{"id":312293,"date":"2025-11-25T07:15:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/312293\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T07:15:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:15:12","slug":"ip-acceleration-we4a-funding-for-women-entrepreneurship-for-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/312293\/","title":{"rendered":"I&P Acceleration WE4A: Funding for Women Entrepreneurship for Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

I&P Acceleration WE4A<\/a> (Women Entrepreneurship for Africa) is an acceleration programme led by Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), designed to finance and support small and medium-sized enterprises that are owned or co-owned and managed by women. The programme specifically targets women-led businesses operating in green and transition sectors, offering financial and technical support to enhance resilience, sustainability, and long-term growth.<\/p>\n

The initiative is part of the broader pan-African programme Investing in Young Businesses in Africa \u2013 Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (IYBA WE4A), co-financed by the European Union, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and the German Development Cooperation through GIZ. Through this partnership, the programme promotes inclusive economic development while supporting women entrepreneurs in emerging green industries.<\/p>\n

Programme Overview<\/p>\n

Key programme information includes:<\/p>\n

Calendar: 2025\u20132027<\/p>\n

Size: \u20ac3.5 million<\/p>\n

Geographical focus: Cameroon, Uganda, Senegal, Togo<\/p>\n

Sectors: Green and greening sectors<\/p>\n

Portfolio: 140 women-led businesses<\/p>\n

Sponsors: EU, OACPS, BMZ<\/p>\n

The programme aims to increase women\u2019s participation in climate-resilient entrepreneurship and to strengthen the operational capacity of early-stage businesses across multiple African markets.<\/p>\n

Why This Programme Matters<\/p>\n

In Cameroon, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda, small businesses represent a significant share of the local economy, yet many face a funding gap estimated at more than \u20ac15 billion. The majority operate informally and are constrained by:<\/p>\n

Limited access to affordable finance<\/p>\n

High microfinance costs<\/p>\n

Restricted credit from commercial banks due to lack of collateral or financial history<\/p>\n

Women entrepreneurs face additional barriers, including:<\/p>\n

Gender bias within financial institutions<\/p>\n

Limited access to collateral and professional networks<\/p>\n

Cultural and social norms that restrict business development<\/p>\n

The dual burden of managing both domestic and professional duties<\/p>\n

Despite their strong involvement in entrepreneurship, women receive less than 10 percent of commercial loans and an even smaller share of equity investment.<\/p>\n

Challenges are amplified for green and innovative businesses, which require targeted support due to their essential contributions to climate adaptation, sustainable job creation, and green economic transformation.<\/p>\n

Programme Components<\/p>\n

The programme is structured around three core components that address systemic barriers preventing women-led businesses from scaling:<\/p>\n

Track 1: Investment Readiness<\/p>\n

This track focuses on helping early-stage women-led enterprises strengthen their foundations. It offers:<\/p>\n

Tailored advisory services<\/p>\n

Business structuring and formalisation support<\/p>\n

Preparation for future fundraising<\/p>\n

Enhanced management and governance systems<\/p>\n

Track 2: Access to Debt<\/p>\n

This component aims to facilitate first-time access to credit by providing:<\/p>\n

A dedicated loan guarantee mechanism<\/p>\n

Loans averaging \u20ac22,000<\/p>\n

Technical assistance to guide repayment, financial planning, and growth<\/p>\n

The combination of debt support and capacity-building allows entrepreneurs to build credit history while growing their businesses.<\/p>\n

Track 3: Access to Capital<\/p>\n

This track provides flexible financing to support business expansion, including:<\/p>\n

Reimbursable loans averaging \u20ac52,000<\/p>\n

Zero interest and no collateral requirements<\/p>\n

Tailored technical assistance to prepare women entrepreneurs for later-stage equity investments<\/p>\n

Implementation Consortium<\/p>\n

The programme is implemented by a consortium of impact-driven organisations within the I&P ecosystem:<\/p>\n

Como\u00e9 Capital (C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire): Oversees work in Togo<\/p>\n

Fako Capital (Cameroon): Supports women-led SMEs in Cameroon<\/p>\n

Teranga Capital (Senegal): Leads implementation in Senegal<\/p>\n

In Uganda, the pilot guaranteed loan scheme is delivered through:<\/p>\n

Finance Trust Bank (FTB): A financial institution specialising in supporting women entrepreneurs<\/p>\n

This multi-country approach ensures that local expertise and market understanding guide programme delivery.<\/p>\n

Programme Partners<\/p>\n

The IYBA WE4A initiative is a partnership between:<\/p>\n

The European Union (EU)<\/p>\n

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)<\/p>\n

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)<\/p>\n

It is implemented by GIZ through the \u201cPromotion of Women\u2019s Employment for Green Transformation in Africa\u201d (WE4D) programme and forms part of the Team Europe Initiative \u201cInvesting in Young Businesses in Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Team<\/p>\n

The programme is managed by a team across the I&P network, including:<\/p>\n

Barbara Adolehoume \u2013 Program Manager, I&P Acceleration<\/p>\n

Laura-Jeanne Amoi \u2013 ESG & Impact Officer<\/p>\n

Manon Calmeil \u2013 Operations Manager, I&P Ecosystems<\/p>\n

Rapha\u00ebl Dumont \u2013 Investment Director Acceleration; Director, I&P Acceleration in Sahel<\/p>\n

For more opportunities such as these please follow us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0WhatsApp<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Telegram<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0Global South Opportunities (GSO)<\/a>\u00a0is not the seeking organization. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.<\/p>\n

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