Enabel Call for Proposals: Incubation and Acceleration Support for Green Business Growth (Uganda)

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Call for Proposals for Incubation and Acceleration support for Green Business Growth. Enabel is inviting proposals to support young entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas in “green solutions” to launch, scale and accelerate their businesses.

The targeted businesses under this structure are innovative and dynamic, with potential to grow, and would as such eventually contribute to job creation.

Through the call for proposals, the projects aims to set-up implementing partnerships that are complementary and establish a “pipeline approach” with different entry points and tailored support services for promising entrepreneurs in the Green and Circular Economy (CGE) at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

Enabel Support for Green Business Growth Objectives

The general objective of this Call for Proposals is: Enhanced contribution to the Ugandan private sector in realising sustainable development for green growth and decent jobs.
The specific objective of this Call for Proposals is: Unlocked growth potential of at least 70 innovative start-ups and scale-ups in the Green and Circular Economy (CGE) through incubation and acceleration support and resulting in the creation of at least 250 new, decent jobs.

Sectors or Themes

The call targets incubation and acceleration of young, innovative and dynamic enterprises in the Green and Circular Economy (CGE), which aims to reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities while driving sustainable development.
The targeted businesses in both lots are therefore to encompass demand-driven solutions to environmental, social or economic challenges, while generating a positive impact on human wellbeing as well as a reduction of environmental risks and scarcities through:
- Contribution to healthy and sustainable eco-systems (Protecting biodiversity, conserving ecosystems, and promoting nature-based solutions that contribute to environmental sustainability);
- Reduction of carbon emissions, pollution and waste in production and consumption;
- Promotion of energy efficiency, saving of natural resources, and regenerative systems; and/or
- Production of green goods and services.

Enabel Support for Green Business Growth Funding Information

The total indicative amount available under this Call for Proposals is EUR 1,200,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.

Grant amount

Any grant application under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts per lot:

Lot 1: Incubation. Minimum amount: EUR 150,000 Maximum amount: EUR 300,000.
Lot 2: Acceleration. Minimum amount: EUR 450,000 Maximum amount: EUR 900,000.

During execution, Enabel reserves the right to modify the minimum and maximum amounts applicable to the requests and to award additional amounts to the beneficiaries having been awarded grants within the framework of this call for proposals.

Duration

Lot 1 – Incubation
- The initial planned duration of an action under lot 1 may not be less than 15 months nor exceed 24 months (excluding 3 months grant closure).
Lot 2 – Acceleration
- The initial planned duration of an action under lot 1 may not be less than 15 months nor exceed 33 months (excluding 3 months grant closure).

Enabel Support for Green Business Growth Outputs

At least 50 early-stage businesses in the CGE are supported to successfully launch their business in the market and realise growth through incubation (lot 1).
At least 20 scale-ups in the GCE are supported to scale their business models through acceleration (lot 2)

Eligibility Criteria for Enabel Support for Green Business Growth

To be admissible for grants, the applicant must satisfy the following conditions:

Be a legal entity;
Be a public entity ; or Be a private not for profit entity or foundation;
Be established or represented in Uganda;
Be a national or international non-profit Business Development Service Provider; or Be a semi-autonomous Business Development Service Provider in case of public entities;
Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) (where applicable) and not be acting as an intermediary; and Have demonstrated local expertise and experience in managing and delivering quality business development initiatives for incubation (lot 1) or acceleration (lot 2) of dynamic, young enterprises in the Green and Circular Economy in Uganda, for – at least – the past 2 years;
For applications under lot 2 only: Have an existing collaboration or partnership with financiers or investment funds and/or demonstrated records of raising funds for SMEs (to be demonstrated for the (lead) applicant OR any co applicant);
Have an active Bank Account for the past 12 months;
Have in-house financial management capacity.