Programme

 
General information

Are you a growing enterprise making a splash in the female health and hygiene space with a sound business model and track record, as well as first sales under your belt, and actively working in our target countries Kenya, Uganda and/or Ghana? Join us for capacity building, networking, and financing opportunities to elevate your business to new heights.

What´s in it for you?

  • Receive technical assistance to improve your business model, internal structure, governance, and SDG-related impact management with top sector-leading experts and trainers.
  • Benefit from a €10,000 catalytic micro-grant to enhance your scaling capacities and test your implementation performance.
  • Develop sustainable financing models to become (impact) investment-ready and ensure long-term operations.
  • Connect with peers and investors, unlock impact capital and receive facilitation support and technical backstopping during the process.
  • Scale your business and reach millions of women and girls at the Base of the Pyramid.

 

Implementation Mode

Face to face Meet and work with us face-to-face during the programme’s bootcamps in Kenya and for selected sessions with our local partners in Kenya, Uganda and Ghana (tbd).

 

Online Work online with us on specific tasks of the acceleration programme and join us on Zoom for key input sessions.

 

Hybrid Receive individual coaching, focused training, and networking as well as peer-learning opportunities both off-/ and online.

 

On site Develop and implement business transformation projects with our technical and financial support.

 

 
Timeline

Submission Deadline

1 July 2024
Submit your application before 1 July 2024

Interviews of pre-selected entrepreneurs

8 – 19 July 2024

Program Kick-off

12 August 2024
Attend the online program kick-off session (ONLINE)

 

 

Enterprise Diagnostics (virtual)

13 August – 23 September 2024
Benchmark your business and establish your acceleration objectives with customised coaching support (ONLINE)

1st Acceleration Bootcamp (Kenya)

30 September – 5 October 2024
Strategize to scale your market potential and design your investment projects with experts and peers during a 5-day in-person training (F2F)

Transformation Project

October 2024 onwards
Demonstrate your ability to deliver by converting a USD 10,000 catalytic grant into a successful business transformation project (ON SITE)

 

 

Technical Assistance

December 2024 onwards
Build your capacities by working together with dedicated female health & hygiene and business experts on a specific support area of your business (ONLINE)

Financial Modelling

January 2025 onwards
Systematically develop your financial model and project your growth path over the next 5 years (ONLINE)

Investment Case Bootcamp (Kenya)

February 2025 (exact dates TBC)
Develop and pitch a convincing investment case to potentially interested impact investors (F2F)

 

 

Investor Matchmaking

April 2025 onwards
Consolidate your business data room as a solid basis for investor engagement and long-term partnerships (ONLINE)

Continuous Follow-up Support

May – September 2025
Receive dedicated, tailored coaching support from globally experienced and locally embedded sanitation business development experts (HYBRID)

Program Closure

October 2025
Reflect on lessons learned and become part of a global network of innovative sanitation businesses (online)

 
Categories

We invite companies that identify with one or several of the following product or service categories to apply. Please make sure to indicate the focus of your business clearly in your application.

Women-focused hygiene products  Reusable pads
Biodegradable single-use pads
Period products
Marketplaces
Last-mile distribution solutions
Reproductive & maternal health  Reproductive health and counselling services
Femtech Solutions
Safe and gender sensitive facilities  Sanitary waste incinerators
Safe & gender sensitive toilets, showers, and hygiene facilities geared towards women
 
Eligibility

To apply, you should comply with the following conditions:

  • Maturity: Your product/service should be developed and tested, and you should have existing paying customers.
  • Registration type: Your company should be duly registered in your country of operations.
  • Solution: Your focus should be directly related to female health and hygiene (see categories), and your solution shouldn’t create or contribute to environmental problems.
  • Business & revenue model: You should be able to demonstrate a clear customer focus, not just a dependency on philanthropic or development grants.
  • Impact potential: Your solution should showcase a clear potential to achieve impact for women and girls at the base of the pyramid.
  • Team: Your company should be locally grown and led, and clearly highlight how you empower women from within.
  • Growth plan: Show us through your application that you have an appetite for risk, want to grow and create impact, know your gaps and have reasonable investment needs.
 
FAQ

How much time do I have to commit to participating in the programme?
Participation in the Female Health and Hygiene Accelerator is a time-intensive endeavour and will require an average dedication of 4 hours per week. However, during peak moments throughout the programme, such as the transformation project and technical assistance, the time commitment may be much higher. Additionally, participants must be fully present for all programme components, including the face-to-face bootcamps, which will last for 5 consecutive full days. Availability to travel for these trainings is a prerequisite! The programme starts in August 2024 and ends in October 2025, with the most intense phase taking place from September 2024 to April 2025.

What does the participation cost?
Participation in the programme itself is free of charge. This means that all direct costs related to participating in the acceleration programme, including trainings, networking events, coaching sessions, etc., are covered by us. However, a symbolic fee of 150 USD will be collected per person for the face-to-face bootcamps. The rest of the bootcamp expenses (travel, accommodation, meals, etc.) will also be covered by us. Please note that only one person per company will be covered to attend these events, but you have the option of one additional team member attending at your own expense. Participants also can access a catalytic grant of up to USD 10,000. This fund is to be used exclusively for the transformation project developed during the programme.

Who from my team should participate?
Working with us requires intense collaboration, and we require either the CEO or an appropriate representative (e.g. co-founder, business development director, etc.) to participate as the single point of contact throughout the entire duration of the programme, particularly for key events such as bootcamps, and pitching events.