Deadline: 12-Mar-21
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 to stimulate the growth of women and youth-owned enterprises in the agribusiness sector.
The program will be implemented jointly with eight selected county governments but will be open to citizens from all forty-seven (47) counties. Machakos, Kisii, Uasin Gishu and Isiolo County Governments have all respectively signed Memorandums of Understanding with KCIC for roll out of the Agribiz program and establishment of the Business Incubation Hubs at the county level.
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.
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.
The Kenya Climate Innovation Center, which is one of the implementing partners, is placing a call for applications to enrol Agribusiness 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. The program will equally support the full spectrum of the value chain from agricultural inputs and producers, to suppliers for end consumers in conventional agricultural, fisheries and livestock.
Eligibility Criteria
- Women and Youth led businesses:
- Women Entrepreneur(s) (of any age) in Agribusiness and Women led Agribusinesses (minimum shareholding of 51%).
- Youth Entrepreneur(s) (aged between 18-35 years) in Agribusiness and youth led Agribusinesses (minimum shareholding of 51%).
- Categories of applicants:
- Individuals: – Any woman or youth, involved in a commercially viable agribusiness
- Community based organization (CBO) or self-help group (SHG): Must comprise of community members who are registered under a Self-Help Group (SHG) or a Community Based Organization (CBO) carrying out commercially viable business activities within the agricultural value chain. Majority of the members (above 80%) 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 business should be operational and generating revenues with an employee base of at least 5 people.
- Nationality and Location:
- The applicant must be a Kenyan citizen
- The Agribusiness must be located within the 47 counties of Kenya.
- Agribusiness and agribusiness ideas:
- Applicants must be engaged in legal business
- All Agribusinesses must be Agribusiness Ideas, or an early/growth stage, with no specific year range.
- Applicants must demonstrate that their Agribusiness is set up, or in the case of an Agribusiness Idea will be set up and based in Kenya.
- Applicants are solely responsible for the structure of the Agribusiness and the team members within it.
- Agricultural, fisheries and livestock value chain actors engaged along the value chain are encouraged to apply. This includes but is not limited to input providers, processors, producers, transporters, marketers and aggregators etc.
For more information, visit AgriBiz.