AECF Application Form for Round 2 closing 15th December 2008
Please ensure you have registered as an applicant before sending in this application. When you register with the AECF you will receive a registration number – you must quote this number when you submit your application and in any future correspondence with the AECF.
Please note that to apply to the AECF for funding, the basic eligibility criteria are as follows:
- The lead applicant must be a private, for-profit, firm. (It does not matter where the company is based or registered).
- The total funds requested (Grant + Repayable Grant) must be greater than US$250,000 and no more than US$1,500,000.
- The company must provide matching funds equal to, or greater than, the total funds (Grant + Repayable Grant) requested from the AECF.
- The investment requested from the AECF must be for a specific project/business idea in Africa in one or other of the two sectors supported by the AECF - agribusiness and rural financial services. The AECF will also support information and media services projects where they relate to the AECF’s two core sectors of agribusiness and rural financial services.
The competition for AECF funds is a two stage process:
Stage One. Initial Application/Concept Paper stage: The first step is the submission of the online form setting out, in brief, the business idea being proposed to the AECF for funding. Please keep your responses brief. Once the application form has been received by the AECF, you will receive an email acknowledgement providing you with your unique application number – please quote this number in all future communication with the AECF regarding the particular project.
Stage Two. Business Plan/Full application stage: If the AECF’s Investment Committee judge that your application is among the best received, you will be asked to complete and submit a full business plan for your business idea. You will also be asked to provide the following:
- Company Articles of Association
- Certified/Audited Accounts for the last 2 years (for new companies we may request audited accounts of investors or other means that demonstrate the track record and capability of the investors)
Applicants are requested to note the following:
1. The AECF is a competition and not everyone can be a winner. We receive many applications and the competition for AECF funds is tough. Please think about your application carefully, take note of the AECF’s selection criteria, and demonstrate clearly why your project justifies AECF support.
2. The AECF response. We will acknowledge all applications received and provide standard letters of acceptance/rejection to all applicants.
3. Fund Manager Engagement. At the initial application stage we (the Fund Managers of the AECF) will only respond to email enquiries (info@aecfafrica.org). We will engage with all applicants at Stage Two (the Business Plan stage).
4. AECF Decision making. The Fund Manager advises the AECF’s independent Investment Committee. This Investment Committee decides which initial applications move forward to Stage Two and also which business plans will ultimately receive funding from the AECF.
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