Great Business Ideas Deserve Serious Investment

      Welcome to AECF Research into Business

The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) Research Into Business Window (RIB) is a special window of the AECF which aims to stimulate the private sector to commercialize existing, readily available and near complete agricultural research and technology products for the benefit of the rural poor in Africa.

In terms of marketing the RIB window, Round 1 &2: Print advertising and digital marketing was carried out across Africa and globally to market both RIB 1 and RIB 2 competitions. This included advertisements in the Economist, News Week, the East African press; Jeune Afrique, and BBC online. The AECF attended and spoke at various conferences in Africa and Europe.

RIB R1 competition was launched on 1st March 2010. Extensive marketing and publicity led to over 400 registrations and 210 eligible applications. 19 projects were selected to move forward to the business plan phase of which 14 were presented to the RIB investment sub-committee on 2nd and 3rd November 2010. 9 projects were selected for funding and are distributed over 6 countries from South, East and West Africa.

RIB Round 2 was open for applications from October 15th to December 15th 2010. We received 198 complete and eligible concept notes. Assessment of applications started in January 2011 and 42 applications were shortlisted be presented to the Investment Sub Committee.

RIB window seeks to fund companies with innovative and commercially viable business ideas that would have a development impact, but high risks are holding them back. The RIB window's target are business opportunities throughout Africa and is open to both African and international applicants. AECF RIB Window does not fund primary research but considers any idea which aims to turn existing (or near complete) Research Into a profitable Business.

The call for proposals is usually focused on businesses that combine profitability with developmental and social impact. Through the provision of grant and repayable grant funding, the AECF RIB window seeks to promote risk-taking and innovation to encourage businesses to extend their core activities in ways that create opportunities for rural low-income people.