The BMG 1 Million Naira Business Grant

You qualify to apply for the grant if you meet ALL of the following criteria:

• You have an existing business OR you are planning to start a business.
• You have been a member of the BMG Academy (The Online Business School) for the last 3 months.
• ⁠You have completed at least 3 business courses and participated in the BMG Academy in the last 3 months.

The steps for selecting the winners of the grant are as follows:

Step 1: Receive the link.

The link to the application form for the grant will be sent to all members of the BMG Academy (via email) based on the timetable below.

Step 2: Answer 5 questions.

Answer the five questions on the short application form.

Note: Anyone who applies for the grant but doesn’t meet any of the three criteria will be automatically disqualified.

Step 3: Create your pitch

Record a short video pitch on your phone (must be less than 2 minutes long) that does the following:

• introduces you and your business,
• explains how you plan to use the grant money to support your business, and
• mentions 3 specific things you’ve learned from the courses in the BMG Academy that have helped you as an entrepreneur or your business.

Tip: There is a course in the BMG Academy that can guide you to create a good video pitch. It's titled "Pitch Perfect: How To Craft and Deliver A Powerful Pitch..." We encourage you to watch it.

Step 4: Submit your pitch

Upload and send your video pitch to us via WhatsApp or Telegram.

Step 5: Assessment and Shortlist

We will assess and score your application and pitch. Based on the scores, the video pitches of the Top 15 applicants will be presented to the general group (The BMG Hub on Telegram) for voting.

Step 6: Voting

Members in the general group will vote for their preferred candidate(s) by liking their video pitch. Voters can vote for more than one candidate if they wish.

Note: Applicants can invite and add new people to the general group to boost their votes and support.

Step 7: Vote count & Announcement of winners

Voting closes and the final votes are counted. The final winners will be announced within 24 hours.

The winners will be sent their grant prizes within 7 days after the announcement.

The winners of the grant will be selected based on the following scoring criteria:

1) Learning and participation: 40% of total score.

This score represents how many business courses you have completed in the BMG Academy (The Online Business School) in the last 3 months and your participation within the Academy, as follows:

Completing business courses in the Academy:

• If you complete 3 courses = you get a 15% score.
• If you complete 4 to 6 courses = you get a 25% score.
• If you complete 7 courses or more = you get a 35% score.

Note: Completion means you have a 100% completion rate in a business course in the BMG Academy.

Participation in the Academy:

• In the last 3 months, if you have used the comments section below any business course to ask at least one question, make a suggestion or contribution, or give feedback about a course = you get a 5% score.

2) Application and pitch: 20% of total score.

This score represents the quality of (1) your responses to the five questions on the application form, and (2) your video pitch.

• If your written application is clear and convincing, you get 10%, else you get 5%.
• If your video pitch is clear and convincing, you get 10%, else you get 5%.

3) Voting: 40% of total score

This score represents the percentage of total votes your video pitch received after voting in the BMG Hub on Telegram.

Example: If the total number of votes for ALL the video pitches is 2,000 and you received 400 votes, your vote score will be 8%. 

Calculation: (400/2,000) x 40% = 8%.

The link to apply for the grant will be sent to all members of the BMG Academy (via email).

Please remember to check your email for the link on the date shown on the timetable below.

If you do not receive it, please send us a DM on WhatsApp or Telegram and we will send you the link directly.

NOTE: If you do not meet the criteria for selection, please do not apply.

• March 1: Formal public announcement of the N1 Million Business Grant on all internal and external platforms.
• March 3: Application starts (email with a link to the application form is sent to BMG Academy members).
• March 7: Application closes for the March 2025 business grant.
• March 10: Deadline for submission of video pitches
• March 11-13: Assessment and scoring
• March 14: Voting starts. Video pitches of the top 15 finalists are uploaded on the BMG Hub on Telegram.
• March 23: Voting ends and counting begins.
• March 24: Top 3 Winners are announced. 

The winners will be sent their grant prizes within 7 days after the announcement.

These are our responses to the frequently asked questions about the N1 Million Business Grant:

What is the BMG?

The Business Mentorship Group (BMG) is a platform where entrepreneurs and business owners get practical business training, ongoing mentorship, strategic guidance, and expert business advice directly from John-Paul Iwuoha.

The BMG is made up of four membership levels:

• Level 1 is the BMG Hub on Telegram (free).
• Level 2 is the BMG Academy, an online business school (paid).
• Level 3 is the BMG Consult, a private coaching service with John-Paul (paid).
• Level 4 is the BMG Premium, a 1-year consultancy service. This service has a limited availability (paid).

How often will the grant be available?

The BMG N1 Million Business Grant is a monthly grant program. Applications open monthly and winners will be announced every month.

Who can apply for the grant?

You can apply for the BMG N1 Million Business Grant if you meet ALL of the following criteria:

• You have an existing business OR you are planning to start a business.
• You have been a member of the BMG Academy (The Online Business School) for the last 3 months.
• ⁠You have completed at least 3 business courses and participated in the BMG Academy in the last 3 months.

Can I apply for the grant again if I have won before?

Yes. But to apply again, you must wait until 6 months after you last won the grant. This rule applies to the Top 3 Winners for any month.

I am NOT based in Nigeria. Can I participate and in what currency will I receive the grant if I win?

Yes, you can participate. The grant is open to all eligible members of the BMG Academy, no matter their location. 

Winners outside Nigeria will be sent the US Dollar equivalent of the grant prize they win.

What if two or more people have the same score for first, second, or third prize?

If there is a tie, our internal panel of judges will cast the tie-breaker vote and decide who the winners will be.

Can I invite other people to apply for the grant?

Yes, you can. As long as they become members of the BMG Academy and meet the criteria for the grant, they can apply.

Send them this link to join the BMG Academy: jointhebmg.com/academy

How will I receive the grant money if I win?

For winners in Nigeria, the grant money will be sent by bank transfer to the bank accounts of the winners.

For winners outside Nigeria, the grant money will be sent by bank wire transfer or other available international money transfer options.

Do I have to travel or be physically present to apply for the grant?

Not at all. No physical presence or travel is required to apply for the grant. The entire process will be virtual.

Why do I have to record my pitch on video? Why not audio or text?

The grant selection process is designed to be similar to the real-life experience of raising money from an investor or bank. A video pitch is the closest representation of real life.

Tip: There is a course in the BMG Academy that can guide you to create a good video pitch. It's titled "Pitch Perfect: How To Craft and Deliver A Powerful Pitch..." We encourage you to watch it.

Why do I have to be a member of the BMG Academy for at least 3 months to apply for the grant?

We only want people who are committed to the BMG and see value in our business courses to apply for the grant. The N1 Million Business Grant is our way of rewarding loyal and deserving members of the BMG.

Why is voting necessary?

We do not want to monopolize the power to decide the winners of the grant. We want the general public (people in the BMG Hub on Telegram) to also have some power to decide and choose the winners.

Can I invite my friends and family to vote for me?

Yes, of course. During the voting period, you can invite anyone to join the BMG Hub on Telegram so they can vote for your video pitch.