- Grant Amount – up to $1,250,000
- Deadline – February 06, 2025
- Apply Here – USAID
Details
Applications are now open for the 2025 USAID Women Entrepreneurship Incubator Program. The USAID Women Entrepreneurship Incubator Program (WEIP) is a transformative initiative aimed at supporting Women-Owned Small and Growing Businesses (WO-SGBs) across Kenya by providing resources, mentorship, and financial support to help entrepreneurs scale and succeed.
The program is seeking to recruit the best entrepreneurial minds, focusing on Women-Owned Small and Growing Businesses (WO-SGBs) as key drivers of innovation and economic growth operating in Kiambu, Nakuru & Nairobi.
Program benefits
- Access to Co-Investment Grants: Participants will have the opportunity to secure co-investment grants to scale their businesses, with a total of $1.25 million in co-investments available across the program
- Access to Capacity Building: Participants will receive comprehensive training tailored to their business needs, focusing on areas such as financial management, business development, and strategic planning.
- Business Advisory: Entrepreneurs will receive expert guidance on how to grow and sustain their businesses, addressing challenges specific to their sector.
- Mentorship: Women entrepreneurs will be paired with experienced mentors who provide personalized coaching to help them navigate the complexities of scaling their businesses.
Eligibility
- Management and Ownership Criteria
- Women must own 51% and above of the share capital.
- The business must be women-led, controlled, and managed.
- The business must be in one of these key sectors: agribusiness and agro-processing, textiles & apparel, healthcare, and water & sanitation.
- Micro enterprise
- Must have formal registration (at least a trading license).
- Operated for 1-2 years.
- Employ fewer than 10 people (with at least 1 permanent employee).
- Annual turnover: Below Ksh 1 million.
- Must have a valid Tax Compliance Certificate and a physical address or premise.
- For manufacturing enterprises:
- Investment in plant and machinery must not exceed Ksh 10 million.
- For service and farming enterprises:
- Investment in plant and machinery must not exceed Ksh 5 million.
- Small enterprise
- Must have formal registration and all required business certificates/permits.
- Operated for 3 years or more.
- Employ 10-49 people, with the ability to retain at least 30% of employees.
- Annual turnover: Between Ksh 1 million and Ksh 5 million.
- Must have a valid Tax Compliance Certificate and a permanent business premise
- For manufacturing enterprises:
- Investment in plant and machinery should be between Ksh 10 million and Ksh 50 million.
- For service and farming enterprises:
- Investment in plant and machinery should be between Ksh 5 million and Ksh 20 million.
- Medium enterprise
- Must be formally registered with an incorporation certificate.
- Provide 3 years of audited financial accounts.
- Operational for at least 3-5 years, with clear operational structures and systems in place (e.g., HR management, payroll, finance).
- Employ 50-99 people.
- Annual turnover: Above Ksh 5 million.
- Investment in plant and machinery for manufacturing should exceed Ksh 50 million; for service and farming enterprises, it should exceed Ksh 20 million.
- Must have a valid Tax Compliance Certificate and a permanent business premises.
- For manufacturing enterprises:
- Investment in plant and machinery should exceed Ksh 50 million.
- For service and farming enterprises:
- Investment in plant and machinery should exceed Ksh 20 million.
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