Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) has launched the 5th Cohort of the Accelerator 100+ a social entrepreneurship programme aligned towards the promotion of business start-ups committed to sustainability.
The launch was presided over by NBL Managing Director, Adu Rando at the company headquarters in Kampala.
Rando said that the programme is an initiative of NBL parent company AB InBev which seeks to offer a funding opportunity of up to US $100,000 (UGX 370M) to successful applicants whose business ideas provide innovative solutions to seven challenge areas.
These include; climate action, inclusive growth, smart agriculture, biodiversity, the circular economy, water stewardship and health & wellness.
“The program offers size and scale to passionate entrepreneurs to help bring their solutions to market faster and to achieve the program’s mission: to accelerate the world’s shift towards sustainable solutions and to business the right way, not the easy way” Rando said.
Rando said that since the launch of the program in 2018, a number of social entrepreneurs with cutting-edge solutions to problems affecting the globe and supply chains have been assisted by providing them with mentoring, funding and opportunities to pilot and scale their ideas within their business value chain anywhere around the world.
“As a company we have great potential to execute transformational social impact. To us, a future with more cheers is a shared prosperity for our communities for the planet and our company. It is growth that is inclusive and value that is shared and wins for the world that are truly worth celebrating,” Rando noted.
NBL Communications manager, Flora Aduka said that Uganda will be participating for the second time since the Accelerator 100+ program was launched in 2018 noting that last year, 35 Ugandan entrepreneurs had a chance to apply in the hope of joining the already over 80 companies implementing their solutions in 20 countries around the world.
Aduka said that former winners currently operating in Uganda under Sustainable Agriculture solutions include; Oko Finance, BanQu and Agri Friend.
“Start-ups with products that are either already on the market or are well suited for the market and that can show transactional information in terms of IP, clients, revenue, pilots of contract are encouraged to apply,” Aduka made the call.
Application for Cohort 5 are open 100accelerator website until June 2023.
Franc Kamugyisha the CEO Eco Plastile who was a runner up in Cohort 4 noted that 100accelerator offers more that just funds and his participation in the program has opened for him greater opportunities and business contacts that have enabled his business grow over time.
Kamugyisha said that with the lessons learned from his experience, he is fired up to apply again with an even bigger idea.
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