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One-page plan + 12-month forecast + a real grant/investor application

The capstone project for Business Plan & Grant Writing — a free Business course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

A single shared Google Doc/Sheet link containing: (1) a one-page business plan covering all ten sections, (2) a 12-month financial forecast with startup costs, revenue, break-even and a 12-row cashflow, and (3) a tailored executive summary + application for one named, eligibility-checked Nigerian grant or investor, including an itemised budget that sums to the amount requested.

What to do, step by step

  1. Choose ONE business — your own real idea or a clearly-defined sample (e.g. a soup-spice sachet brand, a phone-accessories shop, a small poultry farm). Do quick, cheap research first: have at least one real conversation or run a WhatsApp/community poll, and note one price/competitor finding and one figure from a source like the National Bureau of Statistics. Record your findings with their sources.
  2. Write a ONE-PAGE business plan covering all ten core sections from Lesson 2 — problem, solution, market, competition, business model, marketing, operations, team, financials and the ask — each as a short, concrete, evidenced paragraph or two (no vague claims, no 'no competition').
  3. Build a 12-MONTH financial forecast in a spreadsheet with four clear tabs/sections: (1) itemised startup costs with a total; (2) a month-by-month revenue forecast built bottom-up from units, with your growth assumption stated; (3) a break-even calculation showing fixed costs, contribution per unit, and break-even units per month; and (4) a 12-row cashflow table (opening + money in − money out = closing) — flag any month that goes negative.
  4. Identify ONE real Nigerian grant or investor that genuinely fits your business (e.g. Tony Elumelu Foundation, your state SME/empowerment scheme, BOI, NYIF, an NGO/donor grant or an angel network) and confirm you actually meet its stated eligibility — name the source and the eligibility you checked.
  5. Write a TAILORED application or pitch for that specific funder: a compelling one-paragraph executive summary, the impact/return framed in the funder's own language, your evidence from the research, and a realistic ITEMISED budget that sums exactly to the amount you are requesting.
  6. Put everything in one shared Google Doc or Sheet (set link sharing to 'anyone with the link can view') with clearly labelled sections — the one-page plan, the forecast tabs, and the tailored application — and submit the link.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
One-page plan covers all ten sections clearly and concretely, with a real problem, honest competition and a crystal-clear ask25%
Financial forecast is complete and sound — itemised startup costs, bottom-up revenue with a stated assumption, a correct break-even calculation, and a 12-month cashflow that flags any negative month30%
Cheap research is evident — at least one real customer/poll insight, one price/competitor finding, and one sourced data figure, all reflected in the plan15%
Grant/investor fit is genuine — a real, named Nigerian funder whose stated eligibility the applicant actually meets10%
Tailored application wins — executive summary and impact framed in the funder's language, claims evidenced, and a realistic itemised budget summing exactly to the amount requested20%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Business Plan & Grant Writing before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Business Plan & Grant Writing is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

Business Plan & Grant Writing is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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