Are you a young African entrepreneur with a passion for business? apply for the Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship, designed to empower individuals aged 15-22 in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. The program offers a grant prize of $200,000 funding for your business. Check the eligibility requirements, benefits, and application process to take the next step towards building a successful venture.
About Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship
For more than a decade, the Anzisha Prize has been an impactful venture building fellowship initiative that has effectively nurtured and championed exceptionally young entrepreneurs.
Structured as a comprehensive three-year program, the fellowship serves as a platform to recognize and reward remarkable business growth. Throughout this duration, the program closely monitors both the business and the entrepreneur’s progress.
Entrepreneurs demonstrating exceptional growth and proactive initiative receive a range of rewards and services. These include access to short courses, cloud services, and cash stipends. As the second year comes to a close, entrepreneurs get the opportunity to present their business advancements and achievements, competing for a chance to secure a portion of the $50,000 prize pool.
The Grand Prizes are categorized as follows:
- The Job Creation Prize
- The Revenue Growth Prize
- The Storytelling Prize
- The Integrating Systems and Processes Prize
After completing the full three-year fellowship journey, participants graduate and become part of the esteemed Anzisha Prize alumni network, equipped with newfound knowledge and experiences. They are warmly welcomed into the esteemed network of Anzisha Prize alumni. If you are a young African Entrepreneur with aspirations of growing a small business or if you have created something that generates income for yourself and your peers you should apply for this opportunity.
Eligibility Requirements for the Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship
To be eligible for the Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship, you must meet the following criteria:
- Age: You must be between 15 and 22 years old, and possess a valid ID document or Passport as evidence. Individuals born before 1 September 2001 or after 31 August 2008 will not be considered.
- Nationality and Location: You must be a citizen of an African country, and your business must operate within Africa, serving African customers or beneficiaries.
- Active Business: The Anzisha Prize is not for ideas or business plans; you must have already initiated your venture and be able to provide evidence of its existence and activities. Having tangible results is important before submitting your application.
- Business Field: Your venture, invention, or social project can be in any field or industry, such as science and technology, civil society, arts and culture, sports, and more. The Anzisha Prize welcomes ventures from various sectors.
- Founding Member: Individuals applying must be one of the founding members of the business. For instance, if there are 2 or 3 co-founders who started the project together, one of them should be the applicant.
Judging Criteria
The selection process for Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship is based on the following 5 criteria:
- Venture Establishment: If your venture is operational and serving customers or beneficiaries, providing them with value
- Founder Leadership: If you are the founder, leading and managing your venture
- Impact Demonstration: If your venture is already showcasing some level of impact.
- Revenue Generation and Beneficiary Impact: Regardless of whether your venture is profit-driven or cause-based, is it generating revenue or impacting beneficiaries? Is there potential for increased revenue or broader beneficiary reach with support from Anzisha?
- Job Creation Potential: Has your venture generated jobs, and is there potential to create more high-quality job opportunities?
Qualities for Selection as an Anzisha Fellow
To be chosen as an Anzisha Fellow, you must exhibit two crucial qualities:
- Leadership Role: You must be the leader of your venture, actively steering both its strategic direction and day-to-day operations.
- Time Commitment: You should be dedicating a minimum of 20 hours per week to your business. This commitment is expected to continue even after selection into the program.
Prizes Award
The Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship offers the following benefits:
- Bi-annual cash stipends for eligible fellows during the fellowship period.
- Short-term educational opportunities, internships, and specialized technical expert consultations for eligible fellows during Year 2 and Year 3.
- Job Creation Prize: Awarded to the entrepreneur in Year 2 who has created the highest number of job opportunities since joining the fellowship.
- Revenue Growth Prize: Given to the entrepreneur in Year 2 with the highest business revenue growth since joining the fellowship.
- Storytelling Prize: Given to the entrepreneur in Year 2 who has creatively communicated and shared their entrepreneurship journey through written, oral, and visual storytelling.
- Integration Systems and Processes Prize: Awarded to the entrepreneur in Year 2 who has successfully implemented learned systems and processes to enhance their business model.
Application
To apply for the Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship, you can use the following link: Application Link.
Watch the Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship video
Inquiry
If you need further information or have inquiries, you can get in touch with the Anzisha Prize team using the following contact details:
Email: prize@anzishaprize.org
You can visit their official website at Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship
