Lebanon: Alfanar’s YELA Third Seed Cycle

Deadline: 1 September 2023

Are you an ambitious social enterprise in Lebanon working to create job opportunities for youth, women and persons with disabilities? Do you dream of scaling your efforts? Alfanar invites ambitious social enterprises operating in Beirut and/or Mount Lebanon actively engaged in creating employment opportunities for youth, women or people with disability to apply to the third YELA SEED Cycle 2023.

The YELA programme provides selected social enterprises with a $20k grant, 7 customised management support workshops and 3 group trainings. Social enterprises in the Seed Programme should be able to create employment opportunities within 6 months of starting the programme.

This programme is implemented by Alfanar in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The Seed Programme intends to support 20 early stage social enterprises over 4 Seed rounds – up to 5 SEs per round – in a total period of 24 months with funding and tailored management support.

Eligibility Criteria

Alfanar is looking for changemakers that are driven by impact and aspire to grow beyond their current settings. They want to work with social enterprises that are ambitious, creative and innovative but that also fulfil the below:
- Is legally registered for at least a year in Lebanon and operates in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, with a preference for those that have the potential to scale nationally and regionally
- Has a model that is focused on creating income and employment opportunities for youth, with a focus on women and persons with disabilities
- Has a clear social and/or environmental impact that is measurable and scalable and benefits a minimum of 20 people
- Has a minimum viable product or service which has already been sold to clients, with a preference for those that can export to new markets
- Is looking for management support, organisational strengthening, and/or capacity building
- Addresses at least one of these Sustainable Development Goals
  - SDG 4 – Quality Education
  - SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
  - SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities
  - SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.