Q1. Why do we need to pay 100 Shilling for application fee?
A1. Purpose of the application fee is not to help fund the program. It is to screen out possible applicants who are not serious about the program and not ready to take their idea to the next level.
Q2. If I have more than 1 idea, could I apply multiple times?
A2. Technoserve discourages you to apply more than once. Please choose the best idea and apply once.
Q3. What happens after I submit the application?
A3. Submission deadline is May 31. 300 Semi-finalist will be announced by July 31. Core training for 300 winners will starts around mid-August.
Q4. What benefit does Technoserve get from this BPC?
A4. It is the mission of Technoserve, a U.S. headquartered, non-governmental organization started in 1968 in Ghana then established in Kenya in 1973, to help entrepreneurial men and women in the developing world to build businesses that create income, opportunity and economic growth for their families, their communities and their countries.
Q5. How should a group apply?
A5. The group should complete the application then assign one representative to participate in training and ceremonies if the idea is selected. The group can be present to celebrate at the ceremonies.
Q6. How many final winners will be there and how much fund will they get?
A6. Number of winners and fund to them will vary with conditions such as number of applicants. However, there will be up to 6 overall winners and winners can win up to 1 million Shillings.
Q7. Does the category of an idea (e.g., services, agri-processing or light manufacturing) affect the possibility to be chosen as a winner?
A7. No. Category of an idea will not affect the possibility of winning.
Q8. Is the evaluation process transparent and fair? Are there any pre-selected (by relationship) winners?
A8. Evaluation will be conducted by panel of third party judges and each application will be evaluated more than two judges. Technoserve will enforce objective evaluation criteria to ensure the fairness.
Q9. Do you have preset winner quota for each province/age/gender?
A9. There will be best woman entrepreneur award, most innovative business award, best Agri business award and KCB Provincial Awards to the top 3 in all 8 provinces.
Q10. What if a person who is over 35 deceives his age and applies?
A10. Technoserve can disqualify an applicant anytime if the information provided is not true. If an applicant is selected as a winner, s/he might be asked for verification.
Q11. If one applies in a group, can the same person apply as an individual?
A11. Either applies as a group or individual, no double application.
Q12. If a business started in year 2007, does the business fit as an Expansion or Start-up
A12. Its an Expansion and necessary information for the period of operation should be given.
Q13. Will a person attach the Post bank receipt while sending the application?
A13. Post Bank will facilitate in sending the receipts
Q14. Is a copy of the ID attached to the applications when sending them?
A14. No attachment of the ID in application.
Q15. What is meant by services, agri-processing, and light manufacturing?
A15. Please refer to the training material page 2.
Q16. How do you ensure that my business idea will be kept confidential?
A16. Business plans will be transported securely by Postbank and will be stored in a locked storage. Also, all the judges who evaluate business plan will sign confidentiality agreement.
Q17. What is a business plan competition?
A17. Business plan competitions have been held by various organizations world wide with great success. TechnoServe Inc. has designed and managed competitions in Latin American countries and in Ghana and Swaziland. In 2007 TechnoServe will be continuing Believe Begin Become in Ghana and Swaziland and launching the programme in Kenya and South Africa. The results of past TechnoServe competitions have been overwhelming. Almost 200 hundred businesses have been launched or expanded. These businesses have created more than 900 jobs and have achieved more than Kes 700 million in annual sales revenues.
Believe Begin Become’s primary objectives are to stimulate growth-oriented entrepreneurial activity and train entrepreneurs on the process of developing successful businesses. The programme works as a catalyst to increasing employment opportunities by fostering investment and growth in high potential business ideas.
Kenya needs jobs to stimulate economic growth. Jobs are created by new enterprises, which are founded and launched by entrepreneurs who have good ideas, drive, and are willing to work hard. If you are reading this material it is likely that you already have a business or a business idea you would like to transform into a successful expansion or start-up, and you are interested in benefiting from available resources. This is why we give you some advice: make the most of this opportunity to take your business concept to the next level!
Q 18. What is a business plan and why is it necessary?
A 18. A business plan is a strategic guide for you and your management team that helps you run your business effectively and grow your business. It is also an important sales document that you can use to raise loan and investment capital for your business.
A business plan is a written summary of what a business intends to achieve and how it intends to achieve it. It can serve as a risk assessment tool, an operational guide, and a measure of progress and success.
Some of the questions business plans address include:
- Is the idea feasible?
- Who will be the product’s clients and how big is the target market?
- Does the management team understand the market in which it operates?
- What additional abilities and expertise are needed to be successful?
- Does the concept have high growth potential?
- Is the return on investment enough to attract investors?
Business plans are necessary because they:
- Force entrepreneurs to plan ahead and think through potential obstacles and risks the business will face
- Help entrepreneurs identify their target markets, price strategies, competitive environments, and competitive advantages
- Allow entrepreneurs to clearly present their business concepts and management capabilities to potential investors
- Give investors and business leaders a clear sense of the level of investment needed and the likelihood of returns and at what level
- Provide the business leader an efficient “how” to guide for turning the idea into a real business
Potential readers of the business plan include:
- The founding team
- The board of directors
- Potential investors or financiers
- Potential employees
- Partners and mentors
- Suppliers
- Distributors
Q 19.What do I need to invest to participate?
A 19. Applying to the competition requires an investment of Kes 100. This is non refundable and due by the application deadline. If you make it to become a Believe Begin Become graduate you will also be asked to reproduce your business plan for the judging process. Most importantly you will have to invest your time and energy in order to succeed as a Believe Begin Become participant and as a business person.
Q 20. What are the specific resources the programme offers?
A 20. The resources available during the core of the programme (phases II) include:
- Business management course work with practical and academic experts
- Training workshops on business plan writing and development
- Training workshops on presentation development and delivery
- A business plan outline
- The Believe Begin Become web site
Q 21. What does the mentor do?
A 21. Mentors can be top executives in Kenyan businesses, professional business development consultants, or entrepreneurs who have turned good ideas into successful, high-growth businesses. These professionals are assigned to participants to assist them and provide insight as they develop their business plans. mentors do not write business plans for participants, nor do they do any of the necessary work required of participants.
Mentors have experience in one or more of the following areas:
1. Launching and running a business
2. Managing a particular business function (i.e. marketing, finance, operations)
3. Consulting for businesses as they develop
4. In a specific industry (i.e. tourism, agro industry)
Mentors can serve many roles for participants. Some of them include:
- Acting as a business partner in team discussions
- Offering constructive criticism and advice
- Serving as an intermediary with contacts who can offer market or industry knowledge
- Acting as a potential financing entity to assess presentation of the business concept
All mentors are required to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing them from transmitting or benefiting from any of the participant’s ideas or work. 
