Women in Digital Business (WiDB) at AM-Steve House Program – Training of Trainers (ToT) Programme 2025

If you are a trainer, business development service provider (BDSP), entrepreneur support organization (ESO), business mentor, or mSME coach passionate about empowering women entrepreneurs across Africa, here's your moment: applications are now open for the WiDB ToT Pilot Phase—a unique full-scholarship, certification-granting training opportunity. Dive in to learn how you can become a certified WiDB trainer and help scale digital empowerment for women entrepreneurs. Read on for details.

🎓 Scholarship Summary

• Location: Pan-African (open to practitioners across Africa)

• Organizer: AM-Steve House in partnership with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), funded by Microsoft Philanthropies

• Type: Training of Trainers (ToT) programme

• Target group: Entrepreneurs, trainers, BDSPs, ESOs, business mentors, mSME coaches in Africa; both men and women, with preference for women and certified ecosystem practitioners

• Fields of focus: Digital skills (Foundations), optional modules (Graphic Design, AI, Cybersecurity Essentials, Digital Marketing); entrepreneurial development via SIYB; business formalization

• Value & coverage: Fully funded scholarship covering full participation costs; includes certification, mentoring, resources, and paid future trainer opportunities

• Duration: 6-week programme (Intensive or Regular format)

• Application deadlines:

  • Priority Deadline: September 5, 2025 (22:59 GMT) — eligible for both Intensive & Regular tracks

  • Regular Deadline: September 19, 2025 (22:59 GMT) — for Regular track only

  • Final Deadline: December 31, 2025 (17:00 GMT) — will be considered for roll-out phase

• Start date: Early September for priority cohort; rolling thereafter

• Eligible to: Trainers, coaches, mentors, BDSPs, ESOs, mSME coaches across any of Africa’s 54 (or 55) countries

💻 Programme Overview

This pilot Training of Trainers (ToT) programme is the gateway to empowering 50,000 women entrepreneurs across Africa within the next three years, by building a robust network of certified trainers. Initially, 50 trainers will be trained and certified and later join a pool of up to 500 in the full rollout .

🧩 Programme Structure

1. Foundations Programme on Digital Skills (compulsory)

   Learn and teach essential digital literacy in business: online presence, selling online, digital tools for business

2. Optional Modules (available to deliver post-certification):

   • Graphic Design

   • Artificial Intelligence

   • Cybersecurity Essentials

   • Digital Marketing

3. SIYB Course (Start and Improve Your Business)

   Choose from:

   • GYB (Generate Your Business Idea)

   • SYB (Start Your Business)

   • IYB (Improve Your Business)

   • EYB (Expand Your Business)

     
     

     Delivered by ILO-certified SIYB trainers and master trainers

4. Formalization Course

   Practical support for business incorporation, compliance, tax registration, banking, branding

📚 Training Format

• Intensive: 2 hours/day for Week 1, followed by micro-teaching prep and delivery + 3 weeks planning

• Regular: 2 hours twice/week across 4 weeks, then micro-teaching

📝. Certification Process

• Complete online theoretical modules guided by an ILO-certified WiDB Lead Trainer

• Recruit and train 15 women entrepreneurs in the Foundations course under supervision (micro-teaching)

• Successful completion yields the ILO WiDB Trainer Certificate and entry into the Trainer Pool for paid engagements

🎁 Benefits of Participating

• Full Scholarship: Covers programme costs entirely

• Global Certification: ILO-endorsed trainer accreditation, unlocks future paid opportunities

• Trainer Pool Membership: Eligible for paid contracts to train women entrepreneurs

• Expert Mentoring: Close supervision by an ILO-certified WiDB Lead Trainer during micro-teaching

• Expanded Impact: Access to resources, networks, partnerships to strengthen your entrepreneurial ecosystem role

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be an entrepreneur or practitioner in coaching, training, mentoring (BDSP, ESO, mSME coach)

• Hold at least a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (HND, BDSP license, professional fellowship)

• Be actively working with entrepreneurs in any African country (54–55 count)

• Be fluent in English (ToT in English; ToE later can be in French, Portuguese, Arabic)

• Demonstrate ability to recruit & train 15 women entrepreneurs within the 6-week period

• Present a training portfolio showing past work in entrepreneurship training, mentorship, or support

• Be open to both genders, but preference is given to women, and to holders of BDSP licenses or leaders in ESOs

📝 Application Procedure

Required Documents:

• CV / Résumé

• Training portfolio (certificates, past training/mentorship documentation)

• Description of readiness and strategy to recruit/train 15 women entrepreneurs in 6 weeks

• Motivation statement (200–500 words)

ℹ️ How to Apply: Submit your application [via the WiDB ToT Application Form]

💡 Why Apply?

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a certified trainer under a high-impact, continent-wide initiative. As a WiDB-certified trainer, you’ll not only elevate your professional portfolio but directly contribute to empowering thousands of women entrepreneurs with essential digital and business skills across Africa.

🔗 Official Link

🔗 Apply Now

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