I&P Acceleration in Sahel: a first cohort of entrepreneurship support structures selected

Through I&P Acceleration in Sahel, financed by the European Union, I&P launched on Friday June 11 its first training program for entrepreneurship support structures (incubators, acceleration centers, start-up studios...) in the Sahel sub-region. The first cohort, which has just been selected, will benefit from structuring training to better support SMEs and start-ups.

Strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Sahel sub-region

Launched in July 2020, I&P Acceleration in the Sahel is a support program that aims to accompany companies and start-ups in Sahel sub-region in their entrepreneurial adventure. Financed by the European Union through the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (ETF), this program aims to create innovative, competitive SMEs that promote growth and job creation, but also to enhance the value of the Sahel area, which is little coveted by investors.  

In this perspective, I&P Acceleration in  Sahel offers these young companies better access to financing (through seed financing) and skills (through technical assistance missions) necessary for their development and fundraising. To learn more about the program

This program targets, on the other hand, entrepreneurial support structures (SAE), that  support entrepreneurs.  I&P Conseil, a branch of I&P dedicated to training and consulting, has developed a training program to strengthen the skills of these SAEs (incubators, acceleration centers, start-up studios, etc.), to strengthen the business climate and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in theSahel, and thus to fight against the lack of support that young entrepreneurs may feel.

A hybrid training program to better support entrepreneurs in their fundraising

This training is entirely dedicated to the financial challenges faced by young African SMEs: How to read and analyze financial statements? How to use a business plan to discuss with an investor? What are the financing tools adapted to the types of companies? etc.

It will bring I&P's investor's viewpoint to SAEs wishing to better understand the preparation of fundraising, thus enabling them to become key partners of financing actors on the African continent.

Following the launch of the call for applications to benefit from this training program, I&P has just selected the first cohort of the program for the year 2020. Out of 42 applications, 10 entrepreneurship support structures have been selected in 9 countries : ActivSpaces (Cameroon), CIPMEN (Niger), Concree (Senegal), Donilab (Mali), EVA (Senegal), Impact Hub Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Innov'up (Togo), iSpace (Ghana), La Fabrique (Burkina Faso) and Oasis (Niger).

In June, these ESS will begin their training with three months of e-learning before coming together in September for their first regional workshop in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

About I&P Conseil

Created in 2017, I&P Conseil is a structure of the Investisseurs & Partenaires group that promotes the emergence of entrepreneurship in Africa and prepares ecosystems for a better partnership relationship with investment funds.

We draw on I&P's experience in impact investing to design I&P Acceleration programs, which is aimed at entrepreneurs and the public or private intermediate stakeholders that are essential to their development. We are also developing a research and consulting offer that integrates I&P's know-how in financing African SMEs, formalizing them, and measuring their impact.