Apply: UNDP Accelerate Africa Entrepreneurship Challenge

The United Nations Development Programme Africa has put forth a public Call for Funding Proposals for the Accelerate Africa Entrepreneurship Challenge, involving the UNDP Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Portfolio.

UNDP’s Accelerate Africa Entrepreneurship Challenge is an initiative of UNDP’s Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Portfolio designed to address Africa’s youth bulge, economically empower youth and women, and impact job creation across Africa. The Accelerate Africa Entrepreneurship Challenge is intended to invest in Micro, Small, and Mid-Size enterprises (MSMEs) that:

• Formalize market opportunities and supply chain linkages for youth and women-owned MSMEs.
• Address Africa’s youth bulge by prioritizing job creation to enhance youth productivity and livelihoods.
• Economically empower youth and women to apply business solutions to social problems and create sustainable employment across Africa.
• Address unmet needs of underserved and at-risk communities and/or market demand.

Eligibility Criteria

UNDP will consider proposals from 100% African-owned and managed companies. Passports or other government-issued IDs of any of the owners or senior managers must be submitted with the applications. If the applying entity is owned wholly or in part by another entity, passports or other government-issued IDs of one of the owners must also be provided. The applying entity must be a for-profit or non profit enterprise and must not be government-owned, operated, or affiliated in any way. Applicants need to be legally registered in Africa and demonstrate the capacity to track and manage the project resources and operate in good standing with the local governments in which they operate.

Winning proposals must:

• Benefit underserved populations or low-income rural or urban populations.
• Demonstrate financial sustainability or the potential for financial sustainability.
• Propose a budget of no more than US$250,000. Proposals with budgets greater than US$250,000 must bring leveraged resources from one or more other sources that meet the total financing requirements. Leveraged funds from other private sector and donor sources are encouraged.
• Demonstrate clearly whether and how many new jobs will be created.
• Women-owned, youth or -managed business is a plus
• Obtain accreditation or secure insurance at their own cost.

For more details and to apply, click here.