Are you a woman SME interested in scaling your business? Apply for VV GROW Fellowship before 18 October 2022
Are you a woman SME interested in scaling your business? Apply for VV GROW Fellowship before 18 October 2022
The Vital Voices Global Partnerships, a non-profit organization invites female applicants for the VV GROW Fellowship 2023 Global Accelerator program. The program is focused on supporting women-owned SMEs to sustainably increase their business’s impact in the world. The 10-month virtual program fosters growth and skills advancement in strategic planning, financial management, marketing and sales, strategic networking, leadership, human resources, and communications.
Through the program, participants will be offered the following benefits:
- Support with strategic planning for growth
- Access to a new network of peers and informal advisors
- Official certification as a Vital Voices Grow Fellow
- Access to the Vital Voices network of global women leaders
Interested applicants should fulfil the following criteria to apply:
- Be a woman (inclusive of identities including cisgender women, transgender women and, non-binary people that are comfortable in a space that centres on experiences of women)
- Have or lead a purpose-driven for-profit business offering innovative solutions to global challenges or to advance SDGs
- Hold a key leadership and management position in the business with decision-making authority
- Have a business that is beyond the start-up phase with a proven business model and product/service, and committed customer base
- Business breaks even in terms of annual revenue
- Have at least one full-time employee
- Have proficiency in speaking and writing English
To apply, visit: VV Grow Fellowship Applications
Are you an innovative start-up tech company interested in securing funding? Apply for the Hanga Pitchfest before 17 October 2022
Are you an innovative start-up tech company interested in securing funding? Apply for the Hanga Pitchfest before 17 October 2022
The Government of Rwanda led by the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Rwanda Development Board invites applicants for the second edition of the Hanga Pitchfest. The event brings together angel investors, tech company founders, private sector business leaders, and key players in the creative industry and academia. Hanga Pitchfest seeks tech-enabled start-ups or high-growth start-ups that demonstrate potential to scale up through the use of technology.
Building on last year’s Pitchfest, the 2022 edition aims to provide a unique platform for tech entrepreneurs and creative talents in Rwanda to showcase and promote the use of technology and innovation in Rwanda’s market. Participants are given a platform to network with potential investors and business partners.
Successful participants in the Hanga Pitchfest will win the following cash prizes:
- USD 50, 000 for the top start-up
- USD 12, 500 for four runners-up
To apply, visit: Hanga Pitchfest 2022
Are you an agri-SME interested in accessing finance? Apply for the AgriXcel Programme before 3 October 2022
Are you an agri-SME interested in accessing finance? Apply for the AgriXcel Programme before 3 October 2022
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), in partnership with the African Management Institute (AMI) and Aceli Africa, invites applicants for the AgriXcel Programme. The programme is designed to support ambitious agri-SMEs by linking them to finance lenders and equipping them with practical tools and resources to improve their financial practices.
During the six month programme, participants will gain skills in making data-driven decisions and improving financial management using AMI Business, a financial tracking and analysis app, and implementing best practices for business growth, including financial analysis, leadership and governance, strategic business planning, customer management, markets, and streamlining operations. Participants will also gain linkages to financial service providers offering relevant financing as well as access peer learning and opportunities for collaboration.
Interested applicants must fulfill the following to apply:
- Be based in Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, or Uganda and interested in finance in the next 6-12 months
- Have generated revenue between USD 30,000 and USD 1,000,000 in the last financial year
- Be operational for more than two years
- Have at least two full-time employees
- Be willing to participate online with access to a smartphone, laptop, and internet connection
- Be willing to share financial/performance data as part of the financial goal tracking and analysis for finance readiness
- Be agri-SMEs who buy/sell from small-scale farmers or SMEs involved in logistics, processing, and handling food crops produced by small-scale producers
- Main participant must be the CEO, Managing Director, Owner, or Founder of the business; this person must be an active participant in the programme
- Other participants must be senior leaders in the business capable of supporting the implementation of key practices
- Women-owned businesses are highly encouraged to apply
To apply, visit: AgriXcel Programme Application
Register for the upcoming USAFRICA Business Expo Week
Register for the upcoming USAFRICA Business Expo Week
The USAfrica Business Expo Week, a Business-to-Business (B2B) trade show, conference, and networking event happening around the UN General Assembly, invites businesses interested in finding new buyers, suppliers, and investment opportunities to the September 12 – 22, 2022 event. The Expo will take place in New York, USA.
