Apply for GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Programme 2022. The aim of the Investment Readiness Programme is to support more African startups in improving their business models, gaining access to investors and business partners, and achieving greater impact. Seven output indicators (also called investment readiness criteria or investment readiness output indicators) have been defined to assess and monitor the investment readiness level of selected startups.

The overall goal of the project is to support African startups in scaling their digital innovations; these innovations should enable users in the agriculture or food sectors to increase their income. Up to 18 startups are selected annually to participate in a nine-month Investment Readiness Programme; fully funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Benefits 

GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Programme offers the following things

• Weekly advisory and coaching sessions: Weekly advisory and coaching sessions held virtually during which strategies and measures for rapid growth and scaling, product improvement and innovation, leadership and business management operations are developed and implemented with the startups.
• Additional services: Based on the startup’s commitment, access to additional services to optimize certain segments (e.g. legal advice, marketing, coding, product optimization, etc.) of the startups.
• Hub integration: Integration of the selected startups in one of our partner hubs in their home country in order to facilitate their visibility and establish contact with relevant actors in the local startup scene.
• Access to GIZ-SAIS network: Access to investors and business partners from the GIZ-SAIS network.
• Extended services: Add-on services for female entrepreneurs.
• Meet-up events: Up to three in-person meet-up events. Depending on the COVID-19 situation over the course of 2022; it may be possible to shift the in-person meet-ups to online events. At the moment the plan is to start the IRP with a kick-off workshop in Capetown, in January 2022 (CW4); followed by a virtual mid-term check-in June 2022; a demo-day with investors and business partners will conclude the program in September 2022.

Eligibility

• Basically, SAIS is looking for innovative startups that are about to scale rapidly and apply digital solutions to the agriculture and food sector which enable their users to improve their income. In addition, digital products or services that help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 are a plus; it will be taken into special consideration.

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