November 7, 2024

The Empowering women and boosting livelihoods through agricultural trade (EWAT): Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a project co-implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC). It aims to support formal and informal women producers, processors, traders, women’s cooperatives, and associations to take advantage of the opportunities created by the AfCFTA in agriculture and agro-processing value chains.

The EWAT programme is delighted to announce a call for applications for two investment readiness bootcamps that it is organising in Ghana and Nigeria. Taking place over two days, these bootcamps will take place over the following dates:

– 24-25 July 2023 in Accra, Ghana
– 10-11 August 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Selection Criteria

  • The micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) must be in the agrifood sector
  • The MSME must be within micro and small enterprise category or at start up phase
  • The MSME must be a women-led business or women-led cooperative
  • The MSME must at least have basic knowledge of bookkeeping
  • The MSME has been in business for at least a year and is seeking to access finance within the next 6 months
  • The company representative commits to attend both days of the bootcamp
  • The company representative attending the bootcamp has proficiency in English

Benefits

ITC will:

  • Facilitate the investment readiness bootcamp
  • Provide catering for both days
  • Facilitate interactions with capital providers
    *If the woman entrepreneur lives outside Accra or Lagos, the project might be able to provide transportation and/or accommodation (to be confirmed after selection process)

General responsibilities of participant:

  • The woman entrepreneur must pay for all costs associated with transportation to the venue
  • The woman entrepreneur must commit to attend both days of the bootcamp
  • The woman entrepreneur must complete all evaluation forms issued by FAO and ITC. These forms are provided after the event and are critical to the project’s reporting purposes.
  • If selected, the woman entrepreneur grants permission to FAO and ITC to take and use photos produced during the two-day bootcamp.

Only 35 spots per country are available. The selection of companies will be done on the basis of the above-mentioned criteria on a first come first served basis. Only one spot is allocated to each selected company.

Please note that only selected companies will be contacted by the project.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage

Application Deadline: July 7th, 2023