Call for Applications: Green Business Incubator 2025 (Ethiopia)

The Green Business Incubator builds on Reach for Change’s experience in delivering similar programs in Ethiopia and other markets. However, this Green Business Incubator is unique because it addresses the identified gaps in supporting the alumni of the Green Innovation Lab and other early-stage waste management and circular enterprises. The Incubator provides them with tailored tools and capacity development opportunities to sustain and grow their operations.

The program’s objective is to develop sustainable business models, improved business processes, and best practices for a total of thirty (30) waste management and circular enterprises in three cohorts over three years.

Objectives

• The Green Business Incubator is set up with the following objectives:
  • Raise awareness in general about how green entrepreneurship is key to creating a brighter and more promising future in Ethiopia and Eastern Africa.
  • Inspire young people to become green entrepreneurs and changemakers by providing them with the requisite support needed on this journey.
  • Engage potential and existing impact leaders with green solutions to apply to the Building Waste and Circular Enterprises in Ethiopia program.

Focus Areas

• Green enterprises that apply should have a proof-of-concept or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that can contribute to meeting the needs of youth and women in Ethiopia’s green transition. They should also be willing to scale their impact. Alternatively, they should have been working in the area of circularity, be able to demonstrate positive results from their work and be willing to adapt it to the needs of youth.

Funding Information

• Equity-free venture funding between USD 5,000 to 10,000.

Additional Benefits 

• One-on-one coaching support from experts in waste management circularity, innovation, fundraising, impact M&E, business development, and more.
• Group-based peer learning with the support of industry experts to swiftly address team needs and strengthen overall capacity for long-term success.
• Investor advisory, networking, knowledge-sharing and learning opportunities with relevant experts in finance, leadership, operations, sustainability.
• Bespoke market research and entry support with support from ecosystem actors and experts.
• Raising awareness of the startup through impact-driven storytelling.

Eligibility Criteria

• Organisations that apply must be led by a green (social) entrepreneur and will be considered through a variety of legal forms: from non-profits to profitable businesses.
• In the Incubator, candidates are only accepted if they reside in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.

Selection Process

• The search and selection of 10 finalists are described in the 5-stage process below. Each participant in the Incubator will receive a message about the status of their application in the e-mail indicated by her/him.
  • First stage: Administrative verification of eligibility criteria Employees of Reach for Change will verify all applications as of when received. Applications that have incomplete mandatory fields or that are not aimed at solving problems identified under these Terms and Conditions will be excluded from the process. Reach for Change will make additional provision of documents if necessary.
  • Second stage: Screening and shortlisting from employees of Reach for Change All candidates who have passed the first stage of selection will be screened according to previously accepted evaluation criteria by Reach for Change employees. This phase will run in parallel with the first stage of the selection process.
  • Third stage: Refresher Pitch Training The Reach for Change team will invite the most promising candidates (max. 20 green entrepreneurs) to pitch refresher training for the next stage of the selection process.
  • Fourth stage: Pitch and Jury Day Applications of candidates who successfully passed the screening and shortlisting stage will be invited to pitch and be reviewed by a final jury composed of project partners and other potential experts. The jury will select the final ten (10) green entrepreneurs to take part in the Green Business Incubator.

Form more information, visit Reach for Change.