Participating businesses can network and consult with potential business partners and relevant global business development agencies. Additionally, participants will have access to an exhibition highlighting tools and resources to enable their business to grow.
Interested participants can attend virtually or in person, depending on the tickets they purchase. Attendants from outside the United States of America can opt to pay a standard package of USD 700 or a complete international package of USD 1500.
For more information on the event, visit: USAFRICA Business EXPO WEEK
To purchase tickets to the, visit: USAFRICA EXPO Tickets
Call for Africa Food Security and Resilience Partnerships
Call for Africa Food Security and Resilience Partnerships
Through the Prosper Africa initiative, the USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) program invites applicants for the Africa Food Security and Resilience Partnerships grant opportunity. ATI seeks partners to work with USAID to scale access to and availability of agricultural inputs, technologies, and food that directly respond to the food security and resilience impacts of ongoing price and availability shocks associated with the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
Interested applicants are required to submit a concept note that works towards one or multiple of the following comprehensive objectives:
- Increased food security
- Support to established businesses, farming associations, and sourcing partnerships that can rapidly scale access to crucial inputs such as seeds and fertilizers
- Partnerships with companies to scale production of food crops critical to food security and nutrition across multiple markets
- Export deals for critical inputs to food insecure regions
- Facilitate trade deals that deliver food from areas of surplus to those of scarcity
- Resilience of food systems
- Transaction identification, facilitation, and deal structuring related to Africa’s resilience and food security
- Development of new financing solutions addressing issues of Africa’s resilience and food security to accelerate access to key inputs or food products and scale production of essential value chains
- Expand farmers’ access to technologies that reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture, reduce post-harvest loss, and reduce/replace the use of diesel/fuel
- Strengthening and optimization of supply chains, such as through the use of technology and data to quickly drive decision making and respond to new resilience shocks
Shortlisted applicants will be sent a request for an application. Successful applicants will be offered grants ranging from USD 500, 000 – USD 5,000,000.
Apply before 31 March 2023.
For more information on the programme and application details, visit: ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT
Are you an aspiring youth entrepreneur? Apply for the CCW Tech Africa Internship program before 31 August 2022
Are you an aspiring youth entrepreneur? Apply for the CCW Tech Africa Internship program before 31 August 2022
CCW Tech Africa, an initiative of CCW Technologies, invites applicants to the CCW Tech Africa Internship program for young Africans. Through the program, successful applicants will have the chance to build skills in tech and entrepreneurship while also working on those soft skills that are key to running a business. Benefits include the following:
- Hands-on practical classes, working on real-life projects with real companies
- Mentorship from the program’s alumni
- Soft skills development
- Instructor-led training from experts in the industry
- Access to internships offered on the basis of performance and commitment to the program
Interested applicants must fulfill the following to apply:
- Be a youth citizen of an African country
- Be between 18-35 years of age
- Be able to understand and communicate in English
- Commitment to fully complete the 6 weeks of the program
To apply for the program, visit: CCW Tech Africa Applications
Are you a woman entrepreneur operating in the digital space and interested in growing your business? Apply for the eTrade Women Initiative Masterclass before 10 September 2022
Are you a woman entrepreneur operating in the digital space and interested in growing your business? Apply for the eTrade Women Initiative Masterclass before 10 September 2022
The eTrade for Women initiative led by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development invites participants for a Masterclass for women digital entrepreneurs. The Masterclass, which will be held in Lagos, Nigeria, is aimed at addressing the barriers women entrepreneurs face in leveraging business opportunities from digital technologies for growth. The Masterclass is organized in partnership with Damilola Olokesusi, Founder and CEO of Shuttlers and an Advocate for eTrade for Women.
