Nile Breweries Limited(NBL), Uganda’s beet market leader, launched an enterpreneurship promotion program, dubbed 100+ Accelerator Cohort 2022, today to promote Start-Ups that have embeded sustainable development strategies in their operations. The program, an initiative of NBL’s parent company AB InBev, will provide funding of up to UGX 360M (USD 100,000) to each winning applicant whose business is designed to create a more sustainable environment, in line with the company’s Dream to create a future with more cheers, said NBL Legal and Corporate Affairs Director, Onapito Ekomoloit during the press briefing at the company headquarters in Luzira, Kampala today.
“First launched in 2018, the 100+ Accelerator works to accelerate the world’s shift toward sustainable solutions and to do business the right way, not the easy way, “ Onapito said. “It seeks to solve supply chain challenges across water stewardship, circular economy, sustainable agriculture, climate action, inclusive growth, and biodiversity,” he said.
Over the last two years, the program has accelerated 70 companies in over 20 countries. “This year, we are particularly encouraging participation of Ugandan entrepreneurs,” Onapito added. Former winners currently operating in Uganda under Sustainable Agriculture solutions include Oko Finance and BanQu. “To take part in competition for funding one has to send their application to www.100accelerator.com Onapito said. The deadline for the entries is 15th May, 2022. The 100+ Accelerator offers size and scale to passionate entrepreneurs to help bring their solutions to market faster. Once selected, based on the applicability of their solutions, participants will receive mentorship, training to implement a pilot project with some of the most well-loved brands in the world with the purpose
The 100+ Accelerator identified six challenge statements designed to encourage innovation. These challenges are intended to support promising ideas and high potential technologies that align with partner goals as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) across six areas: circular economy, smart agriculture, water stewardship, climate action, biodiversity, and inclusive growth (equity, diversity and inclusion).
Last year, The Coca Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company and Unilever joined AB InBev to fund and pilot sustainable innovation in supply chains under the 100+ Accelerator’s ambitious, collaborative, and global program that runs on an annual basis. “No one company or organization can solve today’s sustainability challenges alone. The 100+ Accelerator establishes partnerships with scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs and companies around the world to identify and scale new sustainability solutions,” Onapito elaborated.
The 100+ Accelerator program was launched in 2018 by AB InBev to help the company reach its 2025 Sustainability goals and support achievement of the UN SDGs. It is an innovation platform designed to exponentially fuel the growth of sustainability startups.
Six challenges to approach this year:
- Circular Economy
- Smart Agriculture
- Water Stewardship
- Climate Action
- Biodiversity
- Inclusive Growth (equity, diversity and inclusion)