Call for Business Ventures: Unlocking Opportunities at the End of the Sanitation Value Chain

• Are you an entrepreneur or innovator passionate about transforming the sanitation sector and driving sustainable development?
• Do you have a scalable solution with a clear business model and a commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

This is your opportunity to join a one-day Sanitation Value Chain Workshop that will culminate into onboarding in a business development support project implemented by Equity Bank Limited.

Call Objective:

To

• Identify and promote sustainable, innovative, and practical solutions that transform wastewater management into profitable businesses, contributing to economic growth, environmental sustainability, and
• Identify the efficient use of water resources, while emphasizing, resource recovery, recycling, reuse, and safe disposal.

Why Focus on the End of the Sanitation Value Chain?

End-of-value-chain businesses in the sanitation sector contribute significantly to achieving multiple SDGs by addressing critical challenges and creating opportunities for sustainable development.

The initiatives align with several SDGs, including

• SDG 6, which focuses on equitable sanitation access and promoting safe waste management, recycling, reuse, and resource recovery

• SDG 7 which emphasizes on generating renewable energy through biogas and waste-to-energy systems.
• SDG 8 which fosters on job creation and entrepreneurship in waste processing and recycling.
• SDG 12 which advocates for circular economy models, while
• SDG 13 which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable waste management, safe disposal, and recycling practices

Incubation Opportunity:

Winning participants will be offered the chance to develop their ideas further at the KEWI Water Technology Innovation & Incubation Hub.

This provides access to resources, mentorship, and technical expertise to help scale up ideas into competitive business ventures.

Workshop Highlights:

The workshop will:

• Showcase innovative end-of-value-chain solutions addressing sanitation challenges, including recycling, reuse, and safe disposal.
• Provide mentorship and networking opportunities with industry experts.
• Select the most promising ventures for funding and technical support to scale their solutions.

Key Areas of Focus:

Participants are encouraged to submit businesses that:

• Innovatively repurpose wastewater for reuse in agriculture, industry, or municipal purposes.
• Integrate technology to enhance wastewater treatment processes and safe disposal methods.
• Create commercial opportunities that generate income while addressing environmental challenges, particularly through recycling and resource recovery.
• Contribute to water conservation, recycling, and sustainable water management practices.

Benefits of Participation:

Selected ventures will receive:

• Collateral-Free Financing.
• Mentorship, coaching and capacity building from experts in sanitation, finance, and technology.
• Access to investor networks and potential partnerships and key stakeholders in the sanitation and development sectors.
• Business Development support
• Formalization of the informal

Eligibility Criteria:

We are looking for formal and informal businesses and start-ups that:

• Operate within the sanitation value chain, focusing on waste treatment, resource recovery, recycling, reuse, or innovative by-products.
• Demonstrate a clear alignment with more than one SDG.
• Have a scalable and defensible business model.
• Possess a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or operational prototype.

• Innovation and creativity in wastewater management solutions, particularly in recycling, reuse, and safe disposal.
• Commercial viability and scalability of the proposed venture.
• Technical and environmental feasibility.
• Social impact and sustainability.

Key Dates and Information:

Applications Open: 1st January 2025

Application Deadline: 28th February, 2024

For any inquiries, please contact: shortcourses@kewi.or.ke