Do you know a women-led business making a significant contribution to Africa’s economic and social development? Nominate them for Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Awards before 17 July 2023
Do you know a women-led business making a significant contribution to Africa’s economic and social development? Nominate them for Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Awards before 17 July 2023
The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), an annual event celebrating the achievements of women entrepreneurs and business leaders across Africa, invites nominations for the AWIEF Awards 2023. Happening from 9 – 10 November 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, the Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a significant contribution to Africa’s economic and social development.
The Awards consist of eight categories, which include:
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Young Entrepreneur Award
- Social Enterprise Award
- Technology Innovation Award
- Fashion and Design Award
- Agriculture and Agribusiness Award
- Tourism and Hospitality Award
- Finance and Investments Award
Interested participants should nominate a business that fulfils the following criteria:
- Be a woman entrepreneur or business leader
- Be based in Africa
- Have a track record of success in their business
- Have made a significant contribution to the economic and social development of Africa
Selected businesses from the nominations will receive the following benefits:
- Increased visibility and recognition
- Increased access to funding and resources
- Increased opportunities for networking and collaboration
- Increased credibility and influence
- Inspiration and motivation for other women entrepreneurs
To nominate a business, visit: AWIEF 2023 Applications
Are you a startup tackling climate change with technology? Apply for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change program before 7 July 2023
Are you a startup tackling climate change with technology? Apply for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change program before 7 July 2023
Google for Startups, a program launched by Google in 2011 to provide hands-on business development for aspiring entrepreneurs, invites applicants for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change program. The 10-week, equity-free program aims to support startups in the seed and series A financing phase tackling climate change with technology to positively impact the environment.
Successful applicants will receive the following benefits and opportunities:
- Access to Google’s resources, including mentorship, technical support, and marketing and sales expertise.
- Collaboration with other startups and organizations working on climate change
- Participation in events and workshops led by Google experts
- Pitching to investors and potential partners
- Featuring on Google’s website and in its marketing materials
Interested applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be based in North America, Europe, or the Middle East and Africa.
- Be in the Seed to Series A stage of funding.
- Have a product or service that addresses climate change.
- Have a team of at least 5 people.
- Be available to participate in all aspects of the program.
To apply, visit: Application
Funding opportunity for an early-stage start-up: Apply for the ARM Labs Lagos Accelerator program before 9 August 2023
Funding opportunity for an early-stage start-up: Apply for the ARM Labs Lagos Accelerator program before 9 August 2023
Techstars, a global investment company, invites applicants for the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator program. The three-month, in-person program provides early-stage startups in Africa access to capital, mentorship, and connections. The program is focused on FinTech, Mobility, E-commerce, and TalentTech startups.
Successful applicants to the program will receive the following benefits:
- Access to capital: The program provides startups with $100,000 in seed funding. This funding can be used to grow the business, hire new employees, or develop new products or services.
- Access to mentorship: The program provides startups access to a global network of mentors. These mentors can provide advice and guidance on various topics, including business strategy, marketing, and fundraising.
- Programming and workshops: The program provides startups with programming and workshops on a variety of topics. This programming can help startups to improve their business operations, develop new products or services, and grow their businesses.
- Investor introductions: The program provides startups with introductions to investors. These investors may be interested in investing in the startup’s business.
Interested participants should meet the following criteria to apply:
- Be based in Africa
- Be in the early stages of development
- Have a team of at least two founders
- Be focused on FinTech, Mobility, E-commerce, or TalentTech
To apply for the program, visit: Program applications
Are you an entrepreneur with an innovative solution that addresses a development challenge? Apply for the Africa Youth SDG Innovation Award before 11 June 2023.
Are you an entrepreneur with an innovative solution that addresses a development challenge? Apply for the Africa Youth SDG Innovation Award before 11 June 2023.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), through its Subregional office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA), in partnership with the African Youth SDG Summit and AfriLabs, invites applicants for the Africa Youth SDG Innovation Award. The Award is a competition that aims to recognize and reward outstanding young entrepreneurial efforts with innovations that resolve a specific development problem for firms, governments, households and communities and with an impact on the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Interested participants must filfil the following to apply:
- Be a citizen of an African country
- Be between the ages of 18 and 35
- Have developed an innovative solution that addresses a development challenge
- Be able to demonstrate the impact of their innovation
Award winners will receive the following benefits:
- A cash prize of $10,000
- An opportunity to present their innovation at the Africa Youth SDG Summit
- Access to mentorship and support from experts
- An opportunity to participate in training and development programs
To apply, visit: Africa Youth SDG Innovation Award
Are you an entrepreneur in the Agri-food sector interested in scaling up your business? Apply for the GoGettaz Competition by 19 June 2023
Are you an entrepreneur in the Agri-food sector interested in scaling up your business? Apply for the GoGettaz Competition by 19 June 2023
Generation Africa, a partnership initiative aimed at strengthening the ecosystem for young entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector, invites applicants for the GoGetttaz Agripreneur Competition. This year’s edition will focus on supporting entrepreneurs whose ventures battle climate change, hunger, and poverty. Interested applicants must join the GoGettaz community before applying. Through the GoGettaz community, they will gain access to education, mentorship, and investment networks to help them launch, grow and scale their agri-food ventures. Additionally, two successful participants (one female and one male) will win USD 50,000 for the most innovative and scalable business ventures.
