African Development Bank’s Fashionomics Africa initiative invites African Fashion, Textile, Apparel and Accessories entrepreneurs and businesses to apply and benefit from the Fashionomics Africa Online Incubator and Accelerator programs.

The programs’ duration will be 8-weeks each, and the content will be available in English, French, Arabic and Portuguese.

Through a competitive process, the most promising fashion entrepreneurs will be invited to pitch their business ideas at the online Fashionomics Africa Pitching Days Competitions, resulting in 12 finalists each from the incubator and accelerator programs that will win a challenge grant of 20,000 USD each to scale up their operations.

Eligibility

  • The competition is open to participants who can provide an identification document like a passport, national ID card or voters card issued in an African country, and/or domiciled in African countries.
  • Applicants should be 18 years of age and above. Priority will be given to youth (18-35) and women-led fashion businesses.
  • Any fashion micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) or fashion entrepreneurs operating in the fashion ecosystem, including but not limited to fashion designing and dressmaking, accessories design and making, textile design, fashion illustration, fashion photography, technology-enabled fashion businesses, and service providers whose main sector of focus is fashion, are welcome to apply.

Selection Criteria

  • Fashion business entities under three (3) years, either registered or not registered.
  • Fashion business has at least deployed a proof of concept, at the micro, small or medium level.
  • The application provides a clear and detailed description of the fashion business.
  • Entities should be formally registered as a business in the African country of operation.
  • Fashion business/start-up needs to be at the growth stage (must have existed for at least 3 years, and have solid traction with clear product and sale channels and customer base).

Timelines

  • Call for application: 14th October – 23rd October 2022
  • Selection and onboarding: 24th October – 28th October 2022
  • Online incubator and accelerator programs: 31st October – 20th December 2022
  • Shortlist of 12 fashion entrepreneurs: 21st December 2022
  • Pitching day: 26th January 2023
  • Award ceremony: 31st January 2023

 

Register Here: fashionomicsafrica.org