Land Accelerator Program (South Asia)

• Eligibility Criteria:
  To be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must be:
  – Entrepreneurs whose business model centers on land restoration — through practices such as sustainable agriculture, reforestation, and agroforestry — are invited to apply; and
  – The company should be a registered/duly incorporated for-profit enterprise and should rely on the market forces, have customers or clients purchasing your products or services.
• Type of funding: Programmatic
• Target countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
• Application language: English or Hindi

The World Resources Institute India (WRI India) and Sangam Ventures launched the Land Accelerator South Asia, the world’s first accelerator programme targeted specifically toward South Asian businesses that restore degraded forests and farmland.

The programme provides South Asian entrepreneurs mentorship and networking opportunities, technical training and workshops to build their storytelling and pitching skills and to enhance skills for tracking environmental and social impact. Participants leave the programme more empowered to connect with potential investors so they can take their business to the next stage of growth.

For the fourth Land Accelerator South Asia to be held in 2023, WRI India and Sangam Ventures will invite 30 entrepreneurs from across South Asia to join them for a hybrid business creation and growth accelerator.

The top 30 applicants will receive:

• Three months of exclusive, weekly virtual trainings and two in-person bootcamps.
• Templates to create content to help their business thrive.
• Weekly office hours with mentors who lent their expertise to discuss how to integrate new concepts and tools into their business strategy.
• Weekly networking sessions to speak with and learn from other land restoration entrepreneurs in the cohort.
• Opportunity to attend an in-person workshop for further learning and networking.

All participants who complete the 6-week programme are invited to apply for a Land Accelerator Investment Pack, which will be awarded to the top 15 entrepreneurs and includes:

• A $3,000 innovation support.
• A coaching meeting with a Land Accelerator organizer to develop their investment and innovation support plan.
• A 90-minute group mentorship session with members of the Land Accelerator mentor network, who provide tailored feedback and suggestions.
• The opportunity to present their three-minute business pitch at the virtual Land Accelerator Demo Day to be held in December 2023, an event that brings together the top 15 entrepreneurs and business and social investors from across the continent.

Learn more about the Land Accelerator South Asia alumni in the programme’s brochure.

See here to learn more and apply.

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