Call For Applications: Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) Green Biz Programme 2026 for start-ups and early-stage businesses
Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) in partnership with the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), is implementing the GreenBiz Programme, running from 2021 to 2025. The program is supporting 300 climate technologies and related innovative business models to create over 3000 full-time job opportunities. The expected outcomes include increased commercialization and scale-up of climate-related companies, which create decent jobs, increased access to low-carbon energy sources, increased community and household resilience to climate change as well as other environmental and social benefits.
This is a call for applications to all eligible businesses to join the GreenBiz Incubator or Accelerator program for tailored support, which includes business advisory, mentorship, technical assistance, capacity building, and financing. The GreenBiz Programme will address key challenges that hinder climate technologies and related innovative business models from tapping into the immense potential in the cleantech sector.
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This call for applications will onboard 60 climate technologies and enterprises that fall under KCIC’s five thematic areas of renewable energies and energy efficiency, water, agribusiness, commercial forestry, and waste management.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants can apply to join either the incubation or the acceleration Programme:
1. GreenBiz Incubation Program
This is a 12-month program targeting start-ups and early-stage businesses that have at least developed a prototype. The businesses receive intensive practical training and business coaching to enable them to prove their concepts in the market and progress toward commercialization. Clients who successfully complete this program can apply for the KCIC GreenBiz Accelerator Programme.
Incubation program eligibility metrics
- A legal entity operating and registered in Kenya. If a business is either a Sole proprietorship/Partnership/Self Help Group/Community-Based Organization, it should be willing to register as a limited company within the first 3 months in the program.
- Business is within K CIC’s five thematic areas (renewable energy and energy efficiency, Water management, Agribusiness, Commercial forestry, and Waste management)
- Have an innovative product, service or business model.
- Be in the early stages of business development (have a prototype with less than 2 years since business inception).
- Demonstrate a climate change angle: the business must contribute to mitigation or adaptation to climate change, and/or have a positive impact on the natural environment, including biodiversity. This should contribute to social, economic, and environmental resilience to climate-related disruption and disaster.
- Revenues should be between 0 to Kes 2,000,000 in the last 1 year
- Team of 2+ full-time/part-time employees
- 2.GreenBiz Accelerator ProgramThis is a 12-month program in which clients are provided with highly individualized services aimed at setting the clients on a rapid business growth path and preparing clients to be investor-ready as well as raising investments.Accelerator Eligibility metrics
- A legal entity operating and registered in Kenya. If a business is either a Sole proprietorship/Partnership/Self Help Group/Community-Based Organization, it should be willing to register as a limited company within the first 3 months in the program.
- The company is within K CIC’s five thematic areas (renewable energy and energy efficiency, Water management, Agribusiness, Commercial forestry, and Waste management)
- Have an Innovative product, service, or business model
- A proven business model and a well-defined financial model
- Post-revenue stage (Over kes 2,000,000 in the last 1 year)
- Looking to raise capital
- Team of 4+ full-time/part-time employees
- Demonstrate a climate angle: the business must contribute to mitigation or adaptation to climate change, and/or have a positive impact on the natural environment, including biodiversity. This should contribute to social, economic, and environmental resilience to climate-related disruption and disaster.
- Kenya Climate Innovation Center will support successful applicants with various types of financial support once they meet the financing criteria for the GreenBiz program.
- Direct financial support will be based on the assessment of actual needs on a case-by-case basis and after three months of being onboarded into the program.
- Kenya Climate Innovation Center will support successful applicants with various types of financial support once they meet the financing criteria for the GreenBiz program.
- Direct financial support will be based on the assessment of actual needs on a case-by-case basis and after three months of being onboarded into the program.
Deadline: April 15, 2024