Verified grants, loans and equity from government DFIs (IDC, SEFA, NEF, Land Bank, TIA) and corporate enterprise development programmes, in one place. Won a tender and need working capital? Start here.
Term loans, bridging finance and asset finance for SMMEs that cannot access bank credit. Includes contract and tender bridging finance.
Working capital against a secured purchase order or tender award. The classic 'I won the tender, now I need to deliver' product.
Dedicated funding pool to accelerate the participation of black women in the economy, from startup to expansion.
Concessionary-rate loans and equity for youth-owned businesses in IDC priority sectors, with business support.
Cost-sharing grant covering capital equipment, working capital and business development for black industrialists.
Grant funding plus 18 months of intensive business support. One of the few true grant programmes for general SMMEs.
Term loans, bridging finance and asset finance for SMMEs that cannot access bank credit. Includes contract and tender bridging finance.
Working capital against a secured purchase order or tender award. The classic 'I won the tender, now I need to deliver' product.
Entrepreneurship finance for black-empowered startups: term loans and quasi-equity with business support baked in.
Expansion capital, acquisition finance, BEE deal funding and capital markets support for established black-owned enterprises.
Dedicated funding pool to accelerate the participation of black women in the economy, from startup to expansion.
Concessionary-rate loans and equity for youth-owned businesses in IDC priority sectors, with business support.
Debt, equity and guarantees for industrial-scale projects: manufacturing, agro-processing, energy and infrastructure.
Part-grant, part-loan packages for land acquisition, production inputs and agri-infrastructure for emerging farmers.
Seed grants to take a technology idea to prototype and market validation. Applications via TIA's regional offices and partners.
Funding for technology development from prototype through pre-commercialisation across priority sectors.
Cost-sharing grant covering capital equipment, working capital and business development for black industrialists.
Reimburses costs of export market research, trade missions, exhibitions and marketing materials.
Micro-grants plus mentorship and market linkages for young entrepreneurs. The classic first rung on the funding ladder.
Affordable loans for start-up, expansion and franchise funding for women-owned enterprises.
Provincial loan finance plus contract finance for Gauteng SMMEs, with a township economy focus.
Concessionary loans and incubation for businesses in Anglo's supply chain and host communities.
Grant funding plus 18 months of intensive business support. One of the few true grant programmes for general SMMEs.
Growth equity and quasi-equity from one of SA's largest ESD venture funds, managed with Edge Growth.
Developmental loans at concessionary rates with technical support, focused on job creation outside metros.
Low-interest loans and supplier development support for businesses in Sasol's supply chain.
Supplier development funding, incubation and contract opportunities inside the MTN ecosystem.
Grant and loan blend to support youth-owned startups and scale-ups, administered through the IDC.
Bidcheck verifies each programme against the institution's published criteria, last reviewed June 2026. Amounts, criteria and windows change: always confirm on the institution's site before applying. Bidcheck is not a credit provider and earns no commission from these listings.
Won a government tender but need working capital? Bridging finance options in South Africa: SEFA, GEP, private funders, costs, requirements and how fast they pay out.
7 min read →How B-BBEE levels work in tender scoring: 80/20 and 90/10 preference points, EME and QSE rules, sworn affidavits, and the cheapest route to a better level.
8 min read →Step-by-step: CSD registration, where tenders are published, B-BBEE points, returnable documents and how SMMEs actually win government contracts in South Africa.
9 min read →Most DFI programmes are national; provincial agencies like GEP add local money on top. Pick your province to see everything available to a business based there.
Registered South African businesses that meet each programme's criteria. Most DFI programmes target 51%+ black-owned businesses with turnover under R100M and a viable plan; several are reserved for women-owned or youth-owned (18 to 35) businesses. Each card above lists who it is for.
A grant is money you do not repay (rare, competitive: SAB Foundation, TIA, NYDA, dtic incentives). A loan is repaid with interest, usually below bank rates at DFIs like SEFA and NEF. Equity means the funder takes a shareholding, suited to high-growth businesses (Vumela, NEF uMnotho).
That is bridging or contract finance: SEFA's bridging loan and GEP's contract finance lend against a signed award letter or purchase order. Typical range R50K to R5M, repaid when government pays you. Have your award letter, CSD report and costing ready.
SEFA typically 4 to 6 weeks, IDC 6 to 8 weeks for under R10M, NEF 8 to 12 weeks including due diligence. Corporate ESD funds vary. Apply before you need the money, not after you win.
No. The funding desk is free, Bidcheck is not a credit provider, and no institution pays to be listed. We verify each programme against its published criteria and review the list quarterly. Always confirm details on the institution's own site.
SEFA bridging finance against a signed award is the most-used product on this desk. Search live tenders, then come back.
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