Go to the Charles Chima Grant applicant portal at grant.charleschimagrant.com and create your account using a valid email address. You will receive a confirmation email with a verification link. Click the link to activate your account before proceeding.
Once your account is active, you will have access to your applicant dashboard. Your dashboard is where you complete your application, track your progress through each stage, receive notifications from the Foundation, and access any materials shared with you during the process.
Your Stage 1 application is divided into three sections which must all be completed before you can submit.
The first section covers your personal biodata. This includes your full name, date of birth, nationality, country of residence, contact details, and a valid government-issued identification document.
The second section covers your business profile. This includes the name of your business, your business registration certificate, your Tax Identification Number or equivalent, the number of people in your workforce, your business address, the sector your business operates in, a description of what your business does and who it serves, and a brief account of where your business currently stands in its growth journey.
The third section covers your business financials. This includes your personal financial investment in the business, your monthly revenue, your monthly expenses, your payroll, your gross margin, your customer acquisition cost, and your most recent three months of business bank statements. All financial figures must be accurate and consistent with the bank statements you upload. Discrepancies between the figures you provide and your bank statements will affect the outcome of your application.
Once all three sections are complete and your documents are uploaded, review your application carefully before submitting. You will not be able to make changes after submission.
After the application window closes, the Foundation team will review all submitted applications. This review assesses the completeness and accuracy of each application, the eligibility of the business and the founder, and the strength of the business profile and financial information provided.
Applicants who are shortlisted for Stage 2 will be notified by email to the address registered on their account. The shortlist notification will include instructions for accessing the Stage 2 assessment and the date by which it must be completed. Applicants who are not shortlisted will also receive an email notifying them of the outcome.
The Stage 1 outcome is communicated to all applicants.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete a timed online assessment through the applicant portal. The assessment is divided into four sections covering business acumen, financial knowledge, personality and entrepreneurial mindset, and administrative capability.
Before the assessment begins, you will be shown a set of instructions that explain the format of each section, the time allocated to each one, and the rules that apply. Please read these instructions carefully before starting.
The assessment must be completed in a single sitting. Once it has begun, it cannot be paused or restarted. Ensure that you are in a quiet, stable environment with a reliable internet connection before you begin. Study materials to help you prepare for the assessment are made available to all shortlisted applicants through their dashboard in advance of the assessment window.
Businesses that perform strongly in the Stage 2 assessment will be shortlisted for the pitch phase and notified by email. The pitch notification will include your allocated date and time slot, the format of the session, and any preparation materials provided by the Foundation.
Each pitch session gives the lead applicant the opportunity to present their business directly to a panel of evaluators. The panel will assess the clarity of your business vision, the strength of your plan for deploying the grant capital, your understanding of your market and your customers, and your ability to articulate the case for your business under pressure.
Running alongside the pitch phase is a due diligence and verification process during which the Foundation independently reviews and verifies the documents and financial information submitted in Stage 1. If any information cannot be verified or is found to be inconsistent, the Foundation will contact you directly.
Following the pitch and due diligence phase, the Foundation's evaluation team reviews the full picture of each business across all four stages. The final selection takes into account the Stage 1 application, the Stage 2 assessment results, the pitch performance, and the outcome of the due diligence process.
Selected businesses are notified by email. Each selected business receives a grant agreement outlining the full terms of the funding, including the 5% equity giveback. Applicants are encouraged to read the grant agreement carefully and to seek independent legal advice before signing. The signed agreement must be returned to the Foundation by the deadline specified in the notification email.
Selected businesses are formally announced and celebrated at the Charles Chima Foundation Conference on 1st October 2026. Attendance at the Conference is a requirement for grant disbursement. Grant funds are disbursed electronically to the registered business bank account of each selected business on the day of the Conference.
The Conference is also the formal launch of the Cohort 1 community. It brings together the funded founders, the Foundation team, partners, and the wider business community to mark the beginning of the cohort's journey and to connect the people behind the businesses that have been selected.
Further details about the Conference, including the venue, the programme for the day, and any logistical information, will be shared with selected businesses in their notification email.