Interested entrepreneurs must fulfill the following criteria to apply:
- Be aged 35 years or younger on the date of submission and be legally recognized as an adult in the country of their nationality
- Have nationality (with an official ID) from an African Union member country
- Be a founder/co-founder of the venture he/she represents in the Competition and play an active role in its leadership and operations
- Have no criminal record related to corruption, tax evasion, financial impropriety, felony, or other offense and be willing to offer a signed declaration to that effect, if requested
Additionally, the business venture must also fulfill the following criteria to be considered for the Competition:
- Be legally registered in a country that is a member of the African Union or will have commenced with the registration of such a legal entity before 1 July 2022
- Be headquartered in a country that is a member of the African Union
- Be designed to be financially sustainable, either as a for-profit business or a non-profit generating some revenue and aiming not to be dependent on donor funding
- Have a role to play in the agri-food sector and/or supports the development of the agri-food sector through an innovation or process improvement
- The agri-food sector may be defined as businesses including:
- Agri-food research & development
- Primary food production (farming)
- Crop nutrition
- Irrigation
- Mechanization, automation, or robotics, including drones
- Crop protection
- Hydroponics or urban farming
- Transport, distribution, storage, or logistics
- Food processing
- Packaging or marketing
- Food retail or service
- Waste management or recycling
- Digital or technology solutions/services to the agri-food sector
- Innovative finance solutions/services to the agri-food sector
- Renewable energy or environmental solutions/services to the agri-food sector
To apply for this Competition, visit: GoGettaz Competition Application
Are you an e-health start-up interested in funding? Apply for the Investing in Africa i3 Program before 26 June 2023
Are you an e-health start-up interested in funding? Apply for the Investing in Africa i3 Program before 22 May 2023
Investing in Innovation (i3), a pan-African initiative invites e-health start-ups to the Investing in Africa i3 Program. i3 aims to accelerate the development and scale-up of innovative solutions that improve the availability, accessibility, affordability, quality and visibility of health products at scale in Africa. The Program seeks to advance access for start-ups traditionally excluded from funding and support, including women-led companies and founders in Francophone Africa.
Successful applicants will benefit from the following:
- Grant of USD 50,000 to support commercialization and impact
- Access to leading donors, industry and institutional players who will facilitate introductions to customers
- Tailored investment readiness support delivered by leading innovation experts
- Opportunities to participate in i3’s flagship event, the i3 Marketplace, which connects innovators with potential partners and investors
Interested participants must meet the following criteria to apply:
- Be based in Africa
- Be developing a solution that addresses a health product distribution challenge in Africa
- Be at the early- or growth-stage
- Have a strong team with the experience and expertise to execute on their business plan
To apply for the Program, visit: i3 Applications
Are you a social entrepreneur with a solution aligned with the UN's SDGs? Apply for the UNLEASH Plus incubation program before 31 March 2023
Are you a social entrepreneur with a solution aligned with the UN’s SDGs? Apply for the UNLEASH Plus incubation program before 31 March 2023
UNLEASH, a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 with the aim of developing solutions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building capacity for youth globally, invites applicants for the UNLEASH Plus incubation program. UNLEASH Plus is a 6-month incubation program for entrepreneurs working on social and environmental challenges in line with the UN’s SDGs. Through the program, participants will receive skills development training, and tools, to test their early-stage solutions and design for llarge-scaleimpact.
Through a partnership with Chemonics International, UNLEASH Plus supports teams with existing prototypes to become impactful social ventures. Participants will have access to learning materials, the opportunity to join interactive workshops, receive direct support from experts and make connections to investors and partners during the program to accelerate their intended impact.
The program will be implemented in 3 phases:
The Roadmap: Basecamp is a practical two-day event where participants meet and witness pitches from other teams in their cohort. Participants also engage with their mentors and align on the vision, business model and priorities for their 6-month plan during the program.
The Journey: The second phase is the core 21-week virtual program that focuses on team development, solution testing and refinement, strategy, and pitching. During this phase, the goal is to launch the first complete solution that will attract the right customers, partners, and funders to accelerate the participant’s journey.
