The rules
Read these before you submit. They are short, and they are applied exactly as written.
Who can enter. Any member with an active membership, aged eighteen or over. One entry per person per cycle. Team entries are allowed, with one named member as the lead. Employees of Afro Next and their immediate family cannot enter.
The cycle. Entries open on the first of each month and close on the last day. Shortlisting happens in the first week of the following month, and awards are announced before that month ends.
What to submit. A short written pitch, your stage, the country you operate from, and optionally a deck. No video is required. Write it yourself, in your own words.
How entries are judged. Four things, weighted evenly. Is the problem real. Is there evidence someone will pay. Can this team execute it. Would support from us change the outcome. A polished deck with no evidence loses to a plain paragraph with paying customers.
What an award is. Awards vary by cycle and may be cash support, paid company setup, mentorship hours, or a mix. The ceiling for a cycle is published on the challenge page. An award is discretionary support, not an investment, and we take no equity.
No award may be made. If no entry in a cycle meets the bar, we say so and carry nothing forward. We would rather skip a month than hand out a token.
Your idea stays yours. We do not take ownership of anything you submit. We do ask for permission to name you and describe your venture publicly if you are shortlisted or awarded. You can decline and stay anonymous.
Conditions on an award. Recipients agree to a short check in each month for six months, and to tell us honestly how the support was used. Misrepresenting your business at entry means the award is withdrawn.
Decisions are final. We read every entry. We do not give individual feedback on unsuccessful entries, because we would rather spend those hours on mentorship. Questions about the process go to info@afronextbusiness.com.