The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) with funding support from Shell launched a Catalytic Small Grant Program (CSG) in Nigeria. The CSG is one of GACC financial windows aimed at creating a thriving clean cookstoves market in their priority countries which includes Nigeria, Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, China, Guatemala and India. Prior to launching a CSG in a country, a Boost workshop is usually organised to train early-stage clean cookstoves and Fuel companies on how to articulate and document their business plans so they can be better positioned to attract funding, improve their businesses as well as compete for the CSG. The Boost Workshop is usually a two day in-person workshop with modules on social impact model, target market and value proposition, marketing, sales and partnerships, financial model and growth strategy.
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 in partnership with the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, Wennovation Hub and with support from Shell Nigeria hosted the “Boost Workshop” on Wednesday and Thursday, January 25-26, 2017. During the workshop, clean cookstoves entrepreneurs were equipped with tools to apply for future grants, investments, awards, and capacity development programs.
The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) received 57 applications and shortlisted 17 to attend the Boost workshop. Participants worked through a series of “learn by doing” modules that enabled entrepreneurs to learn concepts while they developed business plan elements specific to their social enterprise. During the workshop, every social entrepreneur presented an executive summary they created using the output of all the exercises.
At the end of the workshop, a review panel (representatives of Wennovation Hub, GACC, NACC, SHELL and I-DEV) met and shortlisted 6 enterprises using portfolio based approach and focusing on who can make the most impact based on their business plans. The 6 shortlisted enterprises are: Roshan Global Services Ltd, Musa Raymond Nig. Company Ltd, Green Bank, Nenu Engineering Ltd, Sosai Renewables Energies Company and Dezionite Helping Hands Development Initiative. Due diligence will be conducted on these 6 companies after which 3 of them will receive the CSG. The size of the grant is $110,000 for the 3 enterprises. It will be disbursed in 3 tranches for a period of 1 year.
This is an important development in the clean cookstoves and fuels market in the country as government alone cannot grow the industry.
