Choose the right capital route
Decide whether a grant, contract, partnership, earned revenue, or private investment best fits the outcome, timeline, and ownership model of the enterprise.
Monthly webinars
October 2026, past webinar
The Quiet Capital Playbook
A practical look at building mission-led institutions through government funding, contracts, procurement readiness, and relationships that are earned over time.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Time and joining details to follow
Speaker
Prof. David S. Akanbi
President and Chancellor, American Open University Nigeria
View LinkedIn profileSession brief
Fundraising does not always begin with an investor pitch. For founders building social enterprises, public funding and government contracts can provide another route to scale, but only when the organization is credible, compliant, and ready to deliver.
Prof. David S. Akanbi brings experience from raising more than $10 million for education ventures, including a modern multi-campus university and polytechnic. His work with Nigerian and United States government institutions offers a grounded view of how public-sector opportunities are identified, pursued, and converted into programmes that create lasting value.
The conversation will separate relationship-building from access-seeking. Strategic relationships grow from useful work, a clear public benefit, reliable delivery, and patient follow-through. Founders will learn why trust, documentation, and institutional readiness matter long before an opportunity is advertised.
The session will also examine the practical demands behind government funding and contracts: understanding eligibility, responding to procurement requirements, pricing work responsibly, managing reporting obligations, and protecting the mission while meeting public accountability standards.
Core lessons
What the session helps you do.
Become procurement-ready
Put the legal structure, registrations, financial records, policies, capability statements, and delivery evidence in place before a suitable opportunity appears.
Build institutional trust
Develop relationships through credible work, informed conversations, consistent follow-through, and a clear understanding of the public problem being solved.
Deliver with accountability
Price the work accurately, document decisions, manage milestones, and report outcomes in a way that protects both the mission and the public interest.
Topics covered
- Government grants, contracts, and strategic partnerships
- Procurement readiness and institutional credibility
- Building relationships without relying on shortcuts
- Balancing mission, compliance, delivery, and growth
Who it is for
- Social enterprise founders and nonprofit leaders
- Education, health, infrastructure, and civic technology builders
- Founders exploring non-dilutive capital
- Operators preparing for government procurement
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