Verfahrensangaben

The global project Scaling digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) supports selected African AgTech, FoodTech and ClimateTech start-ups and Sri Lankan companies that promote a circular economy in the food sector to scale their digital innovations and reach a larger number of users. SAIS supports start-ups in becoming investment ready through tailored company development measures and connects the start-ups with business partners and investors. The goal is to make the start-ups more attractive to investors, raise capital for growth, and establish and grow sustainably in the market. Additionally, SAIS offers further funding opportunities for start-ups in collaboration with various partners (e.g., Flat6Labs, MelaninKapital, or Startup Wise Guys). The digital products offered by the start-ups must have a positive impact in areas such as income, food security, or climate adaptation. An expansion to biodiversity is planned. In Sri Lanka, SAIS implements its approach to start-up and innovation promotion within the framework of an EU-Cofinancing to reduce plastic waste and food losses. SAIS places a special focus on gender-specific measures to support female founders explicitly and to promote start-ups that offer specific products for women in the agri-food sector. For SAIS, start-ups are a means to scale digital innovations to achieve selected SDGs (primarily 1 and 2). So far, start-ups supported by SAIS have reached over 1 million new customers, 77% of whom have improved their income. In addition, start-ups who completed the SAIS Investment Readiness Programmes (IRPs) have raised over $48 million for scaling to date. The majority of investments are equity or debt investments, demonstrating that SAIS start-ups are in demand in the market. Approach: Scaling requires the use of capital, and this is exactly where SAIS comes in: Through tailored company development measures, the investment readiness of start-ups is improved. This is done within the framework of annual IRPs, of which SAIS is currently implementing three: a regular IRP for English speaking Africa, a French speaking IRP (PPI), and an IRP for livestock start-ups. This increases the chances that start-ups will receive the necessary support and capital for scaling from investors or enter new markets. SAIS is adapting processes of existing innovation systems - such as Silicon Valley - and attempting to apply them to the African context. The upcoming Sri Lankan component will adopt a similar tailored approach, catering to a broader spectrum of businesses. In addition to startups, early-stage ventures and SMEs are also included. Mode of operation: SAIS operates throughout Africa and is expected to also operate in Sri Lanka from 2025 onwards. The majority of the work takes place virtually and digitally, in line with the project's logic, which primarily relies on digitally savvy founders and digital technologies. The majority of the work is managed from the control unit in Germany. In February of each year, SAIS launches its three IRPs for selected start-ups in the agriculture and food sector in Africa and starting 2025 also other Sri Lankan companies. The approximately one-year IRPs are, in a sense, the centerpiece of SAIS.

The GIZ project "Scaling digital agriculture innovations through start-ups" (SAIS) is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). SAIS aims to increase the investor readiness of AgTech, FoodTech, and ClimateTech start-ups. The project offers tailored company development and venture building and facilitates access to investment and business opportunities. This approach helps start-ups grow and scale their businesses and their digital innovations, benefiting users in Africa and Sri Lanka. Three IRPs are offered by SAIS on an annual basis: One for English-speaking Africa, one for French-speaking Africa, and one focused on livestock start-ups. Annually, up to 25 start-ups are selected for these IRPs in total. A new pilot in Sri Lanka, co-funded by BMZ and the EU, promotes a circular economy in the food sector and will run annual programs similar to the IRPs on incubation, acceleration and SME support. The key performance indicator for SAIS is increased income among users of the start-ups, primarily benefiting smallholder farmers, but also other actors from agricultural and food value chains. Other indicators include improved nutrition and climate change adaptation. The contractor will collaborate closely with the SAIS team to conduct in-depth impact assessments for up to ten selected start-ups and SMEs annually. These companies, chosen by SAIS based on actual growth, will be divided into two programs: "SAIS main" for African start-ups and "CIRCULAR" for Sri Lankan companies. The contractor will evaluate the start-ups' impact on their users or customers, focusing on key metrics such as income generation, improved nutrition, and climate change adaptation. A standardized assessment approach will be employed, with flexibility to accommodate the unique characteristics of each start-up. Objective The impact assessments aim to provide valuable insights for both the SAIS programme and the start-ups. For SAIS, the findings contribute to accountability and transparency reporting regarding the programme"s impact. For start-ups, the assessments demonstrate social impact, aiding in attracting investors, enhancing market positioning and further product development through the gathered insights. By benchmarking against similar entities, the relative performance of start-ups can be assessed, fostering continuous improvement. Ultimately, the goal is to generate actionable insights for both SAIS and the start-ups for better decision-making and optimizing future strategies. Key deliverables include: - Development of Theory of Change (ToC) for each start-up - Design and implementation of impact assessment - Data collection and analysis - Benchmarking against comparable entities - Detailed reports with executive summaries, key findings, and recommendations. Summary The contractor will conduct rigorous impact assessments to evaluate the performance of selected start-ups. By focusing on key impact indicators and employing a standardized methodology to a certain extent, the project will generate valuable data for both SAIS and the start-ups. The findings will be presented in comprehensive reports, including benchmarking analysis.

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

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