GRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP FUND (GEF)

BANK OF INDUSTRY

GRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP FUND (GEF)
CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) is a special N2 billion empowerment programme for serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) which was launched on October 5, 2015. This novel scheme, which is a joint initiative of the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has the following objectives:

• Encourage graduates of tertiary institutions currently undergoing the compulsory one-year NYSC programme, to venture into business and become employers of labour rather than job seekers.
• Address the entrepreneurship capacity gap of the NYSC members who are expected to produce bankable business plans after the three-day capacity building programme.
• Deepen financial inclusion by de-risking the NYSC members and making them eligible for concessional loans ranging between N500.000 and N2 million to be provided by BOI.
• Ensure sustainability of the businesses of the eventual loan beneficiaries through effective monitoring by the NYSC Directorate and BOI.

The GEF programme comprises the following:

a. Online Business Plan Competition to select the most promising real sector business ideas.    Selection/screening of participants shall be done via the GEF online application portal:

         www boinigeria.com

2. Three days intensive entrepreneurship capacity building programme.
3. Loan amount of up to N2 million to be provided to each successful participant with bankable business plans within BOI's 35 SME clusters

(list at BOI's website: www.boi.ng), at an interest rate of 9% per annum, with tenors ranging from 3-5 years inclusive of 6 -12 months moratorium period.

The Capacity Building Programme is scheduled to hold simultaneously at the following
venues:

S/N	Geo-Political Zone/State	NYSC Camp Location
1	South-South	Former Martins TTC, Issele-Uku, Aniocha North L.G.A, Delta State.
2	South-East	Umunna, Bende L.G.A, Abia State.
3	South-West	Aisu College Hospital Road, Ede, Osun State.
4	North-East	Government College, Jalingo, Taraba State.
5	North-Central	Mangu, Plateau State.
6	North-West	Mani Road, Katsina, Katsina State.
7	Lagos	lyana Ipaja, Agege, Lagos State.

The Entrepreneurship Capacity Building Programme will make place at the above stated centre between 18^th – 20^th November, 2015. Interested serving NYSC members are hereby requested to apply online immediately.

Application closes by midnight of 3^rd November, 2015.

Management

Bank of Industry

14—Vanguard, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015