Alliance partners with Ireme Invest to support Agri-businesses in Rwanda

At the heart of this partnership is Ireme Invest, an investment facility powered by the Rwanda Green Fund and the Development Bank of Rwanda. Ireme Invest works closely with the private sector to support green business growth and address the challenges posed by climate change.

To further its mission, Ireme Invest will launch a call for applications under its Project Preparatory Facility. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in the climate-smart agriculture sector will be invited to apply. The deadline for applications is Friday, 28 June 2024, at 23:59 PM.

Alliance partners with Ireme Invest to Provide Support and Funding to Agri-businesses in Rwanda - Image 1

The collaboration between ImpactSF, the Rwanda Green Fund, and Ireme Invest will focus on developing frameworks to de-risk adaptation investments. It will also facilitate knowledge sharing, networking, and investment opportunities within the ecosystem.

The first joint activity under this partnership will identify up to 30 SMEs in Rwanda working in climate-smart agriculture. These SMEs will have the opportunity to benefit from the Ireme Invest Adaptation Accelerator Programme. This program will be delivered by ESPartners in collaboration with the Alliance and CGIAR’s Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP), with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and with ImpactSF serving as a key technical partner.

The SMEs selected for the three-month Adaptation Accelerator Programme will receive expert mentoring, workshops, coaching, and the chance to submit a funding proposal. In phase two, the ten SMEs with the most compelling proposals will receive up to 100 million Rwf in grant funding, along with tailored business support and the opportunity to connect with investors at the Adaptation Accelerator Programme Demo Day.

The Ireme Invest Adaptation Accelerator Programme aims to support SMEs in contributing to Rwanda's climate action agenda, enhancing the country's resilience, and promoting sustainable growth.

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Interested entrepreneurs and businesses are encouraged: Apply here

For more information about applying and, any queries

About Rwanda Green Fund

Established in 2012, the Rwanda Green Fund is the country’s financing vehicle for attracting and coordinating climate finance. Through strategic investments, the fund fosters transformative impact and sustainable development. For more information

About Ireme Invest:

Ireme Invest is an investment facility that supports Rwanda’s private sector to access green finance and increase its contribution to Rwanda’s response to climate change. For more information

About CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF)

The CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) is hosted by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and serves as a key technical partner for sustainable finance, integrating science-based impact KPIS in all areas of the investment lifecycle. Building on CGIAR research, ImpactSF offers an array of data-driven solutions that empower financial institutions to de-risk investments through the quantification of climate, environmental, and social risks and impacts. ImpactSF’s mission is to drive investments toward climate-smart and nature-positive food, land, and water systems.

For more information

About CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP)

The Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) is a venture space that builds on CGIAR’s research and innovation to co-design, accelerate and fund science-driven technologies to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. A4IP explores innovative partnership models to bridge research products from lab to market, creating demand for CGIAR science and strengthening its role in the innovation ecosystem, while funding the most visionary teams to leverage their scientific creativity.

A4IP plays a catalytic role for entrepreneurial scientists who strive to be drivers of change by developing high-impact, multi-disciplinary and science-based technologies, solutions, and enterprises that make our food systems more healthy, equitable, and sustainable.

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About Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners:

Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP) is an organization whose mission is to provide entrepreneurs in Africa with the keys to sustainable success. ESP enables people, companies, institutions, and countries to articulate and implement solutions to their economic challenges. ESP’s approach is to provide Intelligent capital™ - the right combination of insights and capital - to address critical societal issues. With offices in Abidjan and Kigali, ESP has been in operation since 2011, and has reached more than 1,000 entrepreneurs across seven African countries through its entrepreneurial support programs.

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