Sahara Impact Fund – 2022

Governance Unusual Program

About the Sahara Impact Fund

The 2nd Cohort of the Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) and the Governance Unusual Programme aims to support social innovators in the generation of solutions that will increase access to clean energy and promote sustainable environments. This is all aimed at accelerating the attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner that results in measurable social impact and inspires a good governance paradigm shift.

Sahara Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) and Governance Unusual Programme.

The initiative aims to encourage and support the generation of ideas and solutions which will increase access to clean energy, promote sustainable environments and mobilize catalytic support for tangible partnerships toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in a manner that results in measurable social impact.

Through the Governance Unusual program, fellows on the program will pay particular attention to how individual responsibility can inspire a paradigm shift that will culminate in the “whole” gravitating towards “doing the right thing” – without equivocation. The Programme is a strategic partnership between Sahara Foundation, Ford Foundation, LEAP Africa and Impact Investors Foundation leveraging on strengths of the various partners.

Training/Fellowship Program

Successful applicants will be inducted to the 2022 cohort. During the course of the Fellowship, fellows will be exposed to:

Mentoring and coaching by seasoned professionals.
Access to additional funding from the annual Impact Investors Forum deal summit.
Sustainability training/workshop.
Webinars, online learning and advisory support.
Alumni meet-ups and networking access to global opportunities and fellowships.

At the end of the program, fellows will be provided with seed funding of $5,000 each. Access to additional funding from the annual Impact Investors Forum deal summit.

Deal Summit

The Annual Deal Summit organized by Impact Investors Foundation will provide a platform for fellows to access additional funding from investors.

Awards

An awards ceremony will be organized in partnership with LEAP Africa to celebrate the successful completion of the fellowship programme. The convergence will also serve as a platform to induct the incoming fellows for the 2021/ 2022 cohort.

What is the approach for this competition?

SIF is open to social enterprises and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Nigeria, Cote d‘Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
Organizations must submit social solutions within the Foundation’s key focus areas of Clean and Affordable
Energy and Sustainable Environment both with an Entrepreneurship focus.
Enterprises or businesses must be registered with their relevant regulatory and government agencies as funding will not be given for that purpose or to individuals in their personal capacity.
Organization must have been in existence for at least one year.
All submitted social solutions must be at the growth stage, must have been implemented and have direct beneficiaries. Evidence of claim through pictures, news releases, etc. must be documented and shared during the application.
Only innovative solutions with measurable community impact will be considered. Submissions must show evidence or claim through provision of web links and other online presence.
Innovations must show sustainability and scalability.