Overview: The 2020 Agripitch Competition aimed to support 25 Agripreneurs in enhancing the bankability and viability of their businesses and ensuring that they are pitch ready for potential investors. The objective was to identify innovative solutions and ideas that employ solutions for a more productive agro-ecosystem, while mitigating effects of gender marginalization and enhancing sustainable nutrition across the continent

Outcome: PES undertook an in-depth review of all material submitted by the businesses and provided detailed feedback reports for each business.

A two- week virtual boot camp was conducted where selected youth, from across 11 countries in Africa, received training that was a combination of 1:1 advisory support and group exercises/practice/support which focused on investment readiness, financial management, market readiness, and the use of digital marketing tools.

The agripreneurs pitched their businesses to a virtual panel of judges and coaches, then virtually engaged with select investors in the virtual AYAF Deal Room.

The top 3 agripreneurs received grant funding from the AFDB. Additional agripreneurs successfully went on to raise grant funding from accelerator programmes both locally and internationally.