Deadline: 22 May 2020
Are you a Women or Youth Agripreneur? Do you have interest in promoting entrepreneurial agribusiness as a means of job and wealth creation? If yes, then apply for the AgriBiz Programme.
The European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Danida), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) launched the AgriBiz Programme on March 6th 2020 meant to stimulate the growth of women and youth-owned enterprises in the agribusiness sector. While the rollout of this programme has been slowed down by the spread of COVID-19, there is hope and opportunity.
The Kenya Climate Innovation Center, which is one of the implementing partners, is placing a call for applications to enrol women and youth entrepreneurs into the programme. The AgriBiz programme will address key challenges that hinder youth and women from tapping into the immense potential in the agricultural sector. It will be implemented jointly with eight selected county governments but will also benefit the regional economic blocks within which the target counties fall. Business Incubation Hubs (BIHs) will be set up in eight counties namely Kilifi, Machakos, Kiambu, Meru, Isiolo, Kisii, Bungoma and Uasin Gishu. These will provide training, business advisory and financing to enable women and youth to gain the requisite skills needed to scale their agribusinesses. They will then be able to benefit from agribusiness entrepreneurship.
It is envisioned that this programme will unlock the potential agribusiness and value chain actors while contributing to increased smallholder production and household incomes. Improved agricultural production will have a positive ripple effect on Food Security, one of the pillars of the Big Four Action Plan being implemented by the Government of Kenya.
Size of Financial Support
Any financial support requested from Agribiz program must fall within the following ranges:
- Proof of Concept grant financing
- Minimum amount: Euro 2,000
- Maximum amount: Euro 10,000
- Early stage Financing (ESF) or Results based loan financing (RBF)
- Minimum amount: Euro 5,000
- Maximum amount: Euro 15,000
The programme is projected to cost Kshs 5.1 billion and will support 2,400 women and youth-led agribusinesses to create over 17,000 job opportunities along agricultural value chains.
Eligibility Criteria
- Individuals – Youth (Any male or female between the ages of 18 – 35 years of age) and women entrepreneurs or business starters in rural and urban locations countrywide. Individuals who recognise opportunities to either improve their own existing agribusinesses or launch new enterprises to add-value or provide services in the broad agricultural sector, including the livestock sector, mixed farming, crop and fruit producers, fishery, and other value chains.
- Community based organization or Self-help group- comprise of community members who are registered under a Self-Help Group (SHG) or a Community Based Organization CBO carrying out similar commercially viable business activities within the agricultural value chain. Majority of the members (above 50%) must be either women or youth (aged between 18-35 years) with the main leadership positions being held by either women or youth.
- SMEs – Small and Medium Enterprises established with commercially viable business ideas within the agricultural value chain.
- The Agribiz program is open to all women led and youth led (minimum shareholding of 51%) enterprises operating Agribusinesses in Kenya.
- Applicants must be engaged in legal business and their Agribusiness is located within the Republic of Kenya.
- All Agribusinesses must be Agribusiness Ideas, or an early/growth stage registered entity, with no specific year range.
- Due Diligence shall be carried out on the Successful Applicants to verify eligibility prior to any potential offer of a placement in the program. Applications that do not meet all or some of the eligibility criteria will not be accepted.
Criteria
- Women and youth Entrepreneur(s) in Agribusiness and Women and youth led Agribusinesses.
- Scalability that demonstrates potential for replication and growth of their product or service to increase incomes for value chain stakeholders;
- Business model Feasibility that shows clear and compelling mission to grow a sustainable and commercially viable Agribusiness;
- Entrepreneur or enterprise with potential to adopt and leverage smart approaches to drive the growth of the agribusiness
- Social Impact potential to create decent employment opportunities for youth and women.
- Market Opportunity knowledge and understanding of the agricultural and livestock value chain, customers and competitors for their agribusiness idea/Agribusiness;
For more information, visit http://www.kenyacic.org/