Accelerator for Women Climate Entrepreneurs

This project aims to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystems for women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa so that they can play a transformative role in the transition towards low-carbon and climate-resilient communities. The project will conduct consultations with women climate entrepreneurs policymakers intermediaries (such as incubators and accelerators) and investors in East West and Southern Africa to better understand the barriers faced by women climate entrepreneurs in starting or growing their businesses. The evidence gathered from these consultations will be used to inform and pilot incubation initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa. Good practices in climate-focused gender lens investing will be identified and shared and a road map for international development stakeholders will be developed to provide further gender-responsive support to women climate entrepreneurs and intermediaries.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened economic intermediaries (incubators accelerators and technical advisors) providing gender- and market-responsive support to women entrepreneurs focused on climate-related businesses in targeted regions in Sub-Saharan Africa; and (2) increased start-up and scale-up of capital invested towards women entrepreneurs focused on climate-related goods and services in targeted regions in Sub-Saharan Africa.