Call for submissions: 30 November 2023 – 31 December 2024 (11:59 pm WAT)

• Curation, screening, and analysis of submissions and finalize shortlist: on a rolling basis 1 January – 17 March 2025 
• Send Shortlist to SOSF Management for approval: 1 January – 17 March 2025 
• Secure approvals and prepare emails to the finalists: 1 February – 17 March 2025 

• Selected innovators will participate in our Lead4Change masterclasses to equip them to implement or scale their solutions as projects or enterprises.  

• The Masterclasses will cover:
•  Building a Social Change & Entrepreneurship Mindset: This includes Defining the Problem & Designing Solutions that address problems 
• Communicating, Leading, Launching, Implementing and Sustaining Solutions 
• Building & Sustaining Partnerships for Solutions 

Following the conclusion of the masterclasses, participants decide to join one of 2 Tracks:  

• Lead4Change (Track 1)  This is for social changemakers (project innovators) – i.e., those who prefer to execute small scale and short-term social change projects e.g. mentoring for 50 girls in 1 community for 1 year; provision of free antenatal services using a mobile healthcare center for 2 months in a local community; teaching 2 struggling students’ mathematics in school  
• Lead4Change (Track 2) This is for social entrepreneurs who seek to build long term social enterprises around their solutions i.e. for profit businesses that solve a social problem e.g. low-cost schooling for students in the riverine area; blood bank supply service to hospitals that are hard to reach in distant communities; low-cost fortified yoghurt targeting low-income mothers etc. 

Select alumni to be requested to share their testimonials in a special series with the social changemakers and social entrepreneurs. 

10-minute intervention based on the following info during the session as one of our SOSF L4C Ambassador success stories for 3-5 alumni with 20-minute Q&A:

• Year
•  School / workplace / name of business
• Existing Career / business / intended career (if not graduated)
• Progress so far
• Challenges
• SDGs you were tracking and impact so far
• Business you run / support as an entrepreneur / project you run as a Social Changemaker
• What was the most memorable and most challenging aspect of your SOSF L4C experience
• What you wish you did better
• 3 key takeaways from SOSF L4C and how you have applied it
• Best practices and tools
• How have you given back to others?
• Future plans
• Advice for the new class

SKILL-UP FOR YOUR BUSINESS / PROJECT is a SOSF online program for entrepreneurs / changemakers to conceptualize, start or grow micro & small enterprises / projects through immersive individual and peer-to-peer learning using our curated content delivered by experienced instructors.

Students are given coupons to have free login to the courses on udemy – https://www.udemy.com/user/skills-outside-school/. Participants need to finish the courses within the time period. This is expected to run alongside the 8-part Social Project / Social Enterprise Concept Note & Business Pitch Deck Sessions.

The SOSF Curated & exclusive content are delivered as 7 courses by experienced instructors, delivered and accessible on-demand on Udemy online learning platform at https://www.udemy.com/user/skills-outside-school/:

1. Transforming Your Idea into an Enterprise: Idea Generation, Idea – Product/Service Conversion, Target Market Dimensioning, Costing & Pricing, Business Plan Development. 
2. Building and Communicating a Strong Brand: Developing and Communicating a brand; Marketing and Pitching products/services.
3. Must Have Skills of an Enterprise: Communication; Pitching; Teamwork; Leadership; Negotiation and Networking Skills. 
4. Managing and Projecting your Business Finance: Understanding how to manage business finance – financial statement, tax planning, book-keeping, budgeting and re-investment. 
5. Attracting, Managing and Incentivizing the Right Human Capital: Understanding the secrets to understanding the human capital needs of your enterprise/project. 
6. Implementing strong corporate governance practices & legal structures for your business: Choosing the Right Legal Structures; Registering your Business; Understanding the laws that affect your enterprise/project. 
7. Financing your Business 

Check out the video on the course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89t07np-orQ

Some Success Stories

• John Fakunle is the CEO of Vercunle Natural Oils, a premium shear butter manufacturing and distribution business. After participating in our program and receiving N200,000 in seed capital [US$500], John scaled the business beyond the federal capital territory in Nigeria, to 3 additional states, and has expanded to market outlets in USA and Germany. His customer base grew 400% and has expanded his product base. 

• Ajisope Joshua, who after participating in our “Financing your business / unlocking funding opportunities” module applied for and received the infamous Tony Elumelu Foundation grant of NGN500,000.  

• Several participants received land and office spaces for their businesses from mentors and investors. 

