The Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) is back with its fourth edition, designed to empower young African changemakers building scalable and socially impactful businesses.
The program, which is spearheaded by the Sahara Group Foundation, provides strategic funding, business development tools, and expert mentorship to social entrepreneurs across Africa.
Now entering its fourth cohort, SIF 4.0 offers selected Fellows access to seed funding of up to $30,000. This grant is provided upon the successful completion of a structured three-month fellowship.
According to the foundation, participants must meet critical milestones that are aligned with defined metrics of impact, sustainability, and scalability.
“The Sahara Impact Fund is designed to equip Africa’s brightest changemakers with the tools, skills, and networks they need to grow and scale their enterprises,” said a spokesperson from the Sahara Group Foundation.
The program aims to unlock long-term economic opportunities through targeted investment in ideas and businesses solving urgent societal and environmental problems.
Objectives:
i. Support Innovative Social Entrepreneurs
ii. Promote Sustainable Development
iii. Foster Youth-Led Innovation, Facilitate Mentorship and Peer Learning
iv. Build Strong Community Partnerships
v. Accelerate Impact Through Capacity Building by Subject Matter Experts
vi. Institutionalise Social Impact Thinking
Participants in SIF 4.0 will benefit from resources worth over $100 million in combined business support, technical knowledge, and funding. These resources are meant to help young innovators, researchers, and inventors turn their ideas into sustainable and profitable ventures.
Benefits:
a. Grant of up to $30,000
b. Go-to-market support
c. Legal Support (intellectual property, patenting, etc)
d. Business Advisory
e. Brand Management Support
In addition to the seed grant, participants will also have a chance to compete for additional funding from a $200,000 pool after going through a detailed evaluation by the Sahara Group Foundation Jury.
Selection Criteria:
1. What problem does the solution address, who is affected, and how urgent is it? What are the broader impacts on people and the environment, and what are the risks of not acting now?
2. Is the solution a novel (never seen before) and an extraordinary idea, or is it an improvement on an existing solution? If it is an improvement on an existing solution, what is unique to this solution?
3. How wide and deep will the impact of this solution be?
4. How scalable is the solution? Is there a ready market for it? Is it easily replicable in other climes?
5. Is the solution commercially viable and profitable?
Interested candidates must submit their applications before 31 August 2025. Screening of submissions will take place from 1 to 13 September 2025, and successful applicants, called EXTRApreneurs, will be announced on 27 September 2025.
How to apply:
Young Africans interested in building impactful and sustainable ventures are encouraged to apply and complete applications through the SIF application portal Here.
