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Accelerating Pro-Poor Growth in Africa: AECF Overview

Learn about the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) and its goal to improve market systems, create jobs, and boost incomes in rural Africa. Discover how AECF supports innovative business ideas in agribusiness, finance, and renewable energy.

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Accelerating Pro-Poor Growth in Africa: AECF Overview

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  1. The AECF and Market Systems Change

  2. Introducing the AECF (1) • Goal: The Goal of the AECF is to accelerate pro-poor growth in Africa • Purpose: The purpose of the AECF is to make agribusiness, finance, renewable energy and information market systems work better for the poor in rural areas in Africa • Result: By improving the way market systems work we aim to have a positive impact (jobs and incomes) on large numbers of people living in rural areas • Modus Operandi: The AECF works by supporting private sector companies to develop and test innovative business ideas in agri-business,rural financial services and renewable energy in Africa

  3. Introducing the AECF (2) AECF is a fund of donor money available to the private sector on a competitive basis AECF is a ‘special partnership’ initiative of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). AGRA is chaired by Strive Masiyiwa and funded by Rockefeller and Bill and Melinda Gates Initial capital was US$34m in 2008, now US$ 217m January 2014 (and growing)

  4. The AECF and the Challenge of Market System Change • Systemic change as a selection criteria • do business understand & why should it? • Innovation as a key indicator of systemic change potential • boundaries: company, country/region, conditions of operation, field/sector as a whole • disruptive innovation • Motivation as a key indicator of systemic change potential • commercial motivation • social motivation (CSR)

  5. Finding the Right Projects We seek to support business ideas that are commercially motivated & innovative to get systemic impact • Commercial Motivation: Scale required for systems impact; scale will only be reached if business model is (very) profitable • Disruptive Innovation: as a key indicator of systemic change potential • Upsetting the market such that others will copy and replicate – the more innovative the better • Principle: Start races rather than picking winners

  6. Quick Overview of AECFProgress to Date

  7. 8 Funding Windows 17 Rounds General Window (GW) Early Bird + R1-3 Agribusiness Africa Window (AAW) R1 Zimbabwe Window (ZW) R1-3 AECF WINDOWS Post-Conflict Window (PCW) R1 Tanzania Agribusiness Window (TZAW) R1-R3 South Sudan Window (SSW) R1-2 REACT Window R1-2 + Moz Research Into Business (RIB) R1-2 Introduction

  8. AECF Applications Summary 191 343 755 4456 9,622 17 Rounds completed 5 June 2008 to 19 March 2014 Performance to date Projects Approved Business plans Shortlisted for IC Concept notes submitted Registered companies

  9. CONTACT DETAILS • :+254 20 269 9137/8/9 • : www.aecfafrica.org • : info@aecfafrica.org • : www.facebook.com/AecfAfrica • : www.twitter.com/AecfAfrica

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