Funding for youth with disabilities

Funding for youth with disabilities Ursula
Written by More Matshediso

Young entrepreneurs who live with disabilities and would like to apply for funding from the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) must complete the same application form as every other applicant. 

According to the NYDA, if the applicant lives with a disability, all they need to do is to indicate their disability on the application.

The NYDA has a grant programme that is designed to provide young entrepreneurs with the opportunity to access both financial and non-financial business development support in order to enable them to establish or grow their businesses. The NYDA was established to address the challenges faced by the nation’s youth.

How much grant can I receive from the NYDA?

The grant finance starts from R1 000 to a maximum of R200 000 for any individual or youth co-operative, but for agriculture and technology-related projects, the maximum amount is R250 000.

Young people whose business ideas qualify for the grant programme, depending on their individual needs, will also receive some of the NYDA’s non-financial support services that include:

  • mentorship
  • business consultancy services
  • market linkages
  • business management training programme
  • youth co-operative development programme

Partial funding, co-funding or funding towards a deposit for a loan from another lending establishment

What do I need to apply?? 

In order to meet the criteria, applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old. They must also have skills, experience or potential skills, appropriate for the enterprise that they conduct or intend to conduct.

Most importantly, applicants must be South African citizens who live in the country and operate a business within the borders of country.

Applicants must also be involved in the day-to-day operation and management of the business with at least one or more of the members being a fulltime employee of the business, especially the main applicant. 

This information was supplied by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA)

You can contact the NYDA by calling 087 158 6345/5738 or email info@nyda.gov.za

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