Participants in the Masterclass will have an opportunity to engage with renowned business leaders and experts in their fields. The Masterclass will be a combination of inspirational talks, learning sessions, networking and policy dialogues. Interested applicants need to fulfil the following requirements:
- Be a woman founder of an e-commerce business, or of a company that uses digital technologies as part of its business model
- Have a business based in one of the following countries: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda
- Have a track record of 2 to 5 years in this role
- Have an intent to make a difference and impact your ecosystem
To apply for the Masterclass, visit: Applications
Apply for the CATAPULT Inclusion Africa Acceleration program before 15 September 2022
Apply for the CATAPULT Inclusion Africa Acceleration program before 15 September 2022
The LHoFT Foundation, a public-private sector initiative for the Inclusive Finance Network Luxembourg (InFiNe.lu), invites applicants to the Catapult Inclusion Africa Accelerator program. The program targets start-ups focusing on financial inclusion in Africa, aiming to build bridges with Luxembourg’s Microfinance Industry. The start-ups should also be aligned with the sustainability goals of Luxembourg’s finance centre.
Interested applicants are invited to apply for the 5th edition of the program, which will be held in Luxembourg from October 24-28, 2022. The acceleration program is a unique one-week boot camp supporting 10 selected fintech companies in Africa. The program covers a wide range of topics including:
- Business model mapping
- Scaling strategies
- Investment readiness
- Business plan presentation
- Legal strategy
- Pricing
- Marketing strategy
Interested participants must fulfil the following criteria to apply
- Selected firms will have, at least, a demonstrable Minimum Viable Product (“MVP”) and will likely be in the pre-seed to seed stage of funding.
- Companies must be active in the financial inclusion field, helping underserved and unbanked populations in Africa get access to financial products and services.
- Companies will submit all necessary information to the LHoFT in order to assess the viability of the project, company, background of owners and key shareholders to limit the risks of non-compliance or doubtful application to the program.
- Companies must agree and shall provide ongoing performance metrics and business status for a period of three years post program completion to the LHoFT for the purposes of program evaluation.
- The selected firm must guarantee that a founding team member, typically the CEO, will attend the program for the duration of the week.
- We are particularly interested in hearing from firms in payments and related services.
The 10 successfully selected Fintechs from the one-week boot camp will have the opportunity to connect with partners, sponsors, investors, microfinance institutions, and public financial institutions as well as access to InFiNe.lu mentorship.
To apply for this program, visit: CATAPULT Applications
Are you a digital or tech enterprise with an innovative trade or green infrastructure solution? Apply to the AUDA-NEPAD call for digital solutions before 31 August 2022
Are you a digital or tech enterprise with an innovative trade or green infrastructure solution? Apply to the AUDA-NEPAD call for digital solutions before 31 August 2022
The Africa Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), announced a call for digital solutions for small and medium enterprises. The call seeks enterprises that provide digital solutions to support trade and/or green infrastructure. Through the programme, successful applicants will receive business development support, investment-readiness support, business-specific advisory, and capacity building.
Interested applicants will have to meet the following criteria to be considered:
- Be an early-stage business
- Be registered as a for-profit entity
- Must have a team of at least three (3) people
- Have proof of concept established either by a pilot or by similar, pre-existing projects elsewhere
- Have a business idea with a digital or tech focus
- Digital/tech must be central to the business strategy/value proposition.
- Have a focus on trade and/or green infrastructure
- Digital solution must have a demonstrable climate change adaptation (increasing resilience) or mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) impact
- Digital solution must have a beneficial environmental impact (e.g., clearing invasive species, reducing plastic waste, repurposing hazardous waste)
- Digital solution must demonstrate their impact on trade and/or trade-related activities, especially across the national border (within a country is acceptable)
- Business must be based in an Africa Union Member State with its largest market (>75% turnover) and employment base (>75% of personnel) in Africa.
For more information and application details, visit: Call for Digital Solutions
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