Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Enhancement Acceleration Program

The SAFE Acceleration Program is looking to support four high-potential agri-enterprises that are creating sustainable livelihoods for farmers, fisherfolks, women, and/or indigenous communities in Laos, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. They aim to support models that integrate nature-based solutions: those protecting the biodiversity of lands, and promoting sustainable use of natural resources.

The SAFE Acceleration Program is a fully virtual 3-month program designed and implemented by Villgro Philippines in collaboration with SEARCA (Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture).

Benefits

• Tailored Capacity Building
  • A customized program designed to empower enterprises by enhancing their skills and knowledge in key areas of business, finance, climate and social impact, and gender assessment through deep-dive learning sessions and coaching
• Curated Mentorship
  • Access to one-to-one mentoring by business and domain experts to support lean experimentation, and business model validation and growth
• Peer Learning and Coaching
  • An opportunity to learn with and from peers on business and personal growth through structured sharing circles and coaching sessions to unlock practical advice, insights and solutions
• Investment Readiness
  • Participants will receive training and support to enhance their investment readiness, including financial modeling, investor deck preparation, and connections to Villgro’s extensive network of impact investors
• Gender-Smart Training
  • Enterprises shall undergo a Gender-smart data collection and assessment, and receive corresponding training and support to promote gender inclusivity and develop gender responsive policies across the business’ value chain and organization
• Follow-on Funding
  • Enterprises that are ready and have investment potential will have the opportunity to get matched and connect with Villgro Philippines’ partner investors at the end of the acceleration program
• Impact Showcase
  • The program will culminate in an Impact Showcase, where enterprises will have the opportunity to present their innovations to an audience of potential investors, market partners, and key stakeholders

Eligibility Criteria

• They are looking for enterprises who:
  • Are solving a pressing challenge in sustainable agriculture and/or addressing food security challenges through a market-based model
  • Are early-stage businesses with validated proof of concept, lean experiments/early validation, and demonstrable growth potential
  • Are operating in any one of the following countries:
    • Lao PDR, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam
• Have at least 1 year of business operations and a registered legal entity
• Are promoting biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources, especially in the following areas:
  • Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production
  • Sustainable Forestry & Biomaterials

For more information, visit Villgro Philippines.