Previous Participants Testimonials             

• “After the training, I was able to come up with a logo a vision statement for my business and a color”- Emmanuel Ehadagoro

• “Due to the training, I was able to rebrand by product and change my packaging, imagine a fashion designer with her own branded label and paper bag. My sales have increased so much, I now export my outfits to UK and Canada” – Amanda Okolo

• “Building my business has been grueling, exhausting, inspiring and exciting, I was also able to come up with a job description for my employees for proper organizational structure” – StellaMaris Obeta

• “The Mentorship I had from Mr. Ahmed Yero gave me more idea on ways to start my business, I just started my poultry business with 50 birds” – Elizabeth Iko

• “I received a very good mentorship from Mr. Samuel Moses. It was indeed very inspiring because he taught me ways on how to market my business. I am into shoe making because of the mentorship I was able to rebrand and market effectively” – Egberipou Wilson

These are modular sessions (once every week) aimed at developing participants capability to complete the social enterprise pitch deck (for the social entrepreneurs) and the social project concept (for the social change-makers) designed to mirror the key success factors for social enterprises and projects respectively. 

Social Enterprise

Review Pitch Deck: We leverage on Tongston’s proprietary business plan pitch deck for our L4C social entrepreneurs.

Complete deep dive sessions on each key distinct aspect of the business plan pitch deck as 7 sessions:

• Session 1: MARKET POTENTIAL/OPPORTUNITY
• Session 2: BUSINESS MODEL
• Session 3: PRODUCT OR SERVICE DESCRIPTION
• Session 3: TARGET AUDIENCE
• Session 4: MARKETING AND SALES STRATEGY
• Session 4: COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS & ADVANTAGE
• Session 5: FINANCIAL PLANNING & FUNDRAISING: with a Special Challenge: “accessing funding to test refine and validate”. The challenge is to only raise funding from friends & family (to demonstrate that you and your circle of influence being friends & family should your first point of call in “redefining” philanthropy).
• Session 5: FUNDING/INVESTMENT ASK
• Session 6: IMPACT ASSESSMENT + MONITORING & EVALUATION (M&E) PLAN: 
• Session 7: MILESTONES AND ROADMAP
• Session 7: RISKS AND MITIGATION
• Session 7: CALL-TO-ACTION 

 Social Project  

Review Concept Note: We leverage on SOSF’s Social Project Concept Note template designed through our decade long experience in driving impact across the African continent, aligned with concept note templates used by various social impact organizations and international development organizations as well as Tongston’s proprietary business plan pitch deck for our L4C social change makers.

Complete deep dive sessions on each key distinct aspect of the concept note as 7 sessions:

• Session 1: POTENTIAL/OPPORTUNITY
• Session 2: OPERATING MODEL
• Session 3: PROJECT DESCRIPTION
• Session 3: TARGET BENEFICIARIES
• Session 4: PARTNERSHIP AND MOBILIZATION STRATEGY
• Session 4: COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS & ADVANTAGE
• Session 5: FINANCIAL PLANNING & FUNDRAISING: with a Special Challenge: “accessing funding to test refine and validate”
• Session 5: FUNDING/INVESTMENT ASK
• Session 6: IMPACT ASSESSMENT + M&E PLAN
• Session 7: MILESTONES AND ROADMAP
• Session 7: RISKS AND MITIGATION
• Session 7: CALL-TO-ACTION

Mentors will be assigned at the end of the sessions following review and clearance of Social Enterprise Business Plan / Social Project Concept Note Pitch Decks.

Participants finalize their social change project pitch decks and social enterprise business plan pitch decks.

Participants get ongoing support towards effective implementation of social change projects / social enterprises by their mentors in line with the implementation plans and information depicted in the Social Enterprise Business Plans and Social Project Concept Note Pitch Decks over a 6-week period.

Participants will apply learning from the Lead4Change masterclasses and the Social Enterprise Business Plan / Social Project Concept Note Pitch Deck sessions

to implement their solutions as social change projects & enterprises over a 6-week period.

Participants will be provided with ongoing support including access to templates and resources for success of their implementation of projects and enterprises through access to the Unique Trello & Slack based SOSF ENTERPRISE / PROJECT COLLABORATION LOUNGE for entrepreneurs to network, access funding,

opportunities, business tools, a marketplace, business / project mentors, service providers/experts and continuous training.

This involves:

1. Social Changemakers’ Directory
2. Opportunity Centre
3. Business Tools & Templates
4. Pitch Platform
5. Marketplace
6. Hire a Business / Project Expert
7. Training & Insights Hub
8. Mentors Hub: through individual mentor assignments or Corporate Apprenticeship led by partner institutions.

