The RevUp Women Initiative is an enterprise development initiative that supports early-stage, women-led businesses across Africa. It aims to help women entrepreneurs build and sustainable ventures, create jobs, and foster inclusive economic growth through capacity building, access to finance, and strategic partnerships.
This edition focuses on supporting Nigerian women entrepreneurs in E-commerce and Agribusiness, with a strong emphasis on leveraging technology for business growth and impact. This cohort is funded by the Visa Foundation and will build the capacity of 150 women-led businesses in Lagos, Abuja, and Abia states. Selected participants will undergo a 12-week intensive hybrid acceleration programme, and an additional 3-month mentorship, with six outstanding businesses receiving a combined $24,000 in direct funding to support their growth and expansion.
AfriLabs is seeking to identify and engage qualified independent reviewers with demonstrated experience working with women-led businesses, particularly those in their acceleration or growth phase. Selected reviewers will be responsible for assessing and scoring applications submitted by women entrepreneurs interested in participating in our upcoming program. Ideal candidates should possess a strong understanding of entrepreneurship in Africa, gender-lens investing or support, and experience in evaluating business proposals or working directly with accelerators, incubators, or enterprise support organizations
The review process is a critical component of the selection journey and aims to ensure a fair, transparent, and merit-based evaluation of applicants. Reviewers will help identify the most promising businesses with high potential for scalability, social and economic impact, and long-term sustainability. The review will be done in 2 phases.
- Phase 1 – Application Evaluation: In this phase, reviewers will assess all submitted applications that meet the established eligibility criteria. Each eligible application will be scored based on predefined evaluation metrics
- Phase 2 – Validation Interviews: Following the initial evaluation, the top 50 applicants from each state will proceed to a second round consisting of rapid interviews. These interviews are designed to validate the information provided in the applications, assess the entrepreneur’s readiness, and further gauge the potential for business growth and sustainability. Applicants who do not meet the required threshold during the interview phase will be replaced with candidates from a pre-identified buffer list, comprised of the next highest-scoring applicants from Phase 1.
SCOPE OF WORK
The reviewers will implement the following tasks:
- Attend training on how to use the scoring guide
- Review all assigned applications based on pre-defined criteria.
- Ratify the results of the scoring process after compilation.
- Participate in validation interviews with selected participants
DELIVERABLES
- Individual evaluation sheets and reviewer comments for each application assigned.
- Summary report highlighting top applicants and general observations.
- Individual interview scoring sheets following the validation interviews with selected participants
- Attendance at briefing and debriefing sessions.
REQUIRED TIME COMMITMENTS
- The application review will take place from Wednesday, 13th August to Wednesday, 20th August 2025 (Tentative). Reviewers are expected to be available throughout this period to complete all assigned evaluations
- Following the review, interviews with shortlisted applicants will be held from Monday, 25th August to Friday, 29th August 2025, also between 12:00 and 3:00p.m. (WAT) each day. Reviewers will be required to participate in interview panels and provide feedback as needed.
RENUMERATION & PAYMENT TERMS
- Renumeration Range ($150- $180)
- Payment will be made in full (100%) upon satisfactory completion and delivery of services and will be subject to the applicable tax deduction.
- For Nigerian Applicants, renumeration will be made at the prevailing bank rate.
QUALIFICATIONS
- A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in any relevant field.
- Demonstrated experience in entrepreneurship, startup development, gender empowerment, or small and medium enterprise (SME) support within the African context.
- Sector knowledge in Agribusiness and/or E-commerce is highly desirable and will be considered an added advantage.
- Previous experience in reviewing grants, programs, or business proposals is preferred. Demonstrated experience working with women led businesses through acceleration programmes
- Excellent analytical skills, with strong written communication and time management abilities to ensure timely and high-quality evaluations.
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Applicant should submit the following:
- Filled Vendor request form
- Send a Cover Letter, CV or portfolio stating profile and relevant experience. Means of Identification.
- Financial proposal (This must be in USD)Submission of organization reference (i.e. Name, email and phone number of organization you have provided similar services)
- A sample of previous review work, preferably related to competitive innovation or grant programs.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Evaluation of each applicant will be based on the following:
Technical Proposal (65%)
- Submission of the requested documents as outlined in the method of application for each category
- Proof of required qualification and expertise
- Proof of work done in relation to the requested scope
Financial Proposal (35%)
- Financial proposal should be submitted in USD and kindly indicate if the amount proposed is negotiable or not.
- Validity of the financial proposal should be minimum of 6 months.
Important Submission Information:
- Kindly find the vendor information form below. Please download it before use. DO NOT edit the uploaded template.
- Vendor information form Submit your application via email to [email protected] Subject: “Application Reviewers”.
- Applicants should submit their applications on or before COB 8th August 2025.
- Paid Hub members are strongly advised to apply with their company name (If within their thematic areas and expertise).
- Women are strongly encouraged to apply
- Only the shortlisted applicants will proceed to the next stage
