Are you a craft + design entrepreneur ready to scale up in 2023? Can you benefit from bespoke training and mentorship specifically for creatives + a boost of up to R23,000 in grant funding? Apply now for the CDI Support Creatives + Accelerating Local Enterprises SCALE Program 2023.

The Craft + Design Institute (CDI) is recruiting a further 100 South African craft and design entrepreneurs, who will benefit from bespoke training and mentorship specifically designed for creatives and a boost of R23 000 in grant funding each. The programme in its first round of applications saw a high percentage of women and youth (entrepreneurs under 35) apply and the CDI is calling on more women and youth nationally to get support in this new intake of 100. The project aims to provide growth-oriented informal enterprises looking to grow their revenue, increase their personal income or employ new staff, with grant support, access to markets, training, and mentorship.

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Benefits from Design Institute SCALE Program

• A Business Assessment may be done with each successful applicant, which will assist in creating a roadmap.
• There will be 3 months of specially designed training (via online learning), the facilitation of participation in the CDI’s market platform PEEK, and the development of an intervention/action plan development for the up to R23 000 grant disbursements.Successful applicants will also get administrative support to the value of R5 000 and a total allocation of airtime/data to the value of R3 000.
• The final 6 months of the programme consists of mentoring, the grant disbursements and financial reporting with an additional 6 months of tracking to determine impact.
• The grant will be unlocked as the business owners achieves specific milestones and can be used for the purchase of equipment and/or other professional services.
• Successful participants will be required to report to the CDI team on a monthly basis and be willing to participate in monitoring and evaluation processes.

Eligibility for Design Institute SCALE Program

• Open to South African craft and design entrepreneurs;
• The business will need to meet the criteria of CDI’s definition of an informal business first, namely:
  • Turnover under R1m plus one or more of the following:
    • Less than 10 employees, including business owner.
    • Business does not have to be registered, however must at least have been in business for over a year.
    • Business does not have to be registered for UIF, SARS, PAYE. However, must be aware and compliant with Department of Labour regulations such as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act should they have employees.
    • Business need not have audited financial records, formal employment contracts or payroll. However, must provide and demonstrate some form of financial systems i.e. bank account statements, cash flow records and or books recording all business transactions which should be certified by an accompanying police affidavit.
    • Business owner earns less than R4,000/month (National Minimum Wage).
  • The informal business must have or be willing to do/acquire:
    • Complete all the required business development modules.
    • Register on the PEEK market platform to sell their products.
    • Actively partake in the mentorship programme.
    • A laptop or smartphone or willing to purchase one to complete programme requirements.
    • Develop a financial system and report monthly financial statements.
    • Must have a bank account or be willing to open one.
    • Consent to TryFetch API or the use of Yoco speed points as evidence of turnover.
    • Develop an intervention plan for the use of their grant funding and report on activities and budgets linked to timelines and agreed upon business targets.

Application of  Design Institute SCALE Program

Click here to apply

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Lastly, It is important to visit the official website link found below to access the application form.

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