Deadline: May 31, 2020
Are you an early stage young social entrepreneur looking to unlock your potential, grow your venture and create more impact in your community? The Africa YES 2020 cohort 3 program (starting August 2020) applications are now OPEN.
The Africa Young Entrepreneur Support (YES) Program is a 6-month funded intensive entrepreneurship, leadership and business training that provides early stage social entrepreneurs of under the age of 30 years, with the resources they need to discover opportunities, unlock their potential and create impact in their local communities.
The program seeks to identify, inspire and empower 30 young social entrepreneurs to recognize opportunities, explore innovative approaches, mobilize resources, manage risks, and build viable social enterprises. The program will also invest a minimum total of $15000 in grant funding to top fellows during the program.
Benefits
- Leadership and Business Acumen Skills: The hands-on training sessions delivered by experienced facilitators are tailored to help you become a great entrepreneurial leader equipped with skills that are vital in helping your venture grow
- Build & Grow Your venture: The practical and real-world sessions by entrepreneurs and facilitators mean you get to apply what you are learning each week to your venture while getting feedback to help you grow and your venture grow
- Access Funding up to $15,000USD: At the end of the 12-weeks program, 3 fellows will be selected to immediately receive up to $15,000 USD in grants, which is a zero-equity funding. You will also be connected to other funding opportunities available
- Access Networks, Mentors & opportunities: As part of the program, you will connect deeper with other social entrepreneurs, mentors and other entrepreneurship ecosystem players, including exclusive opportunities and workshops
- Access 3 Months Co-working space: Participants for the program will receive a 3-month membership that will give them full access to work from a co-working space so as to grow their ventures. Teams can enjoy this during the program
- Bespoke Startups Services: Entrepreneurs will have access to startup services such as accounting, legal, sales, talent at a subsidized rate as being part of the program. Teams to also receive follow up investment.
Eligibility
The Africa Young Entrepreneur Support (YES) Program is looking for self-starters, leaders, change makers who are building viable businesses and creating impact in their local communities and beyond. Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- The venture must be solving a clear problem in the community
- There must be a viable and tested solution already in place (not just an idea)
- The social venture should have a viable business model
- The venture should have at least some paying customers or making a revenue in the past 6 months.
- There should be ambition by the founder of the venture to grow to achieve large scale impact
- The applicant can commit to attend weekly sessions (every Saturday) in Nairobi from November 2019 to April 2020
- The applicant can commit to do weekly tasks in relation to their venture
- The applicant must be working either full time or at least 30 hrs per week in their venture
- The applicant must be below 30 years of age when applying
- The venture is legally registered in Kenya or in the process of registration
Application
The application deadline is May 31, 2020. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early as the applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
For more information, visit Africa YES Program.
