Application Deadline: August 31st, 2022
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), announces this Call for Digital Solutions for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This call is part of an MSME support programme within the Economic Integration division of AUDA-NEPAD supported by the GIZ Programme Green Infrastructure Corridor for Intra-Africa Trade (PIDA). The programme is part of AUDA-NEPAD’s umbrella programme 100,000 MSMEs Initiative.
This Call for Digital Solutions is looking for MSMEs that provide digital solutions which support trade and/or green infrastructure. Through this call, we are looking to provide business development support to MSMEs in the green infrastructure and trade sectors. If your business is looking for support to launch or scale a digital solution for green infrastructure and/or trade, please consider applying.
Benefits
This is not financial support. AUDA-NEPAD will not provide any direct funding to the successful applicants.
The main purpose of this support programme is to empower MSMEs by helping them develop sustainable businesses. As such, we do not give funding directly but rather assist with the preparation of robust business plans, financial models and pitch decks that demonstrate the business case and are aligned to what investors look for. We focus on helping MSMEs develop a more holistic view of their business’s financial trajectory and to understand how to mobilise funding themselves and achieve their business outcomes.
Digital technologies drive innovation, economic growth and job creation across a multiplicity of economic sectors, and foster increased African interconnectivity. Hence, this call for solutions focuses on African business offering digital/tech-based solutions to their customers.
AUDA-NEPAD is looking to select 10 MSMEs to receive tailored technical assistance. Once selected, MSMEs will work closely with our team to design and deliver a customised technical assistance programme which will be carried out in 2023 to support your company’s specific growth needs across three key areas:
| Investment readiness support | Business-specific advisory | Capacity building |
|---|---|---|
| Business plan developmentFinancial modellingMarket researchInvestor pitch support and coachingFinance mobilisation | Contracting / legal support (e.g., off-take agreements)Compliance / quality management (e.g., alignment with industry-specific regulations / standards)B2B matchmakingRegulatory, procurement and trade (e.g., to meet procurement requirements)Digitalisation support (e.g., data centre migration, digitalisation of existing services) | Training on business plansBusiness strategy and developmentInvestor pitchVarious topics, based on identified MSME needs |
ELIGIBILITY
To have your application considered, your business/project will have to meet the criteria in the table below:
Youth and Women-led MSMEs are strongly encouraged to apply.
| At least be an early-stage business | Be registered as a for-profit entity. Applications from Non-profit organisations (NPOs) / non-governmental organisations (NGOs) / non-profit company (NPCs) will not be considered.Must have a team of at least three (3) people.Proof of concept must have been established either by the MSME’s pilot or by similar, pre-existing projects elsewhere. |
| Your business idea must have a digital / tech focus | Digital / tech must be central to the business strategy/value proposition. |
| You focus on trade and/or green infrastructure | Your digital solution must address at least one of the two below (the digital solution can address both):The digital solution must have a demonstrable climate change adaptation (increasing resilience) or mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) impact; or the digital solution must a beneficial environmental impact (e.g., clearing invasive species, reducing plastic waste, repurposing hazardous waste).The digital solution must be able to demonstrate its impact on trade and/or trade-related activities esp. across national border (within a country is acceptable). |
| You must be African | Be based in (i.e., registered) an African Union Member State.The business must be Africa-focused i.e., it has its largest market (>75% turnover) and employment base (>75% of personnel) in Africa. |
Application Procedure:
Before you apply, please take note of the following:
- All eligible applications will be reviewed.
- Shortlisted applicants will progress to a virtual training session. We expect this training to take place sometime in November 2022. It may take up to 5 consecutive days.
- At the end of this training, applicants will be invited to pitch their projects to our internal evaluation committee for final selection. We expect these to take place between from late November to early December 2022.
- The evaluation committee will select the final applicants that will receive the tailored technical assistance. We expect to announce winners by 16 December 2022.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the AUDA-NEPAD Call for MSME-led Digital Solutions