Program Partners
WE4A Program Overview
The Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) project is an action jointly supported by the European Union (EU), the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with implementation from the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and the German Development agency GIZ (E4D program). Running the growth and acceleration programs of WE4A is the Swiss Association for Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets (SAFEEM).
The virtual Acceleration Program, implemented by SAFEEM, seeks to provide 100 female entrepreneurs from the TEF alumni network, with access to €10.000 in grant funding that will be paired with 3 months of technical support.
WE4A Report
Explore our Learning and Opportunity Report, which is a detailed analysis of the Acceleration and Growth tracks within the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (WE4A) Programme. This report highlights achievements, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, with a focus on enhancing entrepreneurship support for women-led businesses in Africa. Join us in turning reflection into action to empower women entrepreneurs who are working to boost economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Watch the WE4A Programme video!
We are proud to share the achievements of the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa #WE4A Acceleration and Growth Programmes.
The video features women entrepreneurs sharing their firsthand stories, goals, and the impact of the WE4A Acceleration and Growth Programmes. Gain insights into the different components of the programme and how they are driving transformative change for women entrepreneurs.
Check out the Acceleration Programme startups by cluster
To integrate a personalized startup approach into a program that is supporting 100 entrepreneurs, EiR Clusters were created based on the stage and sector of each entrepreneur. Each of the 8 clusters listed below will be led by an expert Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) that will provide coaching on the sessions delivered throughout the program and support the entrepreneurs in incorporating the concepts into their business.
The 30 companies moving on to the Growth Programme
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RedButton
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Impacting women in Sub-Saharan Africa!
The core objective is to support 100 women-led enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa, to flourish and contribute to employment creation in their communities through:
- enhanced business capacities,
- access to formal financial services,
- and integration into local and regional value chains.
Be part of the Growth Program and access follow-on funding!
Additional grant funding up to €50.000 in conjunction with a Growth Program (for an additional 3 months) will be provided to 15 enterprises selected by an expert panel as having the most high-growth potential.
Benefits for startup participants
- Access to investment readiness trainings presented by topic experts
- Personalized support by an entrepreneur in residence that will provide hands-on support in the growth of each startup
- 1on1 Mentorship
- Local ecosystem integration & network connections
- Demo Day with international investors
- Grant funding of €10.000 and up to €50.000 for the 15 selected high-growth startups
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my startup need all-female founding team members?
There needs to be at least one female entrepreneur from the TEF Alumni network in the startup that takes part in the program.
The Demo Day is the event where you pitch your idea to stakeholders, partners, mentors, donors and investors. A marketing campaign will be included to increase visibility.
What is the selection process for entering the acceleration and growth programs?
A team of investment analysts will review all applications and conduct any necessary interviews in order to select the startups that have the most high-growth potential.
What do we get from the growth program?
The growth program will only be open to the top 15 high-growth startups and is designed to help startups build a Growth Team and implement a Growth Methodology in order to support scaling up the venture and raise Series A and beyond. The grant of up to €50,000 will be a growth capital that is needed to scale up.
Who do I talk to if I need support with the program or have additional questions?
We will have a team of Acceleration Program Manager, Program Coordinator and Community Manager to assist with any organizational questions you might have. On top of that for all content-related questions, there will be a Startup Growth lead and Entrepreneur in Residence that work closely with you.
Grant Funds
How much will I receive in grants?
€10,000 (disbursed in two tranches) if accepted to participate as part of the cohort and a further grant of up to € 50,000 (disbursed in two tranches) if you are selected to be part of the top 15 startups that will receive access to the growth program. All grants will be disbursed only in case pre-defined milestones are reached.
Being accepted to one of the cohorts will automatically qualify you for the grant.
How do I qualify for the growth program and further grants?
After being selected to take part in the program (one of the initial 100 startups selected), 15 high growth startups will move forward to the growth program and receive further grants of up to €50,000. The exact amount will be determined in accordance with their capital needs.
Will grants provided be subject to auditing?
Yes, there will be an auditing process and we will need to make sure that all grants will be disbursed only in case pre-defined milestones are reached. We will use SAFE agreements in terms of legal contracting.
SAFEEM Core Team
Meet some of our programme mentors:
“This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Its contents are the sole responsibility of GIZ and/or TEF and/or other grant recipients and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EU or the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.”
