Deadline: 12-Apr-22
Acumen Academy is currently accepting applications for the Accelerator Programme for Ventures Serving Displaced People to refine and develop a scalable business model that advances sustainable livelihoods for forcibly displaced populations in East Africa.
The program will culminate with a virtual closing session where you’ll have the opportunity to pitch your venture. The top three ventures selected will receive a share of US $75,000 of grant funding.
Benefits
- Five Learning Labs alongside your cohort of entrepreneurs
- Three one-on-one consultation calls with Acumen’s team for individualized support on customer experiments, financial model and pitching
- Video tutorials on customer discovery, sales and marketing, financial modeling, pitching, and more
- Case studies from social enterprises that have successfully scaled while contributing to sustainable livelihoods for the forcibly displaced
- Opportunity to pitch to a group of investors and donors interested in the FDP space, eligibility for a share of $75K in grant funding, and possible inclusion in Acumen’s investment pipeline
- Graduation into Acumen Academy’s Foundry: an alumni community designed to accompany leaders from around the world by connecting them with resources and relationships to amplify their work
Modules
- Visions of Scale
- Customer Insights
- Aligning a Pricing, Sales and Marketing Strategy to Your Value Proposition
- Building Your Financial Story and Model
- Operational Model: Team and Partnerships
- Pitching the Strategic Story of Your Business
Time Commitment and Course Access
- You should expect to spend at least 8 hours per week on the readings and assignments. Most of this work can be done on your own schedule.
- One or two participants from the leadership team of your social enterprise (i.e. CEO, Co-Founders) will be required to take part in virtual 2-hour sessions with the cohort each week. Up to 10 people from your enterprise may receive access to the curriculum materials.
Learn How To:
- Refine and develop a profitable and scalable business model
- Identify key opportunities for growth while supporting either displaced or hosting communities through market, workforce, and value-chain entry points
- Develop the hard-edged leadership skills necessary for building better, inclusive, and sustainable business solutions
- Sharpen your presentation skills and practice pitching to an audience of investors and entrepreneurs — with a chance to receive a share of US $75,000 of grant funding
- Build a professional network and community of social entrepreneurs in East Africa who are committed to tackling displacement and inequality
Eligibility Criteria
This accelerator is open to entrepreneurs who:
- Run a for-profit social enterprise based in Kenya, Uganda, or Ethiopia
- Are advancing self-reliance in and between forcibly displaced populations and their hosting communities in at least one of the following ways:
- Serving communities vulnerable to displacement, forcibly displaced populations and/or hosting communities as customers
- Providing decent work and employment to communities vulnerable to displacement, forcibly displaced populations, or hosting communities
- Sourcing from communities who are affected by displacement, communities vulnerable to displacement, or hosting them
- Have a demonstrated track record of at least 1-3 years, some market traction, and are preparing to scale
- Favorable consideration will be given to teams promoting climate resilient solutions
For more information, visit https://app.acumenacademy.org/ventures-serving-displaced-people-accelerator