Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises have a fresh opportunity to access funding and business development support as the Centre for Research in Enterprise and Action in Management (CREM) opens applications for the fifth edition of its Endowment Trust Grant Programme (GETGP). The initiative will provide a combined N13 million grant to 15 selected businesses, alongside training, business skills and other resources designed to help early-stage enterprises strengthen their operations and achieve sustainable growth.
Programme Details and Eligibility Criteria
Speaking at the launch of the application call in Lagos, Project Manager, GET Compass, Kenechukwu Ohaeri, said the programme was designed to equip business owners with the financial support and practical skills needed to scale. According to Ohaeri, applicants must be at least 18 years old, while their businesses must have been operating for no more than three years. Applicants are also required to have registered their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and must be available to participate in a two-week workshop in Lagos.
Eligible businesses can operate in sectors including health, education, humanitarian services, enterprise and community development, and social entrepreneurship, provided they can demonstrate that their ventures are viable. The organisers said applicants must show evidence that their businesses are currently operational and maintain proper financial and business records. These include daily sales reports, monthly sales records and monthly profit and loss statements.
Funding and Support for 15 Beneficiaries
Senior Operations Manager, Chike Ugwu, disclosed that the programme has supported 60 beneficiaries over the past year, with N50.5 million already disbursed. For the 2026 edition, 15 businesses will share N13 million in grant funding. The scale of interest in the programme has also grown significantly. More than 24,000 applications have reportedly been received across the four previous editions, highlighting the huge demand for financing and business support among Nigerian MSMEs.
Ugwu said successful applicants would also benefit from the programme's business clinic and training, which are designed to improve their financial management, operations and growth strategies, according to a report by MSME Africa. Ohaeri said the combination of funding and capacity-building was central to the programme's objective of helping entrepreneurs navigate Nigeria's challenging business environment and build stronger enterprises.
Application Deadline and Broader Impact
Technical Committee member, Dr Joseph Mfon, said the wide gap between the number of applicants and successful beneficiaries underscored the enormous financing and capacity-building needs within Nigeria's MSME sector. He called for greater participation by corporate organisations in supporting small businesses, noting that stronger MSMEs could contribute significantly to job creation and broader economic growth.
With the August 20, 2026 deadline fast approaching, eligible Nigerian business owners are expected to complete and submit their applications before the application window closes. The GETGP combines direct grant funding with practical business development support, allowing selected entrepreneurs not only to secure capital but also to strengthen the skills needed to build more resilient businesses.
