Crafting A Compelling Pitch: A Shoemaker’s Guide to Securing Grant Funding

Bentley Chukwuemeka and I started The Footwear Academy back in 2017 with a simple dream: to breathe new life into Nigeria’s rich shoemaking tradition and to make shoemaking easy and accessible to everyone, including women and people living with disabilities. Looking back now, that little spark we lit has grown into a blazing fire, warming the hearts and hands of over 500 shoemakers and leatherworkers across Aba, Warri, and Lagos.

At the academy, we don’t just teach a craft — we ignite passion. Our students come to us hungry to create, to build something meaningful with their own two hands. And as they hone their skills, you can see the confidence growing in their eyes. But then comes the big question: “How do I take this passion and turn it into a successful business?”

Also, among the most frequently asked questions by students is how to pitch effectively and secure funding, a crucial step in scaling their businesses and realizing their entrepreneurial dreams.

Since 2020, I have prepared our students for different grant funding opportunities.

In this article, I have highlighted, in simple terms, the elements of a power pitch.

Pitching for funding is a daunting challenge for any entrepreneur. Believe me, Bentley and I have been there — standing before investors with our dreams in our hands and hope in our hearts.

But we’ve learned that a powerful pitch has the power to open doors.

A pitch is like a presentation where you explain your business idea and why someone should give you money to help it grow. When pitching for a grant, you need to convince the people giving out the money that your business is a good investment and that you will use the money wisely.

Here are some important things to consider when pitching your “shoemaking” business:

Your Passion and Expertise: Explain why you love making shoes and how long you have been doing it. Show them that you are an expert in your craft and that you know everything about shoemaking.

Your Products: Describe the types of shoes you make and what makes them special or unique. You can even bring some samples to show the quality of your work.

Your Market: Explain who your customers are and why they buy your shoes. Show that there is a demand for your products and that you have a good understanding of your target market.

Your Plan: Explain how you plan to use the grant money. For example, you might say that you will buy new equipment to make shoes faster, hire more workers to increase production, or buy better materials to make higher-quality shoes.

Your Goals: Explain how the grant will help you achieve your goals, such as increasing your sales, opening a new shop, or creating more jobs in your community.

Remember, the key to a successful pitch is to make it clear, compelling, and memorable.

If you can convince the judges that your business is worth investing in and that you have a solid plan for using the grant money, you’ll have a better chance of getting the funding you need to take your shoemaking business to the next level.

Additional Resources

To stand out and make your pitch more memorable, especially for face-to-face pitching events, you can do the following:

Use visuals: Prepare a simple presentation with pictures or videos of your shoes, your workshop, and your customers. This will help the judges understand your business better.

Bring samples: As mentioned earlier, bring some of your shoes to show the quality of your work.

Tell a story: Instead of just listing facts and figures, tell a story about your journey as a shoemaker and how the grant will help you achieve your dreams.

Be passionate: Show how much you love your work and how committed you are to making your business a success. Your passion and enthusiasm can be contagious and inspiring.

Practice: Practice your pitch several times until you can deliver it confidently and smoothly. You can even practice in front of friends or family to get feedback.