26 Aug 2019

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3 Min Read

EVENT: Funding available for startups and SMEs in Kenya

By admin

One of the biggest challenges that startups and SMEs face whether when starting, when they want to scale or when pivoting to a new product or service, is funds, yes money! It is almost impossible to organically grow at an extremely high rate; high enough to be able to finance research, product development, monitoring/analytics, staffing, marketing, rapid sales generation and expansion, all at the same time. So, whether you are a small company or a corporate or even sometimes government, you will need to look for monetary support to facilitate your growth. 

For startups and SMEs, especially women led ones, this is even more difficult. Research has shown that women are getting much less funding that their counterparts, in the same industries and in business in general. For this reason, we would like to demystify funding opportunities (grants, equity and debt) available for women and women led businesses to plug into. 

iHub Women in Business Program together with MbeleNaBiz  will be hosting an event to discuss Fundraising for your business – Tips for women business owners. We have curated a panel that consists of  Senior Government, Investor, Corporates and Innovation Hub Representatives. 

This is an opportunity to learn about available financial opportunities in all sectors as well as learn about how to approach each of the different opportunities.  The panel will consist of: 

  • Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) representative
  • World Bank representative
  •  iHub representative
  • 2 Organisations that provide SMEs support including financing

While this event is targeted at Women Led enterprises, it is open to both women and men entrepreneurs who would like to learn more about funding, how to raise and available opportunities. You are invited to the event. 

THEME: Fundraising for your business – Tips for women business owners. 

WHERE: iHub, 6th Floor Senteu Plaza, Galan Road, Nairobi

DATE: Wednesday, 28th August 2019

TIME: 8:30am – 11:00 a.m

Limited Tickets Available, get your ticket HERE.

ABOUT 

The MbeleNaBiz Business Plan Competition (“MbeleNaBiz”) is an initiative of the Government of Kenya, under the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP). MbeleNaBiz aims to expand new and existing youth-led enterprises by providing them with grant funding and in some cases business plan training. MbeleNaBiz is implemented by the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) and the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs (MPYG), with support from the World Bank. KPMG has been contracted to manage the Competition.

MbeleNaBiz seeks to create jobs and increase income for young men and women. The government of Kenya recognises the need for job creation to address the challenge of youth unemployment in Kenya. By investing in young entrepreneurs whose ventures will generate employment opportunities and earnings for unemployed youth, the Competition will contribute to the development of an inclusive economy that provides opportunities for as many Kenyans as possible.

iHub Women in Business Program:  The programme aims to grow the number of socially and economically empowered women entrepreneurs who run women-owned/women-led sustainable businesses working in the ICT sector in Kenya, through Strengthening their capacity to allow them to plugin to large projects. The program aims to strengthen collaboration between different actors in the ICT and innovation sector in order to utilise the learning and perspectives generated by the Women in Business programme to make evidence-based and credible contributions to relevant national and global policy discourses.