International Breweries Plc has announced the commencement of application for the 2022 edition of its award-winning entrepreneurship initiative, known as Kickstart.
International Breweries revealed that Kickstart’s online portal is scheduled to open today, to receive applications from passionate Nigeria-based entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 years.
The initiative, championed by the International Breweries Foundation (IBF), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of IBPLC, has positively impacted the lives of numerous budding entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, and provision of grants to run their businesses. The initiative which was launched seven years ago has been rated as one of the leading programmes that support young entrepreneurs in the country
Speaking on the 2022 Kickstart launch, Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, International Breweries Plc., Temitope Oguntokun, said, “The idea behind the Kickstart initiative is to empower our young people economically, thereby contributing our quota to bridge the unemployment gap in the country.
“This year, International Breweries Foundation is partnering with the Small and Medium Enterprises Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan Atlantic University to train 400 youths in different businesses, skills, and leadership development modules.”
Oguntokun also urged young business owners to take advantage of the veritable platform that Kickstart provides and its antecedents in the youth empowerment space.
”The success and credibility of Kickstart are the hundreds of our alumni, which is a proof of the positive impact over the years”, she said.
According to International Breweries, young entrepreneurs with business interests in Agriculture, Retailing, Circular Packaging (Recycling), Technology, and Renewable Energy, amongst others, can apply on the Kickstart portal by visiting https://reg.smetoolkit.ng/EDC/program/kickstart-nigeria.
Successful applicants will receive intensive mentorship and training by seasoned entrepreneurs in their various fields while acquiring the necessary skills required for entrepreneurship during a two-day boot camp before receiving the grants to grow their businesses.
Applicants who scale through the application phase will proceed to a pitch-fest segment where a panel of judges will appraise submitted proposals before selecting the final winners. The winners of the pitch-fest segment will receive multi-million grants at the awards ceremony which will hold in Lagos later in the year.