Application

1. Filing an application

For consideration of the Fund by your idea it is necessary to fill in the Registration Form on the attached sample. The form is filled in electronic form, printed out and signed by the applicant. In addition to applying for funding, you can also apply for free training under the Fund's programs.
You can find the download link for the Registration Form below.

Download Registration Form

2. First interview with a business consultant

After completing the Registration Form, the applicant is invited to a first interview with a business consultant. For the interview, you need to prepare a brief description of the business idea, and accompanying documents in accordance with the List of documents for the processing of the application.

List of documents

Registration Form

Download

Brief summary of your business idea

Download

Copy of the education certificate

Copy of passport

2 photos

3. Selection Panel

The completed Registration Form together with a brief description of the business idea and accompanying documents is considered at the meeting of the Selection Panel of the Fund. The main criteria for evaluating applications by the Fund include:

  1. Your level of education, professional experience and the availability of the necessary skills to implement a business idea;
  2. Enthusiasm and the amount of time that you are willing to devote to your project;
  3. The amount of your own contribution to the proposed project and your current financial capacity;
  4. The level of qualifications of the employees who will be involved in the implementation of the Project;
  5. Feasibility of the business in terms of market conditions, supply and demand;
  6. Business location;
  7. Other factors that affect the possibility of successful implementation of the proposed business.

Please note that when completing the Registration Form you agree that the Sheikh Zayed Fund has the right to reject your application at its own discretion at any time without explaining the reasons for the refusal.
Providing deliberately false information at the stage of filing an application may serve as a reason for refusal at subsequent stages of consideration of your application.

4. Training

As a result of consideration of your application by the Selection Committee, you may be offered to undergo the specialized training provided by the Fund on a free basis. In particular, possible areas of training include training on generating ideas, designed for entrepreneurs whose business idea is not yet fully developed and requires additional clarification, and training on developing a business plan.
For more information on the types of training provided, see the relevant section. - Training.
Based on the results of the training, applicants are tested to assess the success of mastering the presented material.

Please note that non-attendance of trainings and negligent attitude towards them can serve as a reason for refusing further consideration of your application.

5. Business plan development

Applicants who successfully passed the previous stages of consideration of the application, including training, if it was recommended, will be asked to prepare a business plan for the Project according to the format approved by the Fund. During the preparation of the business plan, the applicant will have the opportunity to consult with the business consultant assigned to him about the content of the business plan, and to specify the details of the calculations. In turn, business consultants can comment on the contents of the business plan and require clarification and confirmation of the assumptions laid down in the business plan.

6. Business Plan Presentation

After successful preparation of the business plan and removal of all comments of business consultants, the applicant will be invited to the meeting of the Credit Committee of the Fund, where he will be given the opportunity to protect his business plan and answer questions from experts. In case of final approval of the business plan following the meeting of the Credit Committee, a loan agreement will be concluded with the applicant.

Please note that the approval of the business plan can be conditional. In case of conditional approval, the applicant will be given time (up to three months) to fulfill the terms of the loan.

Such conditions may include:

  1. Registration of a legal entity for the implementation of the project;
  2. Provision of the project implementation site and provision of all necessary supporting documents to the production premises;
  3. Provision of collateral to secure a loan.

7. Transfer of borrowed funds

The transfer of funds under the loan agreement is carried out in stages, in accordance with the items of expenditure agreed upon within the business plan.
The transfer takes place by a non-cash method.