Deadline: 5-Dec-21
Are you an African company carrying out activities in areas of the blue economy? Then join in for BlueInvest Africa 2022!
BlueInvest Africa is a two-day international B2B hybrid event on 15th and 16th of March 2022 for companies operating in the African blue economy to exchange with African and European investors. The event is organised by the European Union in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Seychelles and is hosted on site in Seychelles as well as online.
BlueInvest Africa targets the registered African start-up business companies that are already operating in the various sub-sectors of the blue economy; It targets as well the African Small Micro and Medium sized businesses (SMMEs) not yet officially established in an African country but bearing an innovative idea subject to further commercial development within the African market.
Matchmaking between investors and entrepreneurs, in the form of pitching sessions, will be at the core of the event. The program will consist of:
- pitching sessions,
- site visits to Seychellois blue economy projects,
- B2B meetings,
- exhibition showcasing small-scale African projects and
- networking moments between participants which will enable them to meet a maximum of potential future partners.
What is the development focus?
The blue economy is encompasses all maritime activities and sectors, both traditional (eg fisheries) and emerging (eg blue biotechnology), whether they are based in the marine environment (eg shipping, energy generation) or on land (eg coastal tourism, ports, land-based aquaculture). If compared to a national economy, global blue economic would be the seventh largest in the world, providing millions of direct jobs and generating significant revenues. Both Africa and Europe have identified blue economy as a key sector to develop their socio-economic aspirations.
Where is support needed?
- The pitch is a lively intervention of 4 to maximum 5 minutes comprising a short, concise presentation of the project of a company.
- The goals of the pitch are:
- to attract the attention and stimulate the interest of investors present at the event;
- to convince the investors about the profitability, the growth opportunities presented by the product / service and the potential for further development of the project with the final aim to receive funds to further develop the project.
What will they provide?
BlueInvest Africa will provide:
- For start-up companies and SMMEs,
- A unique opportunity to meet other African project holders and SMMEs engaged in blue actions;
- A platform for receiving direct advices from several captains of industry operating in Africa;
- Several side events on access to financing; award for pitchers; direct contacts with development banks and other financial institutions;
- Coaching and mentoring sessions, networking at large.
- For investors:
- Company publicly named and advertised by the event organiser in the blue business;
- Business opportunities to invest in blue economic projects for sustainable livelihoods;
- A unique event for appraising the climate of African business;
- A direct access to the African countries which already geared up their blue business agenda;
- European and African entrepreneurs for joint future business opportunities;
- Meeting with the selected African pitchers with already prepared investment packages.
Who are they looking for?
- From all applying companies, 30 will be chosen for pitching via selection process. These will get the chance to participate on-site in the event (travel, accommodation and catering covered) and deliver a pitch presenting their project to investors present.
- The company must be based, legally registered and active in an African country
- The company / business must be a small and medium size enterprise (SME) as defined in the EU recommendation 2003/361.
- The pitcher will have to be present on the spot in Seychelles and deliver a pitch about the company / business / project he / she will be representing.
- The project of the pitching company must focus on a blue economy sector either in a maritime or coastal area of Africa or in African inland waters.
- The activities of the pitching company and the project proposed for pitching must ensure that it is compliant with one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations.
For more information, visit https://app.leverist.de/opportunities/call-for-applications-african-smes-in-the-blue-economy