How To Apply For March 8th Initiative MSME Grants for Small Businesses by ‘Friends of Prof’ (complete 2021 Guide)
Ready to accelerate your business growth with grant funding?
From March 8 to March 14, entrepreneurs like you with an exciting business or idea, can apply to win up to N1 million in grant funding.
The March 8th Initiative MSME Grants for Small Businesses is organized to inspire and promote communal, entrepreneurial and public-spirited endeavors within Nigeria in honor of the birthday of His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON. Last year, from over 20,000 applications, 100 young entrepreneurs received business-defining grants that helped grow and advance enterprise.
In the next few minutes, I am going to walk you through how to apply for the March 8th Initiative MSME Grants for Small Businesses.
But first, why am I qualified to write this?
1. I am a 2017 Tony Elumelu Grant Winner.
2. I am a 2021 Google Catalyst Africa Online Safety Fund Grant Winner.
3. I co-founded Grant Master in 2020, a service that connects organizations in need of grants with the top 5% of grant writers.
4. I pitched Grant Master at Global investment Summit 2020 and won, attracting $250,000 in perks from brands like Amazon & Google.
With my credentials out of the way, let’s get down to business.
First, there are 4 categories of grants:
1. My Big Idea Business Challenge | N100,000
Criteria: small-scale business in need of cash for inventory or an idea that solves a troubling issue in your area
2. My Business Support Challenge | N250,000
Criteria: registered business, in existence for at least 1 year, looking to expand current stock, hire staff or acquire basic equipment.
3. My Catalyst Support Challenge | N500,000
Criteria: registered business, in existence for at least 2 years, looking to expand current scope either product-wise or geographically.
4. My Bold Innovation Challenge | N1,000,000
Criteria: registered business, in existence for at least 2 years, an innovative idea that provides a solution to a common need or promotes sustainability. Has potential to positively contribute to people, places and profit.
Just like any other grant, this is going to be extremely competitive.
An average application won’t cut it.
Here’s how you can put together a compelling application.
For category 1 (My Big Idea Business Challenge), what you need is a 60 secs elevator pitch. They are looking for
· Who you are
· What you do
· What problem you are trying to solve
· How you would solve the problem with the grant
For example, my 60 secs elevator pitch for Grant Master would look like this:
My name is Olugbenga Ogunbowale.
I am the Co-founder & CEO of Grant Master.
Nothing is more frustrating than having a brilliant idea but no money to start a business.
Lack of financial capital is the single biggest challenge facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria according to the world bank.
This is why Grant Master connects ambitious organizations in need of debt free and equity free funding with the top 5% of Grant Writers.
We’ll match you with a vetted veteran grant writer in under 24 hours.
Our grant writers have raised $4.5M in grants.
With N100,000 in grant funding from the March 8th Initiative, we will train 20 entrepreneurs in Ibadan for 1 week on how to win grant funding.
For category 2, 3 & 4 you are expected to put together a one-page business plan.
Even though the number of words vary, the structure of the content is similar.
You are expected to talk about:
Value proposition
One sentence that describes the value you provide to your customers. If you were composing a tweet to tell people about your business, what would you say?
Market need/Problem
What problem does your business solve for your customers? If you aren’t solving a pressing problem for your customers, your application is dead on arrival.
Your solution
How do you solve your customer’s problem? What products and services are you offering?
Competition
What products and services do your customers choose today instead of yours? How are you different? What makes your business and products better than the alternatives that are out there?
Target market
Who is your ideal customer? Be as specific as possible — age, gender, location and even shopping habits.
Sales and marketing
How do you market your products and services to your customers? What are your sales channels? If you’re selling online, your online store is a sales channel. If you also have a physical store, that’s another sales channel.
Team
Why are you and your business partners the right people to make your company successful? Brag about qualifications or awards or years of experience.
Milestones & Funding needs
What have you achieved so far and what are your major goals for the next few months? How much do you need and how will it help you meet your milestones? If what you need money for is perceived as not important, you won’t win. Think carefully about why you need funding, and how that funding will accelerate your business growth.
Last year, over 20,000 people applied. Only 100 were selected. It’s a crazy competitive grant. But we can help you significantly improve your chances.
If you need expert hands to help you craft your elevator pitch or one page business plan, Grant Master has got you covered:
1. My Big Idea Business Challenge | Grant Sum- N100,000
Our offer: We will work with you to craft a powerful 60 secs elevator pitch for just N10,000
2. My Business Support Challenge | Grant Sum- N 250,000
Our offer: We will work with you to craft a compelling 500-word business plan that clearly captures your ideas, needs and aspirations for just N25,000
3. My Catalyst Support Challenge | Grant sum- N500,000
Our offer: We will work with you to weave a powerful 750-word business plan that clearly captures your expansion and funding plans for just N50,000.
4. My Bold Innovation Challenge | N1,000,000
Our offer: We will team up with you to write a 1,000-word business plan oozing clarity, conviction, urgency and ambition for just N100,000.
Here’s why you should hire Grant Master
-We worked with 2 clients on Facebook grant. Both won
-We’ve guided over 20 people to win the $5,000 Tony Elumelu Grant
-1 of our clients won $15,000 in grant funding in February 2021 alone
-Grant Master won $250,000 in perks at the Global Investment Summit
-Our grant writers have won a combined $4.5 million in grants
Hire a grant writer to improve your chances:
www.grantmaster.xyz/hire-a-grant-writer
WhatsApp Grant Master:
bit.ly/GrantMaster4March8Grant
Call: 08147344204
The deadline for March 8th Initiative MSME Grants for Small Businesses is March 14 and we may not be able to take more clients on deadline day.
Hurry!
Apply for the March 8th Initiative MSME Grant here.
