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About IFC

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record $31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

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IFC and AECF Launch Second Round of Business Competition to Support Kenyan Refugee Area

Nairobi, Kenya, December 8, 2021 – IFC and the AECF today launched the second round of a global competition for private sector and social enterprise projects to support investment, development, and job creation in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp and hosting area.

The competition, which runs from December 8, 2021 to January 31, 2022, is open to private sector businesses or social enterprises operating in any sector. Winners will be chosen based on their bids’ potential to raise incomes, provide goods and services, create jobs, and improve living standards in both the Kakuma refugee camp and the adjacent host community, home to over 240,000 people, including 220,000 refugees.

Winning entrants will be awarded technical support and performance-based grants of between $100,000 and $750,000.

A webinar will be held on December 15, 2021 at 2:00pm EAT to provide applicants more information and to answer any questions regarding the competition. For more information on the webinar and complete competition rules and guidelines, please visit www.kkcfke.org.

The competition is part of the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF), a joint initiative of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the AECF, an Africa-based development organization. KKCF aims to increase economic integration and self-reliance among displaced populations and their host communities.

“We have already seen innovative companies coming onboard and we look forward to seeing even more innovations that can transform lives and livelihoods of refugees and the host community in Turkana County,” said AECF’s CEO Victoria Sabula. “Through this new competition, we hope to attract more businesses, especially those involved in underrepresented sectors like small manufacturing, aquaculture, retail services, and construction.

“IFC is committed to uplifting the lives of refugees and those living in host communities by championing private sector solutions,” said Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC Regional Director for Eastern Africa. “Through this competition, IFC aims to nurture the business opportunities in the Kakuma Kalobeyei refugee area, support job creation, and help businesses deliver quality goods and services to refugees and Kenyan citizens in the region.”

The competition is being implemented with support from Kenya’s Turkana County Government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). It follows a first round in December 2020 that awarded over $5 million in grant funding to 13 social and private sector applicants in sectors including renewable energy, financial services, healthcare, and childcare. The KKCF initiative is a $25 million, five-year project designed to support private sector investment and unlock the economic potential of refugees and those living in the surrounding host communities in Kenya’s Turkana County.

The KKCF is supported by five development agencies: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW, the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and the European Union.

Ends

About KKCF

About AECF

AECF is a non-profit institution that supports early and growth stage businesses in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors to reduce poverty, promote resilient communities and create jobs through private sector investment. AECF invests in businesses that strive to find innovative solutions to tackle development challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa. Our aim is to transform lives, one business at a time by funding early and growth stage businesses that improve the lives of rural communities and display potential for credible commercial viability and growth. For more information, visit www.aecfafrica.org

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About IFC

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record $31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

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IFC and AECF Launch Competition for Local Businesses in Kakuma and Kalobeyei

Kakuma, Kenya, 14^th September 2021 – IFC and the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) today launched a competition to allow established local businesses operating in Kenya’s Turkana County to demonstrate how their businesses can have sustainable development impact by creating opportunities and jobs in the Kakuma refugee hosting area.

Established businesses in any sector already operating in Turkana are invited to apply for the Local Enterprise Development competition by submitting a business proposal and the amount of funding needed to bring the proposal to fruition. More details about the competition and how to enter can be found at https://kkcfke.org/kkcf-local-enterprise-development-window.

The competition, which runs from September 14 to November 5, 2021 is being conducted by the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF), a joint initiative of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and AECF. The competition is supported by the Turkana County Government and UNHCR. Winners of the Local Enterprise Development competition will receive funding and advisory support and are expected to be announced in early 2022.

Turkana West is home to approximately 454,000 people, which includes roughly 200,000 refugees from various parts of Africa. Through this competition and other activities, IFC, AECF, the Turkana County government, and UNHCR are supporting private sector development and job creation in the region, and helping to empower and improve the lives of the host community and refugees.

“I am happy to see this joint initiative come to life and provide opportunities for the businesses of Turkana County,” said Turkana County Governor, H.E. Hon. Josphat Nanok. “My government is keen to strengthen service delivery as well as create a favourable environment to conduct business. This competition affirms our continued commitment to exploring new opportunities and deploying innovative solutions to better address the financing needs of businesses and accelerate economic growth in Turkana.”

“This competition demonstrates IFC’s commitment to local businesses in Kenya and our strategy to help uplift host communities and refugees with private sector solutions,” said Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa. “IFC has identified untapped economic potential in the Kakuma refugee hosting area and the wider Turkana County region. We believe this potential can be realized with increased funding and solid advisory support.”

