Rabobank Foundation official sponsor of the AFIF Entrepreneurship Award 2015

Brussels, Belgium, 1st October 2015

Rabobank Foundation, affiliate of the leading Dutch and global Rabobank, is the official sponsor of the AFIF Entrepreneurship Award held within the framework of the Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2015 (AFIF), which will take place from 24-26 November 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Rabobank Foundation is a long-term partner of EMRC, the organisation behind AFIF, and is aligned with EMRC's vision to ensure the sustainable growth of Africa's private sector, with a particular focus on SMEs. It does this by enabling the development of small co-operatives located in rural regions through donations, loans, trade financing and technical assistance.

The AFIF Entrepreneurship Award is open to all Africa-based businesses. The Entrepreneurship Award offers visibility and an important international platform for African-based business projects to showcase their innovations and to highlight the significant role SMEs play in the future of sustainable private sector growth throughout the continent.

Potential candidates need to apply before the 12th October 2015 (Registration). A group of international experts will then select between 3 to 4 projects, whose representatives will have their expenses and registration fees covered. An entire session will be dedicated to the award, offering candidates the chance to showcase their project's current achievements and future plans. The winner will receive a cash prize and one-year marketing support.

"We feel it is important to offer all we can to the winner. In this case we have strong marketing know-how and media contacts across Africa and beyond, which are always beneficial for a business which is looking to grow," explains Jessica Frommer, EMRC Media and Communications Manager. "In addition, the Award has generated intense media attention due to the human and uplifting angle it offers, so we decided to develop this even further this year."

AFIF 2015, entitled "Access to Finance & Entrepreneurship", is organised in collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB), DEG (German Development Finance Institution), Rabobank Foundation and in partnership with Agri Academy, ECOWAS-TEN, Pfizer, BlueCloud, ICD (Islamic Corp. for the Development of the Private Sector), IFC (World Bank) and Old Mutual amongst others.

With an expected 300 people from all over the world, the three-day event will see North & South policymakers, investors and private sector entrepreneurs discuss and find practical business solutions.

The forum brings to the table financiers who are looking to find real projects, investment opportunities and long-term partnerships. There is a spirit to get things done which is demonstrated through the B2B sessions, tailor-made one-on-one sessions, which are organised throughout the forum. A pre-forum training workshop, will also offer participants professional coaching on how to set up a business plan and target the appropriate funding.

How to apply for the AFIF Entrepreneurship Award:

1. Read the Guidelines and make sure you qualify: click here.
   
2. Fill in the Registration document: click here.
   

EMRC Contact:

For further information concerning media or advertising opportunities, please contact:

Jessica Frommer (Media and Communication Manager)

Email: eb.crme@fj Tel: +32 2 626 1510

About EMRC

Established in 1992 in Brussels, EMRC (http://www.emrc.be) is a non-governmental organisation composed of a network of entrepreneurs, financiers, consultants and officials based throughout the world. EMRC's mission is to lead the private sector in Africa to sustainable economic development and to drive regional change via partnerships.

About the Entrepreneurship Award (http://www.emrc.be/en/events/afif-2015/award.aspx)
EMRC launched the first Awards in 2008 at the FAO Rome, with the objective of encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa amongst forum participants. The EMRC Awards (Project Incubator Award and AFIF Entrepreneurship Award) are presented at EMRC two main business forums: Agribusiness & the Africa Finance & Investment Forum. A call is sent out for entrepreneurs to put forward their project proposals. Finalists present their business projects during the forum's plenary session and the winning project is announced at the gala/networking event.

About AFIF

The Africa Finance & Investment Forum (AFIF) (http://www.emrc.be/en/events/afif-2015.aspx) is an annual business event organised in the framework of EMRC International's activities, aimed at strengthening the private sector in Africa, encouraging entrepreneurship and attracting investment to the African continent. AFIF has a double objective: to strengthen the financial capacities of Africa's private sector and to promote the creation of new partnerships through the encouragement of joint projects and trade relations North-South and South-South.

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