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Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs Announces Capacity Development Fund Winners
Six grants awarded to further strengthen and support the small and growing business ecosystem
NEW YORK—October 1, 2013—The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) announced the winners of the fifth round of the ANDE Capacity Development Fund (CDF). Commenced in 2009, the fund seeks to increase the productivity and effectiveness of ANDE members, while creating tools and insights that can help the small and growing business (SGB) sector as a whole. This round awarded six grants totaling $300,000, with each winner receiving $50,000. Total funds disbursed over the past five years now reaches $2.1 million.
Support for this year’s fund was provided by The Lemelson Foundation and MasterCard Worldwide. Proposed solutions were evaluated for their clarity; feasibility and internal capacity; and impact on small and growing businesses. This CDF round put additional emphasis on funding proposals targeting women’s entrepreneurship and invention-based enterprises.
The six winning projects include:
- Adoption of best practices and new models for supporting Women-Led Small and Growing Businesses in Mexico will help women compete in the marketplace by creating best practices for access to finance, value chain inclusion, and capacity development as well as developing targeted workshops aimed at standardizing gender-based metrics. The Mexico Women’s Working Group: Agora Partnerships, Banorte Financial Group, BiD Network, Crea, Endeavor México, New Ventures México, Oxfam Mexico, Oxfam America, Value for Women, Venture Institute, Vital Voices Mexico, and WEConnect International Mexico
- App Store for SGBs will offer a suite of SGB-focused mobile business applications to make them more accessible to businesses and service providers. The apps will improve the productivity of SGBs and increase their positive financial, environmental, and social impact. The store will also serve as a pipeline of ICT4D investment opportunities for investors. Artha Networks Inc, with the following partner organizations: Intellecap, Potencia Ventures, Virtual City, Solutions S.A, and Teleios Systems Ltd.
- Demystifying Due Diligence of Technology Based Ventures will address the knowledge gap inhibiting capital flows to inventive, technology-based ventures by developing a user-friendly investor guide for due diligence. Low Carbon Enterprise Fund
- Developing Legal Tools Tailored to Women Entrepreneurs in East Africa will identify the legal and regulatory barriers in East Africa that limit the participation of women in the marketplace and develop a guide to overcoming these barriers, as well as offer training to lawyers on how to assist women entrepreneurs. The Legal Working Group: Accion, Acumen, Campbell Law Group, Grassroots Business Fund, Land O’Lakes, New Markets Lab/Transfarm Africa, and Root Capital.
- Dream to Destination: Catalysing Women Entrepreneurs via Skill Building, Mentoring Support & Access to Resource strives to develop new female role models in India, as well as effective structured approaches to help women gain access to knowledge, skills, networks and finances, by scaling-up a network of clinics. National Entrepreneurship Network
- Supporting Women-owned Businesses to Win Government Contracts will train female entrepreneurs to assemble tender documents and raise the financing necessary to secure government contracts. The CDF grant will also support the rollout of Global Enablis Network Information Exchange (GENIE) to help government enterprise development units manage small businesses support programs in their counties. Enablis
The winners were announced at ANDE’s annual conference, held from September 30 to October 2, 2013, in Glen Cove. The conference is an annual gathering of more than 180 high-level executives from ANDE member organizations, including leading investors, capacity development providers, foundations, banks, corporations and research institutions from more than 20 countries.
Follow the conference conversation on Twitter via the hashtag #ANDE2013.
The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in emerging markets. ANDE members provide critical financial, educational, and business support services to small and growing businesses (SGBs) based on the conviction that SGBs will create jobs, stimulate long-term economic growth, and produce environmental and social benefits. Ultimately, ANDE believes that SGBs can help lift countries out of poverty. ANDE is part of the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization. For more information please visit www.aspeninstitute.org/ande.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
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