The Land Accelerator xGRV is a training and mentorship program targeted specifically toward businesses that restore degraded forests, farmland and pasture in Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley landscape. Led by World Resources Institute, the program provides entrepreneurs with mentorship and networking opportunities and technical training to build up their financial knowledge and storytelling and pitching skills.
The Land Accelerator xGRV will consist of a three-day training and site visit in Nakuru County on October 23-26, 2023. All expenses, including hotel, meals, stipend, and local travel ,are covered for accepted program participants.
Please see this brochure for more information on the speakers and the agenda.
Land Accelerator xGRV Timeline
- Application window: September 13 – October 1
- Notification of cohort selection: Wednesday, October 11 via email
- Program in Naivasha: October 23-26
Eligibility Requirements:
You must have a for-profit company that sells a product or service to customers.
Your company should have a business model that centers around land restoration through practices such as sustainable agriculture, reforestation and agroforestry
Your company must operate within the one of the counties that are included in Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley: Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kajiado, Kiambu, Laikipia, Makueni, Marsabit, Nakuru, Narok, Nyandarua, Samburu, Turkana, and West Pokot.
How do I apply to this opportunity?
To apply, please submit this application form. Applications are due by 23:59 East Africa Time on Sunday, October 1.
Please read every question carefully and respond fully. Note that you cannot save your progress on this form. We recommend that you prepare your responses offline and then paste them into the form. You will receive an email confirmation of your response once it is submitted.
If you have any questions about the application, please contact info@terramatch.org.
Why the Greater Rift Valley?
Kenya’s iconic forests rest on the heights of the country’s mountains in the rocky Greater Rift Valley. Locals call them “water towers” because their trees are the source of 75% of the country’s water supply.
But Kenya has lost 11% of its natural forests since 2010, the result of urban expansion, uncontrolled logging, and the conversion of ecosystems into agricultural land.
What makes a strong application?
Companies are encouraged to read the application form in its entirety before submitting. A good application will answer all of the applicable questions.
The selection committee looks favorably on companies that can include optional documents, such as a pitch deck and audited, signed financial statements that include a balance sheet and profit and loss statement.
The five factors below are identified in analyzing the design of the business model. These criteria decide if the business fits within the Land Accelerator target market of entrepreneurs.
Who is on the selection committee?
The committee is comprised of professionals from WRI, Barka Fund, and Fledge. Each committee member has specialized in land restoration business development for over 3 years in a variety of roles including mentors, teachers, investors, and organizers.
What happens after the program in October?
The organizers of the Land Accelerator have developed this program as an entry point into a community of practice.
In 2024 the team will share with you additional virtual, hybrid, and in person training opportunities that will be developed in response to some of the feedback our team receives during the Land Accelerator xGRV. These additional training opportunities are designed to be intensive and focused on areas of interest and may include topics such as gender mainstreaming in business, how to structure a financing ask, building credibility with farmers, engaging commodity buyers, and an introduction to financial modeling.
As the program brings on additional partners, WRI will share information about additional capacity building and investment readiness opportunities in your landscape.
The participants of the Land Accelerator xGRV will also receive access to their own classroom space where they can always access PowerPoints, as well as a roster of participants, which can be useful when following up after the event.
If I attend the Land Accelerator xGRV 2023, am I still eligible for the Land Accelerator Africa?
Each year, WRI, Fledge, and AUDA-NEPAD conduct a continental version of this program, Land Accelerator Africa. This is a training program for the top 100 companies from across Africa. The fifteen best-performing countries to join the team for a week-long training session to work on their business models and learn from top mentors and peers.
Any company who participates in the Land Accelerator xGRV is not excluded from participating in the Land Accelerator Africa and is encouraged to apply.
Where can I access guidance on how to make a pitch deck?
At the Land Accelerator, we strive to encourage companies to use pitch decks, and to improve them. Pitch decks can help future partners, employees, and investors understand your vision for the company, and what your company has achieved so far. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will collaborate with your vision in a positive way.
At the link that follows, you can find a recording of a teaching, as well as step by step suggestions to which slides you should include, in which order, why, and what content can go on each slide of a business pitch deck. You will also have access to a downloadable PowerPoint so that you could easily prepare your deck, or just a few slides, using some key templates as you wish. Please join us at: https://restoreforward.mn.co/spaces/12294087/content
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