Applications are now open for the 2026 AUDA-NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A) Program. This COMESA regional initiative supports growth-stage agribusinesses delivering scalable and innovative solutions across Africa’s agricultural value chain. The programme promotes inclusive and sustainable agribusiness growth by scaling African-led enterprises tackling food insecurity, climate challenges, and trade barriers. It also provides tailored support to strengthen investment readiness, enhance fundraising capacity, and expand regional trade under the AfCFTA framework.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
• Be legally registered and operational in a COMESA member state.
• Be African-owned or African-led.
• Align with the programme’s preference for women-owned or led enterprises (70 percent) and youth-owned or led enterprises ages 18 to 35 (30 percent).
• Demonstrate a proven and innovative business model with an annual turnover close to USD 100,000, with variations by country.
• Operate within inclusive, high-potential agribusiness value chains including high-value crops (excluding primary production), input supply, agro-processing, value addition, commercialisation, import substitution, aggregation, logistics, distribution, market access services, digital agriculture, and climate-smart inputs.
• Show potential for regional or international market access through export linkages, COMESA partnerships, replicable models, or regional expansion strategies.
• Maintain audited financial accounts for at least the last three years and basic compliance structures.
• Prioritise inclusive participation by engaging youth, women, people with disabilities, and refugees while contributing to food security and nutrition.
• Demonstrate commitment to green growth through climate-smart, resource-efficient, and sustainable agricultural practices.
Supported Agribusiness Activities
The accelerator supports companies involved in:
• Input supply
• Aggregation
• Processing
• Storage
• Logistics
• Distribution
• Market access
• Digital agriculture
• Value addition
Benefits
Selected companies will receive:
• Context-specific advisory support
• Access to regional and global markets
• Investment readiness and capital linkage
• Technical assistance and mentorship from sector experts
• Networking opportunities with peers, buyers, and investors
For more information, visit: [https://auda-nepad.e4impactkenya.org/]
