Anza Investment Readiness Accelerator

Anza, in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation, FMO Ventures Program (supported by the EU and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and VC4A, are excited to launch their Investment Readiness Accelerator for Women Climate Entrepreneurs. The objectives of this accelerator program are to:

• Increase public awareness of women entrepreneurs in Tanzania in order to expand markets and attract investors.
• Support innovative ideas which are or have the potential of tackling the effects of climate change.
• Improve the TZ investment ecosystem to lower gender, social and market-system barriers faced by women starting and growing climate-related businesses.

Anza Entrepreneurs provide business development services that assist to strengthen business operations, increase profitability, and scale job creation in Tanzania. In the last 10 years, Anza has provided over 1000 businesses in 12 regions of Tanzania with strategic capacity building, trade linkages, and access to flexible capital to maximize their ability to create jobs and provide access to life-improving products and services.

​​Our impact is clear: On average Anza entrepreneurs create 3 new jobs, have revenue growth of $12,000 (TZS 28 million), and reach 12,000 lives all within the first year of programming. To date, we’ve facilitated over $2,000,000 (TZS 4.6 billion) of investment to our entrepreneurs.

The program includes a series of three 4-day workshops which will provide businesses with hands-on training to refine business models, financials, sales pipelines. Next to this, the program will provide selected entrepreneurs with: 

• 1 to 1 tailored consultation from mentors, including leading experts in various climate-related industries in Tanzania and across the globe.  
• Market research support on supply chains management, customer relations, team-building, and investor discovery. 
• Investment capital facilitated by the Anza Growth Fund. The graduates will also have lifetime eligibility to access funding from the Anza Growth Fund.
• At the end of the program, 2 top-performing graduates will be selected by the other entrepreneurs. These graduates will be awarded up to $5000 (TZS 11 million) from the Aga Khan Foundation to go towards their development plans.
• All graduating businesses will be introduced to our network of investors, allowing for easier access to affordable capital. 
• As a program output, graduating companies will hold an Investment Data Room – a folder containing a strategic business plan, projections, operations governing policies, investment memo, and a partnership pitch deck.

• You must have a Tanzanian registered business that has been in operation for at least 3 years.
• Your business must provide climate related* products or services and operate in Agriculture, Education, Healthcare, Clean Energy, Financial Inclusion and Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) sectors. 
• You must have an annual revenue of at least $65,000 (TZS 150 million)
• You should have at least 3 or more full-time employees.
• We encourage women-led businesses** to apply.

If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact innocent@anzaentrepreneurs.co.tz. Anza encourages all entrepreneurs (regardless of gender) to apply if they meet at least ⅗ of the above criteria. 

*climate-related businesses include any business models which positively contribute towards climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. This includes, but is not limited to: (i) circular economy business models (ii) increasing the longevity of agricultural products and decreasing waste (iii) innovative waste management solutions (iv) improving access to sustainable energy… 

**women-led businesses include any business that is founded/co-founded by a woman and/or has a management team that is made up of at least 50% women and/or has a board of directors made up of at least 50% of women. 

Deadline for Application: 1st of April 2022

Please note that applicant selection will take place on a rolling basis, please submit your application early to be considered.

Workshop dates:

• Workshop 1: 27th – 29th April 2022
• Workshop 2: 1st – 3rd June 2022
• Workshop 3: 13th – 15th July 2022

Selected businesses will be required to have one of their executive team members i.e. CEO attend all three workshops in Dar Es Salaam.

Anza will cover transport costs for all entrepreneurs and provide accommodation for any entrepreneurs from outside of the Dar Es Salaam region. Additional support for child care to facilitate participation in workshops may be provided on a case-by-case basis.

Any more questions? Visit our FAQ section >>