Federal Ministry of Education Opens 2026 Student Venture Capital Grant Application, Offers Equity-Free Funding
The Federal Ministry of Education has announced the opening of applications for the 2026 Cohort of the Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), an initiative aimed at supporting student-driven innovation, entrepreneurship, research and the commercialisation of solutions to real-world challenges.
The announcement was contained in a letter dated August 18, 2026, addressed to the Director of Colleges of Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the Ministry, the S-VCG programme provides students across Nigerian tertiary institutions, both public and private, with an opportunity to submit innovative business ventures and projects with strong potential for growth and impact.
Successful applicants will be considered for equity-free seed funding and other forms of programme support to help develop and scale their ventures.
The Ministry noted that the maiden 2025 cohort recorded significant participation, with more than 17,240 student applicants and 404 tertiary institutions taking part in the programme.
It added that following the competitive selection process, 45 student beneficiaries were selected and had commenced work on their respective projects, with a total of ₦50 million in equity-free grant funding made available to support the development and scaling of their ventures.
For the 2026 cohort, the Federal Ministry of Education has called on tertiary institutions and relevant stakeholders to widely publicise the opportunity and encourage eligible students to apply.
The Ministry said the initiative is expected to help identify and support promising student innovators and entrepreneurs whose ideas and solutions can contribute to Nigeria’s economic development and the objectives of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector.
How to Apply
https://svcg.education.gov.ng/
Interested and eligible students can obtain details about the application process, eligibility requirements, submission guidelines and deadline through the official Student Venture Capital Grant portal
