SME Growth Lab Africa to offer ₦1M shared-grant to 5 African female entrepreneurs

SME Growth Lab Africa, a Digital Accelerator Program, and Shecluded, a tech-enabled financial wellness community-based ecosystem for women, have entered a strategic partnership.

This partnership will enable female entrepreneurs across Africa to participate in the first women-only cohort of SME Growth Lab’s Digital Accelerator Program. This program is open to every woman entrepreneur in Africa and will offer five businesswomen a shared 1 million Naira grant.

Through this collaboration with Shecluded, SME Growth Lab Africa will be able to expand its accelerator program to hundreds of female entrepreneurs across Africa and give them the support and training they need to overcome obstacles in business, expand their businesses, and stimulate economic growth.

Read Also: How May-May Ogoigbe has helped over 3000 African businesses grow through SME Growth Lab

Regarding the partnership, SME Growth Lab Africa’s Program Director, May-May Ogoigbe,
said,

We are excited about this partnership with Shecluded. It would be the first of many cohorts to focus on female entrepreneurs in Africa. By focusing on supporting women-owned businesses, we are contributing to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the goal of reducing inequality, promoting gender equality, and providing decent work and economic growth.

Selling Techniques, Marketing Strategies, Financial Literacy and Management, and Legal Counseling are among the topics covered in the accelerator program. At the end of the accelerator program, the top five female entrepreneurs participating in the digital accelerator program sponsored by Shecluded will receive a shared grant of one million Naira.

Speaking on the importance of women’s empowerment, Belinda Nkechi Idinmachi, Shecluded Growth Manager said,

At Shecluded, we believe that empowering women to grow their businesses is not just about financial gains; it is about creating a positive ripple effect that can transform communities and change the world. By supporting women-owned businesses, we invest in their vision, creativity, and leadership potential. That’s why we are excited to announce that Shecluded will be providing a share of N1,000,000 in grants to the top 5 women in the Digital Accelerator Program towards their business growth.

Benefits & Perks

Although this is the first cohort for women only that SME Growth Lab Africa and Shecluded have organized, both organizations hope to give these women the digital skills, information, mentorship, and community activities they need to develop their businesses and spur economic progress.

Here are some of these benefits:

• There will be training sessions on business acumen: sales, marketing, finance & legal.
• The cohort will also provide participants exclusive access to the entrepreneurship community
• Participants get mentorship opportunities from business experts
• Access to business resources
• Certificate of completion
• 24/7 support

Eligibility criteria

• Only FEMALE entrepreneurs are qualified to apply to join this cohort. So, applicants must be a FEMALE business owners operating in Africa
• Interested applicants must be between the ages of 18 – 40.
• Interested applicants must be committed to attending the virtual sessions and group calls.
• Interested applicants must be eager to volunteer and participate in community sessions.

The application process

The application runs from now till the 23rd of April 2023. After that, successful applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a 4-weeks intensive business training in May 2023.

To apply for the cohort, click here.