Plus Incubation Hub has announced the launch of The Plus Factor Grant Program, a high-impact entrepreneurship initiative aimed at identifying, nurturing, and funding promising African entrepreneurs through non-dilutive grants, market access, and structured innovation support.
The Plus Factor Grant Program is a merit-based initiative targeted at idea-stage, early-stage, and growth-stage entrepreneurs building scalable and market-relevant businesses but facing constraints such as limited access to finance, weak market linkages, and insufficient innovation support.
According to Eunice Alabi, Program Lead of the initiative, the program goes beyond funding. She noted that it is designed to back entrepreneurs with the clarity, readiness, and structured support required to build sustainable ventures, intentionally combining finance, innovation, and market access to deliver measurable impact.
About the Program
The Plus Factor Grant Program is a CSR initiative of Plus Incubation Hub, implemented by School of Grant Success, and delivered through a transparent, competitive, multi-stage selection process.
The program runs over an eight-week implementation period to ensure rigorous evaluation, fairness, and accountability.
Who Should Apply
The initiative is sector-agnostic and open to entrepreneurs across multiple industries.
Eligible applicants include:
- – Idea-stage entrepreneurs with innovative, market-relevant business ideas
- – Early-stage startups with pilots, early customers, or initial traction
- – Growth-stage businesses ready to scale operations, expand markets, or strengthen systems
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify, applicants must:
- – Be a Founder or Co-Founder of a business or startup
- – Have an operational business or a validated business idea
- – Demonstrate commitment to growth and scalability
- – Be available to participate fully in program activities
- – Submit a complete application before the stated deadline
Applications that fail to meet these minimum requirements will be disqualified at the initial screening stage.
Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria
The program follows a three-stage selection framework:
Stage One: Eligibility and Alignment Screening
Applicants will be assessed based on application completeness, entrepreneurial motivation and vision, and business relevance and feasibility.
Stage Two: Business, Market and Innovation Assessment
Evaluation will focus on market opportunity and demand, innovation and differentiation, business model sustainability, growth and scalability potential, and founder capacity and leadership.
Stage Three: Final Pitch and Evaluation
Finalists will pitch before an expert panel and be assessed on market and financial readiness, effective use of grant funding, innovation impact, pitch clarity and execution, as well as inclusion, youth, gender, and social impact considerations.
Benefits of Participation
Selected entrepreneurs will receive:
- Non-dilutive grant funding
1st place – N1,000,000
2nd place – N500,000
3rd place – N250,000
4th place – N150,000
5th place – N100,000 - Business mentorship and pitch support
- Market access and visibility opportunities
- Innovation and growth readiness support
- Investment readiness training
Program Timeline
- Applications Open: Now
- Application Deadline: March 15, 2026
- Eight-week selection, evaluation, and training period
How to Apply
Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply through the official application link provided by Plus Incubation Hub. Applicants are advised to complete all required sections accurately and submit before the deadline.
About Plus Incubation Hub
Plus Incubation Hub is a business development and entrepreneurship support organization focused on enabling startups and MSMEs through funding readiness, incubation, training, and market access initiatives.
About School of Grant Success
School of Grant Success (SGS) is a pan-African institution dedicated to raising development consultants and social innovators addressing access-to-finance challenges across the continent. The organization provides training, advisory services, and linkages to help businesses and organizations strengthen proposal writing, pitch deck preparation, governance structures, grant writing techniques, and overall fundraising capabilities.
Since inception, SGS has facilitated more than $1 million annually in grant funding and other impact investment instruments, including debt and equity financing, from donor agencies, development partners, and impact investors. Over the next decade (2023–2033), the institution aims to support one million youths, startups, businesses, and NGOs across Africa in accessing grant funding and mobilizing critical resources to scale their impact.