The Future: in-person program in India for top 25 teams. The last phase is the in-person finale of UNLEASH Plus during the Global Innovation Lab Karnataka (India). During this phase, teams will receive intensive tailored support from world-class experts to refine strategies, meet with potential partners and pitch their solutions to investors awarding cash prizes at the Dragon’s Den.
Interested applicants should fulfil the following to apply:
- Have at least 2 active team members participating throughout the program
- Be willing to commit at least 8 hours per team per week
- Have at least half of the team members aged 35 years or younger
- Have a validated, working prototype of a solution that addresses one or more of the SDGs
- Have documented feedback, references, or testimonials from early testing with actual users or prospective customers that demonstrate market demand for the solution
- Have a solution responsive to one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
- Be a legal entity with the ability to receive funds
- Have raised a maximum of 50,000 USD raised to date
To apply for the program, visit: Submit application
Apply for Google for Startups Black Founders Fund Africa before 26 March 2023
Apply for Google for Startups Black Founders Fund Africa before 26 March 2023
Google for Startups invites applicants for the Black Founders Fund Africa, a program that aims to support early-stage black-founded startups that benefit the black community on the African continent. The program seeks explicitly to bridge the existing fundraising gap for black startup founders in Africa’s fast-growing technology landscape. Google for Startups has set aside up to USD 150,000 in equity-free cash, up to USD 200,000 in Google cloud credits, and access to the best of Google – people, products, and practices. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to receive mentorship support to accelerate business growth and to connect with Google for Startups Accelerator & Partner program alumni.
The Black Founders Fund Africa is intended for startups in Africa seeking seed-stage funding that meet the following criteria:
- Have an existing product or service for Africa and the global market
- Demonstrate the ability to create jobs, raise more funding, and make an impact
- The founding team should at least have one black C-level founding member (COO, CEO, or CFO)
- The company should be operating as a technology startup or a business where technology is a core for the ability to scale
- Proposed startup products/services should be compatible with Google products
To apply for this program, visit: Applications
Are you an early-stage social entrepreneur interested in funding? Apply for the Roddenberry Foundation Catalyst Fund 2023
Are you an early-stage social entrepreneur interested in funding? Apply for the Roddenberry Foundation Catalyst Fund 2023
The Roddenberry Foundation invites innovators with early-stage ideas or projects addressing pressing global challenges to apply for the Foundation’s Catalyst Fund. The Fund will provide grants between USD 2500 and USD 15000 to projects or ideas demonstrating a high potential for lasting impact. Ideas or projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Innovative: Approaches or strategies that innovate on existing models — What are you building on? What other solutions already exist?
- Community-based: You deeply understand the communities you work on behalf of and have a good understanding of their needs. How are they engaged in the process? How will they be able to maintain the solution over time?
- High potential for impact: Does your solution address a recognized issue that affects a significant percentage of people?
- Sustainable: Experienced team and an intelligent strategy for driving change — Who and what is driving the change? Why is this the right team? What makes this the right strategic bet right now?
Candidates for the Fund can be individuals, non-profit organizations, or social entrepreneurs. Interested participants must fulfill the following criteria:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Submit the application in English
- Include completed responses to all required application questions
- Agree to all legal terms and conditions of the Catalyst Fund grant program
- Be able to receive grant funding legally
To apply for the Fund, visit: Application for Catalyst Fund
Are you a FoodTech or AgTech company in need of funding? Apply for the Cohort 4 of the Growth Impact Accelerator program before 24 February 2023
Are you a FoodTech or AgTech company in need of funding? Apply for the Cohort 4 of the Growth Impact Accelerator program before 24 February 2023
GROW, a global agriculture and food technology accelerator, invite applicants for the 4th cohort of the Growth Impact Accelerator Program, backed by AgFunder. The program seeks to support foodtech and agtech startups tackling the global challenge of sustainability. Through the program, successful applicants will receive USD 100,000 in investment funding from AgFunder. Participants will receive additional benefits including:
- Access to growth partners for product testing, development, and scaling
- Matching with global agrifood multinational corporations to support customer validation and feedback, deploying pilot projects, and securing new sales contracts
- Access to AgFunder’s private and institutional investment global networks to support fundraising
- Access to an experienced team of coaches and mentors
- Access to physical workspace in Singapore (or virtual office address, if overseas) throughout the program duration
- Access to media exposure and publicity through AgFunder’s news platform, events, and a demo day at the conclusion of the program
- Support with Singapore EntrePass visa application through GROW’s partnership with Enterprise Singapore
Interested applicants should have solutions in the following areas:
- Advancing smallholder farmers
- Supply chain rationalization
- Alt-proteins and novel foods and ingredients
- Climate-smart agriculture and aquaculture
- Personalized nutrition & health
- Food waste valorization
- Circular economy
To apply for the program, visit: Application form