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Name of the Organization : Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund
Type of Facility : Africa Agribusiness Window Round 2 Competition 2014-15
Location : Nairobi
Country : Kenya
Competition Deadline : February 28th 2015

Official Website : http://www.aecfafrica.org/

Africa Agribusiness Window Round 2 Competition

The 2nd round of the AECF Agribusiness Africa Window (AAW) is a special fund that is open to business ideas across Africa. The AECF AAW R2 will support business ideas in the fields of agribusiness, financial services and value chains which extend across Africa and international markets.

Related : Youth Enterprise Development Kenya Fund Agri-Vijana Loan : https://www.statusin.org/7090.html

Business ideas that qualify for funding must have positive impact on the rural poor : delivering increased employment reduced costs and improved productivity.

A second round of the Africa Agribusiness Window, more concisely referred to as AAW, has been launched by the AECF.

This competition of the AAW is funded by a new funder to the AECF; The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (contributing CAD 13.5 million), as well as a consortium of AECF’s existing funders (contributing US Dollars 5 million).

The AECF AAW supports business ideas in the fields of agribusiness, financial services and value chains which extend across markets. Business ideas that qualify for funding must have positive impact on the rural poor: delivering increased employment reduced costs and improved productivity poor.

Unlike other competitions of the AECF which sometimes focus on a region or theme, AAW is a special fund of the AECF that is open to any agribusiness related business ideas and from across Africa, not just in one region of the continent. However, AECF is keen this time around to encourage entries from countries such as Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia and Mozambique.

22 businesses were awarded funding in AAW R1 – six in Kenya, three in Mozambique and the rest spread out in Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. These previous business ideas received funding of up to USD 28 million and include those in activities such as input supply, contract farming, processing, trading, finance and information. The companies extend across sectors such as cocoa farming, poultry farming, small holder rice production, technology use, veterinary drug production and more. For more information on the AAW portfolio as it stands, click here.

To apply for AAW R2, interested for-profit businesses need to register on the website here. You must accept the AECF terms and conditions of the round to be able to proceed and then download the AAW R2 application form and accompanying guidance notes which provide step by step assistance on how to fill the form. Once filled, the application form needs to be emailed in to the email address specified in the forms/guidance notes before the close of the competition, which is February 28th 2015.

AECF AAWR2 is Seeking :

** an agribusiness operating, or planning to operate, in an African country.
** a business idea that combines commercial success with a positive impact on hundreds or thousands of poor farmers.
** a business introducing an innovation and planning to do something that has not been done in your country before.
** a business planning to invest, or expand investments, in crop, livestock or aquaculture production, processing, packaging, marketing, or exports.
** a financial institution planning to engage in the agricultural sector, or an information provider for farmers or agribusinesses.

To Apply :

To apply to AAWR2, you need to register your business by providing your contact details, some information about your company and a valid email address. During the registration process, you must also read and accept the AECF Terms and Conditions that are standard for all AECF competitions.

Once you are registered, you will be able to download the AAWR2 application form template and the guidance notes to help you fill in the application form. The window for receiving applications will be open from 6th November 2014 to 28th February 2015.

Register/Login : https://www.aecfafrica.org/

Contacts :
For further information on this AAWR2 competition, please call AECF on +254 20 269 9137/8/9 or email info@aecfafrica.org . Follow AECF on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AECFAfrica or on Twitter AT AECFAfrica.