Changes

{{Financebox

|name=Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund

Nairobi

Nairobi - Kenya

|financedby=The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA)

|website=[http://www.aecfafrica.org link]

|aim=The goal of the AECF is to accelerate pro-poor growth in Africa, thereby increasing employment, livelihood opportunities and incomes, and reducing poverty

|moreinfo=The AECF (the “fund”) is a competition, open only to for-profit private companies which have, or intend to, start business enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa in the field of agriculture, agri-business, rural financial services and media and information services to these sectors. The fund will run a number of competitions each year for 6 years.

|target_org=Pro-profit private companies which have, or intend to, start business enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa

|target_projects=Primarily ideas in the field of agriculture, agri-business, rural financial services and the value chain which extends from rural areas to their local and international markets. To qualify for funding your business idea should have a positive impact on the rural poor in Sub-Saharan Africa: delivering increased employment, reduced costs, and improved productivity

5. The business idea must have the potential to be commercially viable

6. The business idea/project must benefit large numbers of people living in rural areas in Africa.

|finance_mech=can be a grant only, a repayable grant only or a combination of both

|finance_budget=US$50-100m

|finance_maximum=US$ 1,500,000

|finance_period=Competition rounds are consecutive, countdown on website. 2 to 4 times per year

|proc_application=The initial application form is available on this website. You have to register on line, complete the form and submit it via this website - it is easy to complete and only requires an outline description of your company and your project.

|proc_selection=Funding approval for successful applications will be granted within a maximum of 150 days from the closing date for initial applications: