Application Deadline: September 1, 2018, 23.59h CEST.
Are you a nutrition sensitive SME in Malawi, Ethiopia or Kenya ? Does your product/service/concept address a local diet quality gap and increase the consumption of safe and nutritious foods ? Apply and stand the chance win a trip to Nairobi to compete in the Scaling Up Nutrition Pitch Competition (Africa Edition)!
The Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has organized the first edition of the Scaling Up Nutrition Pitch Competition. The SUN Pitch Competition will be held during the Nutrition Africa Investor Forum (NAIF) in Kenya on the 16th of October 2018.
The objectives of the SUN Pitch Competition is to;
+ Build a pipeline of quality ‘nutrition investments’ with a focus on SMEs that can respond to pressing local nutrition priorities and improve access to nutritious and safe foods for low consumers.
+ Leverage partnerships to provide capital / technical assistance to promising local nutrition sensitive SMEs.
+ To scale innovative nutrition investments and showcase sustainable market based solutions that address nutrition issues which can be adopted and scaled up regionally.
With the generous support of partners a series of initiatives will be organized to select SMEs from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Nigeria to compete at the SUN Pitch Competition. For this particular application process, SBN in partnership with BoPinc will select the cohort of SMEs from Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi that will participate in the SUN Pitch Competition.
Application Process and Timeline
1) Applications
Use the online application link to apply before September 1, 2018, 23.59h CEST. Application are only open to eligible SME’s from Malawi, Ethiopia and Kenya (see eligibility criteria). Please note, during the shortlisting and selection process additional information will be requested from long listed applicants.
2) Pitching training
Four (4) selected SMEs will then be trained by BoP Innovation Center from September through to mid-October to help them develop and refine their pitch. Training includes providing each company with materials and feedback, remote training sessions, remote rehearsal sessions and a final face to face training session in Nairobi. All travel and accommodation expenses in Nairobi will be covered. All SMEs that are selected are expected to participate in all the pitch preparation sessions over the course of September and October.
3) Final Event
The SUN Pitch Competition will give SMEs a chance to present an investment opportunity to a panel of judges. Competing SMEs will be drawn from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi,Zambia, Mozambique and Nigeria. The judges will award prizes to the top three SMEs that have been generously contributed by partners.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant is a citizen of Malawi, Ethiopia or Kenya. The applicant has a fully registered start-up or growth stage Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) with annual revenues of up to USD 1 000 000 and whose products and/or services promote nutrition and food safety in Malawi, Ethiopia or Kenya.
The applicant is a for profit company including association and cooperatives if they are functioning as businesses.
Be available to participate for the pitch training boot camp from mid -September to mid- October (dates to be communicated soon). All applicants are expected to be fluent in spoken English.
Business must comply with SBN principles for business engagement and by the UN Business Sector Guidelines. Priority will only be given to businesses whose operations abide by these guidelines.
Selection Criteria
Selection of winners will be based on the following criteria:
1. Nutrition impact: Proposed investment opportunity addresses a key diet quality gap/need.
2. Commercial Viability: The business model is economically viable. The ability of the investment opportunity to provide adequate returns to potential investors. High growth market opportunity and high barriers to entry. The ability of the management team to deliver value to investors.
3. Scale: The magnitude of impact on vulnerable population target groups
4. Innovation: Proposed investment opportunity is introducing or scaling accessible and disruptive innovations that address and identified diet quality gap/need in the market.
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