Partnership Announcement
Harnessing the power of business for social and economic change in Kenya and South Africa
ygap is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the Judith Neilson Foundation, a pioneering philanthropy that invests in people, places and culture to strengthen communities across Africa and Australia.
The partnership will enable ygap to run locally-led business accelerator programs in Kenya and South Africa, supporting 50 local entrepreneurs to access the resources they need to thrive. These programs will support socially and environmentally conscious businesses, especially those led by women, and operating in rural areas.
ygap Kenya team member Mercy Munene with Ridhiwan Mseya, founder of Smart-Taka. Smart-Taka is a waste management platform that connects households and businesses directly with waste collectors and recyclers in Tanzania.
Khanyisile Dumakude is the founder of Nyame Adom Farming, a 100% black women-owned community empowerment agribusiness in South Africa, producing products such as moringa leaf powder, porridge and moringa-infused cosmetics.
Capital can be crucial to the success of a burgeoning business. That’s why the Foundation will also provide $50,000 in 0% loans through ygap’s new yCapital platform. These funds will back promising program participants, investing in their potential for growth and scale.
Together, ygap and the Judith Neilson Foundation are committed to seeing brilliant entrepreneurs at the forefront of creating economic impact in their communities through the power of business.
The ygap Kenya team were thrilled to receive a visit from Uppi, representing the Judith Neilson Foundation, in July of 2023.
We’d like to say a sincere thank you to the team at the Judith Neilson Foundation for their support, and are proud to stand beside a partner with a shared vision for creating an equitable and sustainable world.
We look forward to sharing more updates across the duration of our partnership.
Program Snapshot
Join us for the yher Sustainable Tourism Accelerator!
Are you a woman leading an emerging business in Fiji’s tourism industry? Aiming to create positive social or environmental impact with your venture? You’re eligible to apply for our yher Sustainable Tourism Accelerator!
The Accelerator includes a week-long, live-in bootcamp and 6-month support phase, tailored assistance fusing mentorship, masterclasses, site visits, micro-grants and market participation opportunities, including the Fiji Tourism Exchange.
Join a dynamic cohort of 12 like-minded women entrepreneurs and access skills, knowledge, connections, micro grants and community, essentials to help your business grow.
Applications close FJT midnight, Sunday 4th February 2024. If you have questions around the program or your submission, please email our team at pacificislands@ygap.org.
Stage 1
A live, interactive Masterclass webinar series, complimented by self-paced online learning modules. Participants will also have the opportunity to apply for enhanced support – up to USD $15,000 in grant funding, in-person training x site visits and 6 months of 1-1 coaching from industry experts.
Stage 2
With Masterclass series and e-learning complete, 3 incubators will be selected for enhanced support – over 6 months, they will:
- Travel to Fiji for in-person training, site visits and an entrepreneurship event.
- Receive up to USD $15,000 in grant funding to launch or scale their incubator program in 2023.
- Receive 1-1 tailored and ongoing coaching from industry experts.
Applications close FJT Midnight, Sunday 7th May 2023. If you have questions around the program or your submission, you’re welcome to book us in for a 1:1 session during our Incubate Better office hours. Or you can email our team at pacificislands@ygap.org.
Why Incubate Better?
Key challenges
Incubate Better is designed to strengthen and enable the existing and emerging entrepreneur support ecosystem in the Pacific Islands. The aim of this program is to address key challenges, such as lack of growth and sustainability for business incubators, preventing delivery and reaching objectives. Through our partnership with UNCDF, we’re addressing these challenges by incubating better to support and nurture Pasifika businesses.
Program Criteria
Who are we looking for?
You’re in the Pacific Islands:
You’re leading a program from and for a Pacific Islands country.
You’re a business support provider, incubator or entrepreneur support organisation:
This program is an incubator for incubators. You may be running business and/or entrepreneurship support activities, actively developing a business incubator or about to launch a new business incubator.
You’re in your early stages:
You are actively developing or have fully developed an incubator program for Pacific Islands businesses OR you are launching and testing a new incubator program in 2023/24.
You’re innovating:
Your incubator should be innovative within your local context. Incubators supporting (or intending to support) entrepreneurs with digital products and services will be highly regarded.
You want to connedct:
You’re eager to learn from, share and connect with incubators from across the Pacific Islands region.
Program Timeline
Dates for the diary
27th March – 7th May 2023
You have 6 weeks to apply for Incubate Better! If you have questions, you’re welcome to book us in for a 1:1 session during Incubate Better office hours. Our you can reach out via pacificislands@ygap.org.
June 2023
Engage with 4 live and interactive group Masterclass webinars, connecting with guest speakers and your cohort. Step through online learning modules, delivered via the Incubate Better Learning Management System – mobile friendly, self-paced and interactive.
July 2023
Alongside 2 other incubators, advance to enhanced and individualised support. Access a grant of up to USD$15,000, funding to help you develop, launch or scale a 2023 or 2024 incubator program.
August 2023
Travel to Fiji for in-person training, site visits and on Thursday 10th x Friday 11 August 2023, you’ll attend an exciting, 2-day entrepreneurship event.
July – November 2023
Received 1-to-1 coaching from the ygap team – with years of experience in designing and delivering incubator and accelerator programs globally, individualised sessions support you as you design, plan and launch your incubator.
Program Applications
How to apply
We are accepting both written and video applications.
Prefer a Written Application? Please complete our online application form, available here.
Prefer a Video Application? Please ensure answers to all mandatory questions in our online application are answered within your video. Once ready, please submit your video to pacificislands@ygap.org
Applications close FJT Midnight, Sunday 7th May 2023.
Program Partners
ygap is an international organisation specialising in business acceleration, with teams based across South Africa, Kenya, Fiji and Australia. We design and deliver world class programs that increase the capacity and agency of entrepreneurs to solve pressing social and environmental problems. Since 2008, we have supported 626 ventures and run 65 business accelerator programs around the world.
The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries (LDCs). UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connects individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local development finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization.
Thanks to our supporters at:
FAQs
Have questions? We have answers.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Please don’t hesitate to email our team on pacificislands@ygap.org
An incubator program provides business and entrepreneurship support to entrepreneurs. This includes, but is not limited to, progressing from an idea to minimum viable product or service, business model design, marketing, financial management, tech and/or innovation support. Incubator programs often include mentorship and funding, prototyping and market testing support.
Your incubator program may be currently running, or in the design phase with plans to launch in 2023 or 2024 with a first cohort. Your programs may be industry specific or non-sector specific, however preference may be given to incubation programs that support digital entrepreneurs, or who support entrepreneurs to digitise their business.
No. The program is free of charge to take part in. If you are selected for enhanced support (Stage 2), flights, transport, accommodation and food will be provided.
Absolutely! If you are aligned with the Incubate Better Program Criteria, we welcome your application.
Of course! Please note that the program will be taught in English, so we do require a level of English proficiency.
Please ensure you have a strong internet connection, try loading from another computer or device and if you are still having problems, please send an email to pacificislands@ygap.org and our team will reach out to support you.
No, we do not take equity. Nor is it a loan. Aside from meeting criteria and reporting requirements, the grant is to help launch, improve and/or grow your business incubator program.
Unfortunately, no. This program is for those leading an incubator program from and for a Pacific Islands country.
For Stage 1, our live and interactive webinar series you can be based in any Pacific Islands country. For Stage 2, enhanced support and grants, you will need to be from one of three countries identified for this initial pilot program.
