Applications open for the Village Capital Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa

With the support of Norad – the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Village Capital has introduced Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa, a program focused on building a transformative ecosystem in Africa. The program aims to enhance the capacity and impact of Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) and early-stage startups with a climate focus in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

We are commencing Phase One of the initiative, which involves identifying 14 community-led ESOs that have demonstrated high performance. These selected ESOs from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania will collaborate on addressing specific challenges within their ecosystems and developing strategies to identify and support startups with high potential. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to benefit from Village Capital’s strategic support and engage with renowned Thematic Experts in areas such as blue economy, renewable energy, climate adaptation, and food security. By the end of 2024, we will choose one ESO partner per market to co-lead Venture Programs in 2025-26.

Eligibility: Village Capital Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa

1. Eligibility criteria for ESOs include being locally-led and actively supporting sustainability ventures across sub-Saharan Africa.
2. The organization must operate in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, or Tanzania.
3. Furthermore, the ESO should be willing to support early-stage, tech-enabled small and medium enterprises with significant growth potential, particularly those with a climate focus and scalability.
4. The organization must also provide or have plans to provide formal incubation/acceleration programs for ventures.
5. Additionally, the ESO must offer training, resources, advice, or support to entrepreneurs in the areas of finance and investment.
6. Lastly, the organization should have a minimum of two years of operation or have experienced growth from co-founder/founder to a team of 5+ employees, including middle management positions such as department leads, partnership managers, incubator and accelerator managers, and program managers.

Benefits: Village Capital Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa

1. Training
2. Mentorship
3. Research Collaboration
4. Financial Analysis
5. Media Exposure
6. Access to Abaca

Timeline: Village Capital Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa