Deadline: 03 February 2023

Young people in South Africa (Limpopo and Eastern Cape) are invited  to propose innovative ideas to start a business, or expand their existing services, around the dissemination of agricultural videos using a Digisoft Smart Projector. This call for Entrepreneurs for Rural Access is part of the Knowledge Centres for Organic Agriculture (KCOA) in Africa project funded by GIZ. It is part of the “One World - No Hunger” Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). KCOA is being implemented in all regions of Africa through knowledge hubs and partners. The first phase started in 2019 and ends in 2023. The overall goal is to create an innovative strategy  for promoting organic agriculture throughout Africa.

I. Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants: one person or teams of up to 3 young people can submit a proposal  
• Age: younger than 30 years
• Country:  Reside in South Africa
• Provinces:  Limpopo and Eastern Cape
• Application submission: you need to be registered and logged in on the Access Agriculture website before you can submit an application form

II. Steps to follow for submitting an application

1. Register/create an account or login on the website of Access Agriculture HERE
2. Account verification: Check for a message from [email protected] in your inbox/junk/spam folder of the email address used in creating the account. Click on the link (URL) in the message to activate your account.
3. Existing account:  If you already have an account on the Access Agriculture website, there is no need to create another one.
4. Read the application guidelines HERE
5. Fill the application form: If you qualify go to the "Call for Proposals", open the application form by clicking on “Apply Online”. Fill in the required information on each page. You can “save” the form and edit or complete it later. All questions must be answered before submitting the application.
6. Preview the form: Go to the last page and click on “preview”. All the filled in information will be displayed and you can read through it before submitting. If you want to make changes you can click on “previous page” and go back to the form.
7. Submit the form: Once you have finished filling in the information, go to the last page, click on “preview” and then click on “submit”. The form will be submitted and it can no longer be edited.
8. Email confirmation: After submitting the form, check for the application receipt confirmation

Please note: Incomplete forms will not be considered - and remember to submit your application before the deadline.

III. Questions to be answered on the application

1. What motivated you to apply for this challenge fund? (100 words maximum)
2. What problem/s in your community do you think you would be able to solve using a smart projector and showing videos? (100 words maximum)
3. When using the smart projector, how do you plan to make money in rural communities? (in other words, how you plan to make money with the smart projector) (250 words maximum)
4. Who is your target audience/anticipated clients (projects, farmer groups, organisations, individuals)? (100 words maximum)
5. How many farmers in the surrounding rural communities do you expect to reach per month for video screening? (100 words maximum)
6. What strategy will you use to reach the number of farmers mentioned? How will you mobilise these farmers to view videos? (250 words maximum)
7. How will you reach youth and women in your target communities? (100 words maximum)
8. If you already have a business, how will the projector add value to your current business? If it is a new business, what other associated services can you offer to the targeted audience along with the video viewings? (250 words maximum)
9. How will you share your experiences of using the smart projector with Access Agriculture? (100 words )

IV. Selection Process

• A committee of communication and development professionals will review and assess the proposals based on the novelty and strength of the business proposal in promoting organic agriculture using Access Agriculture videos.
• A shortlist of pre-selected applicants will be developed by the committee.
• The pre-selected applicants will be informed via email and/or phone call.
• An online interview will be held with shortlisted applicants.
• The shortlisted candidates will be informed about the outcome of the interview 2 days afterwards.
• Candidates selected from the interviews will be invited to pitch their business idea to the committee.
• Four (4) winners will be selected in the country.
• The selected winners will have a face-to-face meeting with the regional ERA coach to clarify roles and reporting and hand over the smart projector.

V. Implementation required for winners

• If you are a winner, you will be expected to sign a code of conduct document that stipulates that you will continue using the smart projector to show Access Agriculture videos for at least 18 months to grow your business or services, to promote organic agriculture and agroecology and report back regularly to Access Agriculture. After 18 months the projector will become your property.
• If you do not use the projector, Access Agriculture has the right to take back the projector.
• All winners are obliged to start activities within 3 months after receiving the Smart Projector. Access Agriculture reserves the right to take back the smart projector for failure to carry out activities.

For Addititional information please Visit the Call Webpage

For any clarifications, please first check the FAQ HERE . If you still have questions, please contact: [email protected]