Participants must submit an interim report no later than 7 September showcasing the preliminary outcome of their project / enterprise implementation for consideration by the Lead4Change team. 

Participants must submit an interim report no later than 1 October showcasing the preliminary outcome of their project / enterprise implementation for consideration by the Lead4Change team.

The Hub provides a platform for learning and honing critical soft skills to further support the implementation and scale of the social projects and enterprise.  This is through virtual sessions on zoom to run on 5, 12, 19, 26 October 2025.

These are:

A. Personal Development

1. Personal Time, Productivity and Planning
2. Personal Connections, Networking and Relationships
3. Personal Branding, CV/Profile, and Communications
4. Personal Learning, Work, and Extra-Curricular Hobbies/Activities/Projects
5. Personal Finance, Banking, and Wealth/Prosperity
6. Personal Content-Creation, Publications and Media-Engagements

B. Strategic Planning and Execution

C. Strategic Leadership and Teamwork

D. Communicating Your Vision

E. Networking & Partnerships

The Hub is also a community for collaboration and networking purposes by all social entrepreneurs & changemakers as well as a platform for mentors to engage with social entrepreneurs / changemakers. Participants will be implementing their social enterprises as they are undergoing further training and mentoring.

All participants that complete the Lead4Change are expected to submit their final concept notes for the social projects and implementation plan with evidence of preliminary implementation activities completed to the Pitch Event judges for consideration to participate in the Pitch, Graduation and Award Ceremony. 

 Participants are also expected to be conducting preliminary activities to implement the concept note so as to have market data to submit to the Graduation Ceremony, Awards and Pitch Event.  

Ongoing support and resources will be available for continual use by the participants. 

All participants that complete the Lead4Change are expected to submit their final business plans for the social enterprises & implementation plan with evidence of preliminary implementation activities completed to the Pitch Event judges for consideration to participate in the Pitch, Graduation and Award Ceremony. 

Participants are also expected to be conducting preliminary activities to implement the business plan so as to have market data to submit to the Graduation Ceremony, Awards and Pitch Event.  

Ongoing support and resources will be available for continual use by the participants. 

Graduates are encouraged to continue implementation of their innovative projects post-graduation and can provide feedback on their progress on the network. Prizes and challenges will be organized from time to time. 

The network provides continued access to the SOSF ENTERPRISE / PROJECT COLLABORATION LOUNGE

Finance

1. Structured timetable with funding opportunities ·               
2. Application / business plan review for funding opportunities ·               
3. Access opportunities in your theme or focus ·               
4. Fundraise on SOSF platforms
5. Access to auditors and accountants
6. Access to accounting software & tools

Enterprise –  Legal & Governance

1. Guide to registering your social enterprise       
2. Set up governance structure – board, advisory board, management & team, policies & procedures etc.   
3. Access to free business registration fees      

Enterprise –  Admin

1. Discounted office space and luxury business address through partner – Tongston ·               

Enterprise –  HR

1. Access to Entrepreneurial Talent – Access to alumni of our other interventions, mentors, partners, clients, vendors, volunteers as
2. talent to work for or with you, or join your advisory / statutory boards
3. Recommended job posts on job boards ·               

Enterprise –  Business Development & Stakeholder Management

Membership registrations

Network of key advisors – accounting, legal, audit, tax etc. ·               

Access to ongoing materials, tools and resources on

1. Business Concept Development    
2. Business Management
3. Marketing & Advertising  
4. Corporate Communications       
5. Business Law including incorporation and post-incorporation matters       
6. Tax & Regulatory Compliance
7. Business Plan Development     
8. Sourcing financial resources and investment opportunities
9. Accounting/Bookkeeping/Financial Management    
10. Personnel Sourcing and management

Media           

1. Entrepreneurial Spotlights across social media platforms.
2. Marketing support
3. Sponsored interview in a national newspaper or radio station o       
4. Free profiling of the entrepreneur on our website & social media platforms        
5. Facebook ad boost        
6. Hosting + domain for a website         
7. Free landing page on SOSF website           
8. Access to the SOSF Network of global volunteers, mentors, advisors & partners ·               
9. Dedicated communication campaign for the top 3

Education

1. Structured Quarterly Entrepreneurial roundtables and workshops with SOSF mentors & advisors as speakers            
2. Life as a Social Entrepreneur / Social Changemaker series by L4C Alumni