Nkwanzi Scaling Women SMEs Project (SWSP) is an investment readiness programme that aims to unlock the potential of women-led enterprises through capacity building on fundraising by improving their potential to raise commercial capital. The programme offers WSME-centered mentorship, coaching, investment readiness support and facilitates linkages to financial institutions in the selected countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Nkwanzi project aims to support 400 WSMEs through self-directed learning on the AECF Academy platform, one-on-one mentorship and coaching, business assessment for investment readiness, and facilitation of investments from financial institutions. The project will be implemented across nine countries – Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The project is co-funded by the African Development Bank as part of Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA), a pan-African initiative to bridge the US$ 42 billion financing gap facing women in Africa.
WORTH
- Address barriers to accessing finance with practical tools. Learn how to implement critical business practices that will plug gaps impeding the ability to access finance
- Investment readiness support. Receive support in the identification of, access to, and engagement with potential and relevant investors
- Access to Finance. Businesses that complete the learning journey will be linked to relevant financial providers.
- Networking and Peer Learning. Connect and benefit from peer-to-peer learning and networking with like-minded entrepreneurs across Africa.
- Meet-up events & investor connection. Up to three in-person meet-up events with fellow enterprises and investors/ financial institutions.
ELIGIBILITY
The eligibility criteria for the Nkwanzi Program are listed as follows:
- Woman-led businesses in the 9 focus countries experiencing challenges in accessing finance
- The main participant and applicant must be the CEO, Managing Director, Owner, or Founder of the business and must be an active participant in the program.
- Generated annual revenue of more than US$ 50,000 in the last or current financial year.
- Operational for at least 2 years.
- Willing to work online – i.e., Must have a smartphone/laptop with internet connection to access online tools, courses, and online community.
- Willing to share performance/financial data as part of finance linkage.
DEADLINE: April 6, 2023
To apply and for more information apply here
