The Advisory and Mentoring Unit (AMU) aims to provide entrepreneurs with advisory services and pre investment technical support necessary for them to secure funding for their projects. AMU assistance will take the form of in-house advisory services as well as outsourced specialized services where costs will be borne jointly by the VCIP and entrepreneur.

The VCIP, in collaboration with several select intermediaries, will be providing assistance to entrepreneurs in the following areas:

• Business Plan Formulation
• Market Research
• Accounting / Financial Management
• General Management
• Marketing
• Legal Services
• Venture Capital Support

Venture Capital Support Services are provided free of charge to anyone seeking finance or simply exploring their financing options. To access the services of specialists working with the AMU, a company must first have been approved as a QIC. An AMU Application form must then be completed and submitted along with a pro forma invoice from an AMU registered intermediary . The Evaluating Committee will decide the portion of the pro forma invoice the VCIP will bear. The VCIP will only disburse funds when it is satisfied that the consultant has performed its duties completely and satisfactorily.

To address the issue of limited fund management skills, the VCIP hosts fund management training sessions. The last such session was held in collaboration with the Institute of SME Finance.

Venture Capital Training for Intermediaries is intended to fill the knowledge gap of business advisors and to enable them to more effectively serve clients in the provision of advisory services.

This is geared towards exposing entrepreneurs to the financing options available and how to successfully gain access to them. Skills such as business plan development as well as presentation skills are taught by industry professionals.