Apply now: GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Programme 2022 [Sponsored]

The project ‘Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups’ (SAIS), implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has launched its Call for Start-ups for the third GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Programme, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The programme includes:

• Tailor-made company development support for 9-months implemented by renowned venture builders (GreenTec Capital, Co-Creation Hub, Flat6Labs and Luvent Consulting) for a total value of about $30K USD per start-up.
• Additional services for a total value of up to 10K USD per start-up to improve certain segments of the business (e. g. coding, legal advisory, marketing).
• Six months of fully-funded office space in a leading tech hub in the home country of the start-up.
• Link-up opportunities with investors, public and private, as well as business partners and development agencies.
• Free access to the GIZ learning platform Atingi for entrepreneurs.
• Opportunity to join the SAIS Investment Masterclass (for best performing start-ups).

You can apply on the programme website.

The overall goal of GIZ-SAIS is to support African start-ups in scaling their digital innovations; these innovations should enable users in the agriculture or food sector to increase their income.

Up to 18 start-ups are selected annually to participate in the nine-month Investment Readiness Programme fully funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Selected start-ups are given access to company development support with the aim of improving their investment readiness.

The programme includes weekly virtual advisory and coaching sessions with experienced company developers and mentors targeting the needs of the respective start-ups. Moreover, selected start-ups are supported by additional service providers to improve certain segments of their operations (e.g. legal advice, marketing, coding, product optimisation, etc.).

Additional services will also be provided for female entrepreneurs to tackle gender-specific challenges and strengthen corporate development and management.

Throughout the duration of the programme, contacts and interactions with potential investors and business partners will be facilitated. GIZ-SAIS collaborates with local as well as international investors and taps into its broad network of partners.

In addition, start-ups are offered integration in one of our partner hubs in their respective home countries to facilitate their visibility and establish contacts with relevant actors in the local start-up scene.

The Investment Readiness Programme will start with a virtual kick-off workshop in January 2022 (CW4), followed by a mid-term check-in June 2022 and a demo-day with investors and business partners which will conclude the programme in September 2022.

Apply now until August 31st, 2021. Don’t miss this opportunity! Visit our programme site on VC4A for more information.

This article is supplied and sponsored by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Featured image: Supplied