“The Local Enterprise Development Window exclusively targets local small and medium enterprises owned and operated by the residents of Turkana County, including the host community and refugees,” said AECF’s CEO, Victoria Sabula. “The Window has a special focus on expanding the horizon of opportunities for women and creating opportunities for young people. We envisage that businesses supported by KKCF will generate employment, improve services, and increase consumer choices for the people of Turkana County.”

The KKCF Local Enterprise Development Window is targeting established, local small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Kakuma and Kalobeyei areas, and businesses operating in other parts of Turkana County and looking to expand to Kakuma and Kalobeyei. Winners will receive performance-based grants from between Kes. 1.5 million and Kes. 5 million, and advisory support focused on business development, financial management, marketing, and publicity. Eligible companies must show that their business proposals are sustainable and assure development impact.

This is the third competition launched under KKCF by IFC and AECF to support private sector development in and around Kakuma and Kalobeyei. Previous competitions (the Private Sector Window and the Social Enterprise Window), launched in late 2020, sought private businesses and social enterprises from anywhere in the world to establish or grow operations in the Kakuma and kalobeyei. The first batch of winners of those competitions was announced earlier in September.

KKCF is supported by five development agencies: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the European Union.

Ends

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About IFC

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record $31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

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IFC/AECF Competition Announces Winners to Support Growth in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Area

Nairobi, Kenya, September 6, 2021 – Businesses engaged in healthcare, renewable energy, and beekeeping were today named among the first batch of winners of a competition by IFC, the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), the Turkana County Government, and UNHCR to fund businesses to support development and job creation in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee hosting area.

The competition, implemented through the IFC/AECF Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF), named four winners in its Private Sector Window (PSW) competition and two winners in its Social Enterprise Window competition (SEW).

The PSW winners are:

The Hive Limited, a supplier of modern beekeeping equipment
Ziwani Poultry Enterprises, a supplier of quality chicks and ducklings
Renewvia Energy Kenya, a global solar power system developer
Sunken Limited, which provides green energy solutions

The SEW winners are:

K De Igratium International, which provides personal healthcare services
AEC Kenya, which provides financial services

Additional winners in both categories will be announced later in September.

“The successful companies demonstrated that they have the potential to uplift the lives of host communities and refugees in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei areas as well as the greater Turkana County,” said AECF’s CEO, Victoria Sabula. “They also demonstrated the ability to deliver and sustain social impact, particularly for women and youth. This coupled with their commercial viability and sustainability made them suitable winners for the KKCF competitions.”

“The challenge winners identified real market and development opportunities in Kakuma that build on the important research and enabling work carried out by IFC and AECF in the region,” said Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC Regional Director for Eastern Africa. “The winners’ innovative business models should have immediate and long-term positive impacts on people living in the Kakuma refugee hosting area. Congratulations to all the winning businesses.”

The KKCF will help all winners implement commercially viable and sustainable businesses that have the potential to raise incomes, provide goods and services, create jobs, and improve living standards for refugees and the host community in Turkana County. The Kakuma Refugee Hosting Area is home to 300,000 people, including 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers.

Funding will be coupled with technical assistance that will equip the winning businesses with additional skills and knowledge to help them strengthen their operations.

The competition was designed to help realize the immense potential of the Kakuma refugee hosting area and bring opportunity and jobs to its residents, many of whom have proven to be successful entrepreneurs despite facing numerous challenges.

The PSW targets private sector companies already present in Kakuma and Kalobeyei and interested in expanding operations; it also supports those looking to launch operations in the region. The SEW seeks to promote business models that increase access to water and sanitation, engage in recycling, or provide childcare services for low-income families.

Later this month, IFC and AECF will launch the Local Enterprise Development window, the third in the series of Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund competitions, focused on supporting local, established businesses and social enterprises based in Kenya’s Turkana County.

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About IFC

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2021, IFC committed a record $31.5 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

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Social Enterprise Window Competition Update

The Social Enterprises Window (SEW) is one of three components of the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF), an initiative which aims to support the private sector to unlock the economic potential of refugees and their hosts in Kenya’s Turkana County.

The Social Enterprise Window competition seeks to promote business models which increase access to water and sanitation, engage in recycling, or provide childcare services
for low-income families. The competition was launched on November 10, 2020 at a webinar that attracted over 200 participants. Social enterprises operating in the region were encouraged to apply for performance-based grants ranging between US$100,000 to US$750,000.

