There are just hours to go until the October 23rd deadline to enter the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) AgriPitch Competition. Selected entries by African youth agripreneurs will be invited to showcase their agribusiness startup plans and compete for a share of USD$120,000 (roughly UGX 449.5 million) in funding seed prizes, a slot of the competition’s business development boot camp, an audience of online panel of experts and investors to pitch their agribusiness plans, as well as receive post-event mentoring and training.
The AgriPitch competition is part of the African Development Bank’s fourth African Youth Agripreneurs Forum (AYAF) a platform for African youth in agriculture startup scene. The competition is to be held online for the first time from 3rd to 17th November, 2020.
- AYAF webinars will be held on 3rd, 10th and 17th November 2020.
- The AgriPitch boot camp training will be start from 2nd to 13th November 2020, followed by the finalists pitching on 16th and 17th November 2020.
“The COVID-19 pandemic may keep us from networking in person in 2020, however, the Bank and partners are gearing up to present a dynamic, knowledge-rich Forum online – as well as the most seed funding AgriPitch has ever awarded competitors,” said said Edson Mpyisi, Coordinator of the Bank’s Enable Youth Program in a press statement.
Under the theme “Driving sustainable nutrition and gender inclusivity in Africa’s agri-food systems”, youth agripreneurs seize the decade. AYAF and AgriPitch 2020 intends to attract youth agripreneurs and representatives across Africa from agribusiness companies, academia, development organizations, financial institutions and government agencies.
“The event will highlight how youth agripreneurs address nutrition and gender inclusivity while serving as entrepreneurial leaders within their communities and being involved in the agribusiness sector,” said, Martin Fregene; AfDB Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry.
Fregene added that AYAF and AgriPitch aims to provide the knowledge, confidence, financing and networking boosts to grow their startups and make a greater impact.
The AgriPitch competition is open to youth aged 18 to 35 who hold African nationality or citizenship and who submit their application (FOLLOW LINK) online by 23rd October.
Competition organizers will select agripreneurs with promising proposals to participate in the AYAF/AgriPitch online training platform. In this ‘business development boot camp’, AgriPitch competitors can attend sessions on product development, revenue channel identification, logistics, marketing, business management, investment readiness, financing and other issues, led by coaches, mentors and investors.
At the end of the boot camp, selected agripreneurs will pitch their business proposals to a panel of judges. Competition winners will be named in three categories: early start-up, mature start-up and women-empowered businesses.
In addition to receiving seed funding prizes and post-competition mentoring, winners will be invited for the AYAF online DealRoom; which connects expansion-ready, youth-led African businesses with global investors.
