2026

Fully Funded Global Fellowship for Compassionate Social Innovation

The Dalai Lama Fellows program is a rigorous, one-year, fully funded fellowship for early-career social innovators from around the world. It focuses on "Head, Heart, and Hands" leadership, which integrates self-awareness, compassion, and resilience to address complex global challenges. It provides intensive personal and professional development to help changemakers sustain their work and increase their impact.

What You'll Receive

  • Fully Sponsored Attendance: Total payment for all the required 5-day Contemplative Leadership Assembly (travel, lodging, meals) in May 2026.

  • Deeper Leadership Studies: Access to an interdisciplinary studies curriculum grounded in awareness, compassion, and integrity, taught through an online course.

  • Personalized Guidance: Personal professional mentorship and coaching throughout the year.

  • Global Network: Lifetime membership in an esteemed global network of LifeLong Fellows for ongoing learning and collaboration.

Who Can Apply?

  • Applicants should be aged 20 to 36 as of April 1, 2026.

  • Should be able to converse and write in English fluently.

  • Must have a current social change project or good ideas for one, with continued commitment expected during the fellowship year. Ongoing projects are given preference.

  • Applicants should be well aware of their community and the issue they want to address, with at least one year of prior experience working within the community.

  • Happy to spend approximately 12 hours of monthly time on program activities (online courses, coaching, group calls), aside from project work.

Deadline: November 12, 2025

ICYMI

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