Deadline: 24th of April 2022 end of the day

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Oxfam Superstar Impact Business Competition

Do you have and innovative idea focused on empowering women and youth and are you looking to scale-up?
Did you participate in Work in Progress/Oxfam development program in Egypt?

If yes, please apply to our competition and your business might be the next Superstar Impact Business!

Oxfam is launching its third round of Superstar Impact Business competition in 6 countries including Egypt. Winners will be awarded grant funding to implement the project. The best performing winner in each country, including Egypt, will be featured in a short movie to promote their business idea. Oxfam will provide a total of EUR 30k per country for grants.

Objectives

Through the competition, Oxfam wants to support impact-driven businesses in Egypt that have the ambition to increase women and youth empowerment impact by:

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Oxfam aims to get better insight in the needs of businesses in empowering women and youth, accelerate their impact and inspire investors and policy makers in recognizing the importance and potential of supporting and investing in impact businesses.

Curious to learn about some great examples of impact driven businesses that empower women and youth? Please check out this video of Pad-Up Creations, a Nigerian impact-driven business focused on women empowerment that produces reusable sanitary pads.

Women and Youth Empowerment

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We encourage applicants to make use of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) framework to target, define, and assess the impact of their company and proposal.

Examples of SDGs that focus on increasing women and youth empowerment are:


x xx x x xx

Competition Process and Planning

This competition is by invitation only for businesses that participated in Oxfam’s projects in Egypt.

Step 1: Application

Candidates can apply by completing the application form here. The application is only complete, in combination with a venture profile on VC4A.

Please download the budget template below, as you will be asked to upload this in your application form.

The deadline for applications is the 20th of April 2022 end of the day.

Step 2: Selection

A local jury scores all applications and invites the best applicants to pitch their company and proposal. Winners will be announced before the 1st of July, after which grant contracts will be processed.

Step 3: Implementation

Projects will be implemented from July until November 2022.

To apply, your company needs to meet the following minimum requirements:



  • The company focuses on women and/or youth empowerment and complies with at least one of the following two requirements:

      • - The business is owned or founded by women/youth and/or women/youth represent more than 75% of the board of the business

      - Women/youth are empowered by the business in their role as employees, suppliers, consumers or in the community

  • The company is a registered commercial company in Egypt.

  • The company meets the requirements of an ‘impact-driven company’: namely:
      i) the business has ‘impact’ as their mission or key driver;
      ii) the business resolves a societal issue, not through charity, but through their business model;
      iii) the entrepreneur has a ‘social heart’, clear motivation and vision on impact.

  • The company is not in any way involved in activities such as arms, tobacco, alcohol, and gambling industries, registered in so-called tax-havens, or involved in environmental or human rights abuses or corruption.

  • Grant funding should be matched at least 50% with an own contribution of the applicant (cash and/or in-kind).

  • The proposed project can be implemented in the period of May to December 2022.

  • The applicant is a previous or current participant in the Work in Progress! project implemented by ICEALEX and Ahead of the Curve in Egypt is a plus.

    • Assessment Criteria (applicant is scored on this)



    Social/environmental impact (35%):
    The business has a clear vision and strategy for social and/or environmental impact. It has good potential to grow and scale the impact. This is also shown in numbers (staff data and social indicators). Impact on women and youth is important.

    Feasibility and relevance of proposal (25%):
    The proposed project is described clearly and is relevant in increasing the empowerment of women and youth. It is viable and feasible to implement the project in a short time-frame. The budget and own contribution are realistic.

    Strength of team/entrepreneur (25%):
    The team has the qualifications and experience to manage and implement the project successfully. Motivation and ideas are clearly communicated. The team has unquestionable integrity. Having a significant number of women and youth in the team is a plus.

    Growth potential of the business (15%):
    The Impact SME addresses a clear market need with a unique product or service. It demonstrates innovation. There is a clear business model and a realistic growth strategy. The financial figures (historic and projections) show good performance and/or potential.

    Funding Eligibility

    - Eligible Activities

    ● Business support services (e.g. consultants/experts on scaling, sales, operations, investments, social impact)

    ● Investments (machines or equipment needed to scale-up)

    ● Business development costs (e.g. test or launch new products, market study)

    ● Visibility costs (brand design, promotional materials, trade fairs)

    ● Scaling of impact (process redesign, sustainable production, fair trade certification)

    - Non-eligible Activities

    ● Purchasing and rent/leasing of land or buildings/facilities

    ● Bank charges, cost of guarantees, and similar charges

    ● Overhead costs such as office supplies, support staff, management

    ● Value and registration costs of intellectual property rights

    Apply to our competition and your business might be the next Superstar!

    Contact Us

    nehal.ali@oxfam.org