2021 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme registration portal which is the seventh cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation entrepreneurship program is now open.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), a leading African philanthropic organization focused on empowering African entrepreneurs, pursues the most innovative business ideas from the African continent.
You can apply if you have a business idea or a new business that has been present in an African country and sector for less than three years.
With its flagship entrepreneurship program, the Foundation is committed to empowering African entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurship ecosystem in 54 African countries. The TEF program is aimed at entrepreneurs based on proven skills and knowledge.
The training is designed to educate you and enable you to start or expand your business to meet the challenges faced by entrepreneurs on the African continent. The program focuses on practical and iterative learning, which is an advantage even after a long period of training.
Note: Completion of the training program is a mandatory condition to proceed with the submission and review of your business plan, participate in the start-up contest and receive seed capital.
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How To Register For 2021 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme
The registration form consists of four parts:
(1) Personal information
(2) commercial information
(3) Cognitive assessment
(4) Declaration section
To ensure transparency in the application process, all applicants must have a valid government identity and include their names on the TEFConnect application form exactly as they appear on the identity card.
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All applicants must:
1. Complete all required fields on the TEFConnect online registration form.
2. Submit the form
4. Attach all required documents (valid ID and personal photo) and upload the required documents
5. Wait for comments from the Foundation.
Note: TEFConnect can only be accessed with an email account. It is important that all applicants register with an email address that they can access regularly.
What do You Expect from the Program?
The Entrepreneurship Program identifies prominent African entrepreneurs who have new businesses or business ideas with growth potential. The TEF Entrepreneurship Program is developed in several phases, which are listed below:
- Application Phase
- Training & Mentorship Phase
- Business Plan Submission Phase
- Pitching Phase
- Seed Capital Phase
Application Phase
This will happen from January 1 to March 31. Once registration is complete, qualified applicants will be placed on the appropriate training path as follows:
Preparatory
This means that you do not have the skills to start a business. You will receive general training on TEFConnect. However, you are not entitled to mentorship or seed capital.
Start-Up/ Beginner
This means that you are a beginner according to the profiling of a startup business. You will go through entry-level modules and have access to top-level mentors throughout the program.
Innovator/ Intermediate
This means that you are classified as an intermediate entrepreneur. You have good potential to become a successful entrepreneur. You will take training modules and have access to top-notch mentors throughout the program.
Disruptor/ Advanced
This means that you identify yourself as a born entrepreneur or an expert. You will take training modules and have access to top-notch mentors throughout the program.
Training & Mentorship Phase
Once you’ve been selected and placed on the right training path, you can join our rigorous training and mentoring sessions. There are multiple choice questions to track your performance.
You will participate in a virtual mentoring program to learn more about the process and we will share the timelines and resources available to make it a success. Selected entrepreneurs can participate in peer support groups.
- Selected entrepreneurs must receive business training and complete a quiz at the end of each unit or module.
- Selected candidates at the end of the training have the opportunity to develop a business plan.
The Business Plan and Financials Submission Phase
At the end of the training, you should integrate all training lessons into a coherent document. You will receive a model of the financial and business plan; It’s in the online resource library. This template will help you create an initial draft of your business plan.
Write a business plan. After the BUSINESS TRAINING & BUSINESS PLAN SUBMISSION, only suitable candidates (who complete the MCQs, achieve scores above the minimum score and present a business plan) can proceed to the next step: the PITCHING COMPETITION.
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The Pitching Phase
This is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the business and to convince the judge of the profitability of your business. In the pitching phase, the businessmen present their ideas to the jury.
Only those selected for the launch competition will receive initial funding and access to a network of alumni to support their business ambitions.
If you have successfully completed all required training requirements and submitted a business plan, but you have failed the starting race, you will receive a certificate of completion of training and can re-enroll. Next year.
Please note that this phase is another important outcome of this training program and all selected entrepreneurs must go through this phase to be eligible for SEED CAPITAL.
The Seed Capital Phase
All entrepreneurs who have followed all the steps above will be required to open business accounts and the company’s capital will go to these created accounts. An entrepreneur who is eligible for initial funding will receive a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AND ACHIEVEMENT from the Foundation.
The application portal opens on January 1 and closes at midnight on March 31, 2021.
Sign up here at TEFConnect.com.
In early 2020, Tony Elumelu (TEF) announced the postponement of the sixth edition of his entrepreneurship program and TEF forum due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
To this end, the sixth and seventh editions of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program will be held jointly in 2021. Therefore, entrepreneurs who enrolled in the TEF 2020 Entrepreneurship Program and were invited to go through current transmission processes and reconfirm via www.tefconnect.com
The portal will be open for access and evaluation of previous applications on February 1, 2021 and must be reconfirmed by March 31, 2021. All candidates for 2020 must review and reconfirm their applications.
Click here to see How To Answer The TEF Application Questions for 2021 TEF Entrepreneurship Programme
