The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), announces the Call for MSME-led Digital Solutions.

The Call for MSME-led Digital Solutions, is a support programme within the Economic Integration division of AUDA-NEPAD, supported by the GIZ programme Green Infrastructure Corridor for intra-African Trade (Pida), which seeks to develop MSMEs in the green infrastructure and trade domains.

MSMEs looking for business development support to launch or scale a digital solution for green infrastructure and/or trade are encouraged to apply. Applications open on 27 July 2022 and close on 31 August 2022.

The main purpose of this support programme is to empower 10 MSMEs by helping them develop sustainable businesses through tailored technical assistance. This  is part of AUDA-NEPAD’s umbrella programme 100 000 MSMEs Initiative, https://msmeacademy-lms.nepad.org/, which seeks to support MSMEs throughout Africa with training on entrepreneurial and business skills, while establishing networks for support and incubation to bolster their success.

In its previous call for proposals, AUDA-NEPAD received over 60 applications, from which four MSMEs were selected. This year, we are aiming to support up to 10 MSMEs.

No direct funding is granted through this programme, but MSME leaders are helped to develop a broad view of their business and to understand how to mobilise funding themselves. The selected MSMEs will work closely with our team to design and deliver a customised technical assistance programme, which will be carried out in 2023 to support specific growth needs across three key areas, namely: investment readiness support, business-specific advisory and capacity building.

The technical support will take place over a period of between 3 to 12 months, depending on each of the selected MSME’s individual requirements.

For their applications to be considered, the MSMEs will have to meet the following criteria:

• Be at least an early-stage business (mature MSMEs are welcome to apply)
• Be an African business
• The MSME must have a digital/tech-based business idea (“digital solution”)
• The digital solution must focus on trade and/or green infrastructure

Details on the above are available on our website. Apply here or Click here to view the Flyer

Applications close: 31 August 2022 (23:59 UTC)