All proposed projects had to be commercially viable and sustainable and have the potential to raise incomes, provide goods and services, create jobs, and improve living standards for families living in these areas – both refugee and host communities.

The competition closed on December 22, 2020 and attracted 39 applications. From these, the AECF programme team then compiled a shortlist of 16 semi-finalists.

Over 30 percent of the semi-finalists are Kenya based and already operate in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei areas. More than 70% of the shortlisted companies are women and youth
owned. The average funding request among the shortlisted companies is US$485,000.

The shortlisted applicants will proceed to the due diligence stage, during which the programme team will conduct physical visits to the businesses to ascertain their capabilities. Ten finalists will be selected in the coming months.

AECF, IFC Launch Global Competition for Private Sector and Social Enterprises in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Hosting Area

Nairobi, Kenya, November 10, 2020—The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) and its partners IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR, and the Turkana County Government today launched a global competition for private sector and social enterprise projects to support investment, development, and job creation in northern Kenya’s Kakuma refugee hosting area.

Innovative businesses and social enterprises from around the world are invited to submit proposals for private sector projects at Kakuma, home to roughly 300,000 people of different nationalities, almost 200,000 of whom are refugees and asylum seekers. The competition, implemented by AECF, will accept applications from November 10 to December 22, 2020.

Winning entrants will be awarded performance-based grants and given technical support to implement commercially viable and sustainable projects that have the potential to raise incomes, provide goods and services, create jobs, and improve living standards in both the Kakuma camp and the adjacent host community.

The competition is open to entrants from all sectors but with a focus on renewable energy, agribusiness, and financial services for private firms. Social enterprise project submissions should prioritize the water, sanitation, recycling, or childcare sectors.

The competition is being implemented through the IFC/AECF Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF). The performance-based grants will also require co-financing on the part of the winning businesses.

Victoria Sabula, AECF Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are very happy at AECF to be a partner to this innovative program that will bring new opportunities to people in Kakuma. AECF is dedicated to supporting businesses in places that are seen as riskier for commercial investors. We look forward to seeing the innovations this fund inspires and working with the competition winners as they transform lives and livelihoods.”

Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC Regional Director for Eastern Africa, said, “Refugees rely on humanitarian aid for immediate support, but the private sector has an important role to play providing longer-term development solutions and opportunities. This competition aims to nurture the business opportunities that abound in the Kakuma refugee hosting area, support job creation, and help global businesses deliver quality goods and services to the roughly 300,000 people who live there.”

Fathiaa Abdalla, UNHCR Representative in Kenya, said, “The KKCF, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees, has the potential to attract more resources from the development and private sectors, which will provide new economic opportunities and competences to refugees and the communities hosting them by investing in jobs, entrepreneurship and innovative solutions.”

H.E, Honorable Josphat Koli Nanok, Governor of Turkana County, said, “Turkana County’s emphasis is to create opportunities and a conducive environment so that private sector investment will benefit both refugees and the local community. At least 3 percent of GDP in Turkana comes from refugees, underscoring the economic strength and opportunities there. IFC, UNHCR, and AECF are our good partners, and through this competition we welcome businesses from around the world to invest in projects in Turkana that will support development and create jobs.”

The five-year, $25 million KKCF initiative is jointly implemented by IFC and AECF, in partnership with UNHCR and the Turkana County Government, and is supported by the European Union, KfW, SDC, FCDO and the Government of the Netherlands. It was designed to support private sector investment and unlock the economic potential of refugees and those living in the surrounding host communities in Kenya’s Turkana County.

IFC’s groundbreaking Kakuma as a Marketplace study, published in 2018, helped change the perception of refugees by highlighting the development possibilities, entrepreneurial spirit, and market opportunities found in the Kakuma camp.

Webinars will be held with applicants to answer all technical questions. For more information on the webinars and complete competition rules and guidelines, please visit www.kkcfke.org

About IFC

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in dev eloping countries. In fiscal year 2020, we invested $22 billion in private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org

About AECF

The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) is a leading development finance organisation that supports businesses to innovate, create jobs and leverage investments in order to create resilience and sustainable incomes in rural and marginalised communities in Africa. Launched in 2008, AECF has invested in 292 businesses across more than 40 value chains and 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. AECF focuses specifically on agribusiness, renewable energy and climate technologies, while also addressing the cross-cutting themes of gender, youth and fragile contexts. In just over a decade, AECF has impacted more than 27.7 million lives, created close to 24,000 jobs, and leveraged over US $740 million in matching funds.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya, with offices in Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania. For more information, visit www.aecfafrica.org

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