A group of our alumni just secured funding ranging from TZS1 million to more than TZS20 million? Through the Next Frontier and Small Grants Program, mini传媒 is helping alumni turn their ideas into real, scalable ventures. The Tester Grants, now supporting Cohorts 1 and 2, are empowering young innovators to strengthen their businesses, expand their reach and create impact within their communities.
Cohort 1 Achievers
Alumni from the first cohort are already taking bold steps forward.
- Faith (Class of 鈥�20, Hair Gallery)
- Suleiman (Class of 鈥�15, Afya Kongwe)
- Erneus (Class of 鈥�20, Premium Poultry Farm)
- Malik (Class of 鈥�20, Dr Shoe)
- David (Class of 鈥�22, Ask IT)
- Alexander (Class of 鈥�16, A&B Accessories)
These entrepreneurs will use their grants to upgrade operations and expand their customer base. As Faith shared:
鈥淲ith this funding, I can optimise production and elevate packaging, strengthening our brand鈥檚 market presence and consumer trust.鈥�
In the non-profit space, Tabitha (Class of 鈥�20, New Hope Centre) will enhance and expand her organisation鈥檚 community initiatives for greater social impact. Meanwhile, Robert (Class of 鈥�23, Denk Innovations) and David (Class of 鈥�22, Ask IT) will boost their tech solutions, positioning their start-ups for growth in competitive markets.
Cohort 2: Bigger awards, bigger impact
The second cohort saw an even greater momentum, with top awards reaching TZS22 million. Visionary alumni such as Livingstone (Class of 鈥�20, Mclive Farm Smart), Brian (Class of 鈥�20, Meru Safi Sunflower Oil) and Denis (Class of 鈥�17, Okkota 255 Investment) are now driving large-scale impact in agribusiness and local enterprise.
Brian shared:
鈥淭his support has not only accelerated my business growth but will also create jobs within my community.鈥�
Other promising ventures funded in Cohort 2 include:
- Sifuni (Class of 鈥�17, Moopower Project)
- Richard (Class of 鈥�20, Avosol Agriventures)
- Daudi (Class of 鈥�21, Landevor Locality)
- Nasma (Class of 鈥�21, Ladha Asilia Products)
- Irene (Class of 鈥�23, Creative Design)
- Godbless (Class of 鈥�22, Blenko Stiches)
- Rajabu (Class of 鈥�18, Arusha Finest)
- Godfrey (Class of 鈥�16, Apex Solution)
These ventures demonstrate that alumni-led businesses can thrive and generate a meaningful impact, regardless of their size or sector. The Tester Grants act as a launchpad, helping young entrepreneurs transform ideas into real, sustainable enterprises.
As Godfrey noted:
鈥淭his funding does more than support our projects financially. It validates our vision and empowers us to create sustainable impact for Tanzania and beyond.鈥�
To access grants, the program is not just looking for ideas, but for alumni who already have:
- A powerful idea, an idea that solves a real problem, has impact potential, and is different or innovative.
- Proof of concept, that shows that the idea actually works in real life, not just on paper. To prove this, alumni should have at least, an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and a paying customer, meaning at least one person or organization who has actually paid to use the product or service.
If you鈥檙e an alum with a powerful idea and skin in the game, this could be your moment. Applications for Cohort 3 will open in February 2026 don鈥檛 miss out! Reach out for more information at incubatorandgrants@schoolofstjude.co.tz
