What am I competing for?
The Agribusiness Challenge Fund competition will see potential and already locked-in youth agripreneurs compete for grants which they can utilize to expand their ventures or meet additional costs and engage in innovative initiatives that provide solutions to outstanding challenges/obstacles faced by agribusinesses.
The best five agripreneurs will receive financial support:
- Winner: UGX 11 million.
- Second position: UGX 9 million.
- Third position: UGX 8 million.
- Fourth position: UGX 6 million
- Fifth position: UGX 6 million.
This grant shall be both in cash and in-kind in form of equipment and asset support based on the business needs.
All five winners will receive tailored business development support and linkage to networks and platforms.
The best ten agripreneurs will participate in an Agribusiness Boot Camp:
Agribusiness Boot Camp is an opportunity for the selected youth to get in touch with agribusiness experts in order to polish their business ideas and review their business plans.
Am I eligible?
Applications will be received from youth either as individuals or as joint ventures (investment clubs or youth groups).
Criteria if you are to apply as an individual:
- Should be 18-30 years by the date of submission to the competition. Youth shall be required to present a valid National ID as proof of confirmation.
- Must be a rightful owner or co-founder of the business that is being presented and should be involved fulltime in the management of the day to day operations and leadership of the agribusiness enterprise.
- Must have been in the business for (at least) the last six months as at June 30, 2021.
- Be engaged in any of the following: horticulture, banana, dairy, coffee, food processing, piggery, poultry, apiary, fish, mushroom and support services along the value chains such as input services, extension services, waste management or recycling, marketing, food retail, ICT solutions for agribusiness, distribution or logistics and climate smart agriculture.
- Must be located and operating in any of the western districts of Mbarara, Ibanda, Kabale, Rubanda, Bushenyi and Kiruhura and districts in the peripheral (Rwampara, Rukiga, Kazo and Isingiro).
- Must be willing and ready to commit own resources as cost-share to achieve the common goals.
- Must be willing to stay clear of partisan political activities during the course of engagement.
- Have a business plan or business model canvas and keeping records.
- Your business should have potential to grow and individual should be willing to work with other youth.
Criteria if you apply as an agribusiness joint venture:
- Venture must be at least 75% owned by youth aged 18-30 years. Owners shall be required to present valid National IDs as proof of confirmation.
- Venture must have been in existence for (at least) the last six months as at June 30, 2021.
- Must be designed and operating as a for-profit business earning revenue from its operations. Youth initiatives that are designed as NGOs, CBOs or other forms of organizations are non-eligible to apply.
- Registered or having a registered/reserved business name or owners willing to formally register the business. The business should have a dedicated bank account or show willingness to open one.
- Have a clear physical address with business plan or business model canvas and keep records.
- Must be based in in any of the western districts of Mbarara, Ibanda, Kabale, Rubanda, Bushenyi and Kiruhura and districts in the peripheral (Rwampara, Rukiga, Kazo and Isingiro).
- Be operational in targeted value chains of horticulture, banana, dairy, coffee, food processing, piggery, poultry, apiary, fish, mushroom and support services along the value chains such as input services, extension services, waste management or recycling, marketing, food retail, ICT solutions for agribusiness, distribution or logistics and climate smart agriculture.
- Businesses that demonstrate commercial viability (potential to scale), innovation and great market potential will be highly prioritized.
- Demonstrate social inclusion (engaging other youth including female) and environmental impact (environmentally sustainable)
How can I Apply?
- You should meet the eligibility criteria.
- Download the application form, fill the document with the required information and submit to fiona.ibudi@avsi.org, in copy enock.ampumuza@avsi.org not later than 23:59 hours (Ugandan Time), Monday 6th September 2021.
- Note that applications submitted after the deadline shall not be considered.
Female agripreneurs or female-led ventures who meet the eligibility criteria are highly encouraged to apply.
How will AVSI Foundation select and announce the winners?
- Applications will be evaluated by selected AVSI Foundation staff with expertise in agribusiness, using a set of criteria. This process will be done with the highest level of fairness, professionalism, and integrity.
- A total of 10 applicants will be shortlisted and invited by email to participate in a business pitch competition.
- The 10 selected participants will pitch their business ideas at a competitive Business Pitch event where five agribusinesses will be selected for financial support.
- At the pitching stage, each competitor will be allotted time to present their businesses to a panel of judges. This will be followed by a question and answer session in which judges will seek to further understand the business. The judges will score the businesses against a set criterion to select the best five businesses/agripreneurs for funding.