Boost Program

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) and the Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI) housed at Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship has jointly developed a program that helps prepare social enterprises in the developing world to apply for grants, investments, awards, and capacity development programs. The new program called “Boost” targets early-stage social entrepreneurs who wish to document and articulate key aspects of their enterprise business plan.
Participants work through a series of “learn by doing” modules that enable entrepreneurs to learn concepts while they develop business plan elements specific to their social enterprise. For entrepreneurs in the program, outcomes include higher quality applications to incubators, accelerators, challenges and potential funders as well as identification of gaps in their business model.
The Boost program is a two days in-person workshop with modules on social impact model, target market and value proposition, marketing, sales and partnerships, financial model, and growth strategy. At the end of the workshop every social entrepreneur stands up and presents an executive summary they create using the output of all of the exercises. They are given feedback to enable them to strengthen it and use as their “elevator pitch” to investors and on applications.

Expected Outcome for Enterprises attending Boost program:

By the end of the workshop, participating enterprises will have the strategies and materials to:
1. Grow their enterprise in a financially sustainable manner
2. Apply for the funding and capacity building programs they need to reach the next level of growth

Criteria for being part of the Boost Program:
1. Target Enterprises are:
a) Early stage cookstoves/fuel enterprises that have been in operation for at least 1 year
b) Development organizations (NGOs) supporting cooking technologies/fuel sector on enterprise growth and technology improvement
2. Two participants from each enterprise; ideally the founder/CEO along with CFO/Finance or Accountant.
3. Organization has products (cookstoves/fuels) that are being tested / or plans to be tested in the near future by recognized testing body
4. Ready and committed for a class training and online follow-up for a period of 3 months with assignments
5. Ready to share the impacts of training on enterprise/s growth with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Boost program details:
Date: 19-20th October 2015
Venue: Hotel in Abuja
Time: 9.00 am – 5.30 pm
*Lunch and refreshments would be provided to the participants during the workshop and the training program cost would be borne by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Participants will have to bear the travel and accommodation cost.

How to Apply:

Interested enterprises need to fill up a basic online form and would be contacted for confirmation of participation. Application for participation for Boost Program

In case of any queries, you can reach out to Precious Onuvae – precious@iceednigeria.org or Amit Antony Alex – aalex@cleancookstoves.org

More about the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (Alliance) is a public-private partnership with a mission to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. The Alliance’s ten-year goal calls for 100 million households to adopt clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020. We are working in collaboration with over 1000 public, private, and non-profit partners to help overcome the market barriers that hinder the production, distribution, and adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels in the developing world. The Alliance’s market based approach looks to leverage donor investment in building