The Federal Government’s Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme, implemented by the Bank of Industry, has officially opened applications for the iDICE Startup Bridge Growth Lab.
This 12-week acceleration programme will select 12 tech-enabled Nigerian startups from across the country’s six geopolitical zones for intensive growth support, investment readiness training, and access to up to $350,000 in funding. Applications opened on 15 July 2026 and close on 19 August 2026.
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What Growth Lab offers
Growth Lab is designed for startups that have moved past the idea stage and developed a minimum viable product with demonstrable market traction. It is the second track in the iDICE Startup Bridge programme, following the Founders Lab which targets idea-stage entrepreneurs. Where Founders Lab builds the foundations, Growth Lab builds the commercial engine.
Selected startups will receive a $100,000 cash investment in exchange for 7.5 per cent equity upon entering the programme, subject to terms and conditions. Beyond the initial investment, participants are eligible for up to $250,000 in potential follow-on funding if specific growth milestones are achieved during the 12 weeks. The total potential value per startup across both tranches is $350,000 — a figure that, for an early-stage Nigerian tech company, represents the kind of capital injection that can accelerate trajectory rather than simply sustain operations.
In addition to funding, Growth Lab participants gain access to structured acceleration support, industry expert networks, market expansion pathways, and investment readiness preparation that positions them for subsequent fundraising from institutional investors and development finance institutions.
The combination of equity investment and performance-based follow-on funding is an important structural choice. It rewards execution rather than promise — creating an incentive for startups to move during the programme, not after it.
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Who is behind the programme
The iDICE programme is backed by a coalition of major development finance institutions: the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Islamic Development Bank, with the Bank of Industry serving as implementing partner and Ventures Platform managing fund disbursements. This institutional depth gives the programme credibility and staying power beyond what most privately funded accelerators can sustain.
Applicants must be resident in one of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, have a startup that has been operating for not more than 12 months, be at the post-MVP stage with evidence of market validation, and be willing to participate fully in the 12-week programme. Female founders are strongly encouraged to apply.
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Why it matters for Nigeria’s startup ecosystem
The broader iDICE programme has already committed N10 million in grants each to the top 100 founders per Founders Lab cycle — N1 billion in total per cycle — establishing a meaningful capital pipeline for early-stage entrepreneurs. Growth Lab extends that pipeline into the scaling phase, addressing a gap that has historically caused early-stage Nigerian startups to plateau: they receive initial support to launch but lack the structured capital and network access needed to reach the next commercial tier.
Building a startup to MVP in Nigeria is a genuine achievement. What happens next — the scaling phase, the investor conversations, the market expansion — is where most promising companies stall. Growth Lab is designed to change that.
Interested founders can apply at idicestartupbridge.ng before the 19 August 2026 deadline.
