Application Deadline: December 14, 2025.
Applications are now open for the 2026 AUDA-NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator Program. The Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A) is a COMESA regional initiative that supports growth-stage agribusinesses delivering scalable, innovative, and impact-driven solutions across Africa’s agricultural value chain. The HGSA-A seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable agribusiness growth by scaling African-owned and -led enterprises addressing food insecurity, climate challenges, and trade barriers. The programme provides tailored support to strengthen investment readiness, enhance fundraising capacity, and expand regional trade under the AfCFTA framework.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Be legally registered and operational in a COMESA member state.
- Align with the programme’s preference for women-owned or led enterprises (70%) and youth-owned or led (18-35) enterprises (30%).
- Be an African-owned or African-led growth-stage company.
- Demonstrate a proven and innovative business model with an annual turnover close to USD 100,000 (varies by country).
- Operate within inclusive, high-potential agribusiness value chains such as high-value crops (excluding primary production), input supply, agro-processing, value addition, commercialisation, import substitution, aggregation, logistics, distribution, market access services, digital agriculture, and climate-smart inputs.
- Show clear potential to access regional or international markets with strong scalability prospects (e.g., export linkages, COMESA partnerships, replicable models, or regional expansion strategies).
- Maintain audited financial accounts for at least the last 3 years and basic compliance structures.
- Prioritize inclusive participation by engaging youth, women, people with disabilities, and refugees while contributing to food security and nutrition goals.
- Contribute to HGSA-A’s broader development objectives of driving sustainable agribusiness growth that promotes Africa’s stability and prosperity.
- Actively pursue and promote green growth (in line with the OECD Green Growth Strategy) through climate-smart, resource-efficient, and sustainable agricultural practices.
The Accelerator supports companies operating across the agricultural value chain involved in:
- Input supply
- Aggregation
- Processing
- Storage
- Logistics
- Distribution
- Market access
- Digital agriculture
- Value addition
Benefits
Selected companies receive:
- Context Specific Advisory support
- Access to Regional and Global markets
- Investment Readiness and Capital linkage
- Technical Assistance and Mentorship from sector experts
- Networking opportunities with peers, buyers, and investors
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator
