ABOUT US
O-Farms is an African SME accelerator completely focused on circular agribusiness with the goal of making circularity a mainstream approach for improved rural livelihoods and sustainability. It is an initiative funded by the IKEA Foundation to help scale circular agribusiness innovations in East Africa.
O-Farms, led by Bopinc and Village Capital, is focused on accelerating the next generation of innovative circular agribusinesses in Ethiopia and Kenya. Agri-circularity creates a more sustainable food system that drives innovation through developing innovative business models that reduce agricultural losses thereby creating new economic opportunities and jobs in the region. In this regard, Kenya is able to sustainably feed its growing population, without depleting the natural resources. In doing so, O-Farms will build innovation support infrastructure that enables circular agribusiness to grow and develop.
In Kenya, E4Impact Accelerator will implement the O-Farm’s Accelerator Program targeted to SMEs within the agribusiness circular economy that aims to support the SMEs to refine their innovations, strengthen their business models, access financing opportunities and create a founding community advocating for better adoption of a circular economy and supportive policies & legislation.
Agri-circularity creates a more sustainable food system that drives innovation through developing innovative business models that reduce agricultural losses thereby creating new economic opportunities and jobs in the region. In this regard, Kenya is able to sustainably feed its growing population, without depleting the natural resources. In doing so, O-Farms will build innovation support infrastructure that enables circular agribusiness to grow and develop.
PROGRAM BENEFITS
For the first cohort, up to 12 enterprises will be selected to join the program. The enterprises can expect to receive the following benefits:
- Customized training program on agri-circularity business
- Technical Assistance to embed circularity principles in the business model including strengthening the systems and processes.
- Coaching and Mentorship – personalized and group coaching to unpack training into business implementation
- Links to financial and investment opportunities
- Networking and peer learning to strengthen innovations and build a community of best practices in agri-circularity.
- The top peer-selected SMEs will receive grant funding of USD $25,000 to support operations. There will be two investments per cohort.
- Networking opportunities to showcase your solution and meet with investors and other stakeholders.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Be an enterprise in the agricultural sector
- Have an innovative or disruptive solution / business model that reduces food losses, or valorises the by-products generated in food production or processing, back into the food system for human food or animal feed, or into biodegradable packaging materials for the food industry, or into compost/organic fertilizers or into bio-energy.
- Be a growth stage enterprise with an existing customer base (post revenue)
- Be a Kenyan registered enterprise with at least one of the founding team members being Kenyan
INNOVATION CRITERIA
If you are an entrepreneur tackling the food waste/loss challenge in any of the following areas and with the potential to scale (in order of preference).
HOW TO APPLY
The call for applications is open till the 10th October 2021 Midnight EAT.
NB: Only online applications will be reviewed and accepted.
Any queries? Please send an email to accelerator.kenya@e4impact.org
Key Timelines
FAQs
O-Farms Program
The program is funded by Ikea Foundation and delivered by E4Impact Accelerator in Nairobi- Kenya.
It is a 6 month program with 3 months of active participation for all the 12 selected enterprises and 3 enterprises will be selected to receive technical assistance from Bopinc.
For the first cohort the program will run between October 2021 and March 2022. The second cohort will run tentatively from August 2022 to February 2023.
The application form (for the first cohort) is now open from Friday, 10th September 2021 and the deadline is on Friday, 10th October 2021.
Apply here
Program Eligibility
Yes, only enterprises registered in Kenya and those that have at least one Kenyan co-founder is eligible to apply for this program.
Enterprises that have an established customer base and already generating revenue (post –revenue).
If your enterprise is innovative solution or business model that reduces food losses, or valorises the by-products generated in food production or processing, back into the food system for human food or animal feed, or into biodegradable packaging materials for the food industry, or into compost/organic fertilizers or into bio-energy
Successful enterprises will receive customized capacity building on Agri-circularity business principles and investment readiness, provide access to coaching & mentorship, linkages to markets and investments, and opportunity to win peer- peer awarded grants for the 2 selected enterprises (total of €50,000).
Your Application
To apply, fill in the online application form and attach the relevant documents here:
Before completing your application form, make sure that you’ve:
- Familiarize yourself with the O-Farms program requirements and the eligibility criteria and make sure you clearly address them in your entry form.
The deadline to apply is Sunday, 10th October 2021 at 12 Midnight EAT
Yes, once you create an account on the Accelerator App, you can begin your application and come back at a later time.
Yes it is. Any information provided in the application will be held in full confidence as we comply with GDPR.
PROGRAM PARTNERS
