Call for Proposals: Zambia Business Growth Development Fund | WestMac Media

The Private Enterprise Programme Zambia (PEPZ) Business Growth Development Fund offers grants to incentives investment by Zambian SMEs to increase their competitiveness and improve business linkages. 

The Fund promotes private sector investment, job creation and/or value addition by supporting the introduction or development of technology and skills through a competitive grant award process. 

The Fund’s goal is to enhance the ability of SMEs to access markets and sell their goods and services through improved use of technology and/or upgraded worker skills, leading to stronger and more sustainable business linkages. 

The Fund co-finances – in the form of matching grants – commercially viable investment projects that deliver profits to the investor(s) while contributing to wider, inclusive economic growth for Zambia. 

The Fund has three primary focus sectors: 

• Food and agriculture. 

• Mining and mining services. 

• Tourism and hospitality. 

In addition, investment projects in cross-cutting fields that impact businesses across multiple sectors, e.g. financial services, ICT will also be considered.  

Applications can be submitted by individual firms or by consortia comprised of a number of firms. The applicant (or lead applicant in the case of a consortium) must be a for- profit enterprise that is either registered in Zambia or is externally registered, but with legal investments in Zambia. Consortium members can be for-profit or not-for-profit entities. 

While applications from individual firms will be considered, PEPZ is particularly interested in applications stemming from partnerships between “anchor firms” (large, high- capacity companies), SMEs and/or microenterprises within our target sectors. 

Grants will typically range from ZMW 1,000,000 up to ZMW 4,000,000, but in all cases the grant amount requested must be at least matched by the applicant(s). Proposals in which the applicants invest more than the amount of grant requested are particularly attractive. 

PEPZ employs a two-step selection process: 

1) Concept Note: a light-touch process where applicants submit a brief outline. 

2) Full Proposal: a detailed proposal providing information and a detailed financing plan to understand how costs will be shared between your company and the Fund. 

Closing date30 April 2018. All concept note applications must be made by 30 April 2018. However, applications will be accepted and assessed on a rolling basis. The Fund will be closed when the available budget has been committed. 

Therefore, applicants are encouraged to make an application as soon as possible. 

 Click here for application packs.