Our work > Funds and Programs > I&P Acceleration > I&P Acceleration in Sahel

I&P Acceleration in Sahel is an innovative program aimed at small businesses and start-ups in the Sahel and surrounding countries. The objective is to give these companies access to the financing and skills needed to foster their development, thus promoting the creation of decent and sustainable jobs in the region.

Overview

Deployed over 4 years, I&P Acceleration in Sahel targets small Sahelian companies. The program gives them access to funding and abilities detrimental to their development and encourages decent job creation in the Sahel.​

The program targets 13 countries in the sub-region : Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, and Senegal,  and seven bordering countries (Benin, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Chad, and Togo).

 

Calendar          2019-2023
Size                   €15,5 million
Geography        13 African countries
Sector               Generalist
Sponsor            European Union
Portfolio            87 companies

The program in details

I&P Acceleration in Sahel is deployed around three complementary components, aimed to accelerate the development of existing, but often informal, small businesses and to improve the success of new entrepreneurial projects in West Africa.

 

Seed Financing

Addressing the financing needs of companies during their incubation or acceleration phase. The seed funding is between 2 million FCFA (€3,000) and 40 million FCFA (€60 000)

Technical Assistance

Strengthen the capacities of financed companies and investment teams through training and expertise missions (business plan preparation, administrative and financial management, coaching...)

Supporting the ecosystem

Strengthening entrepreneurship business structures: these structures are essential to helping to combat the feeling of loneliness that young entrepreneurs may experience and to facilitate their preparation for fundraising and/or investment.

Target companies

The I&P Acceleration in Sahel program targets start-ups and small businesses meeting the following criteria:

Managed by men and women of African nationality or permanently settled in Africa, dedicated full-time to their business and wishing to collaborate with a group of investors.

Operating in the formal economy (legal structure recognized and registered in one of the 13 countries of intervention) or in the process of formalization.

Committed to maximizing their impacts (social and/or environmental) through their business activities and/or improving their practices.

Particular attention is paid to projects led by vulnerable populations (young people, women, populations in disaster-stricken and/or landlocked regions), and/or companies operating in the education and professional insertion sectors.

During the second quarter of 2022, I&P carried out a mid-term evaluation of the program's various components to measure the impact of the program's activities in quantitative and qualitative terms, and to identify its strengths and weaknesses with a view to improving its implementation.

Program portfolio companies

Implementing partners

The program is coordinated by I&P Entrepreneurs et Développement, a non-profit organization  launched and managed by I&P, which aims to encourage and support entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa.

I&P Acceleration in Sahel is deployed locally by I&P teams specialized in financing, coaching, education and training as well as by I&P's sponsored management companies, partners, and capital investment funds dedicated to high-potential, local, small and medium-sized companies (SMEs): Sinergi in Niger, Sinergi Burkina in Burkina Faso, Teranga Capital in Senegal, Comoé Capital in Côte d’Ivoire and Zira Capital in Mali.

 

Comoé Capital
Country Côte d'Ivoire
Launch 2018

Sinergi Burkina
Country Burkina Faso
Launch 2014

Sinergi Niger
Country Niger
Launch 2006

Teranga Capital
Country Senegal
Launch 2016

Zira Capital
Country Mali
Launch 2022

The team

Aboubacar Sanou

Seed Project Officer

Aboubacar Sanou

Seed Project Officer

Aboubacar works as Seed Project Officer for the program I&P Acceleration in Sahel

Alida Ouedraogo

Seed Funding Officer

Alida Ouedraogo

Seed Funding Officer

Alida Ouedraogo is a Seed Project Officer for Sinergi Burkina.

Christie Babei

Seed Funding Officer

Christie Babei

Seed Funding Officer

Christie is the Project Manager of I&P Acceleration in Sahel program. She is based in Cameroon.

Cynthia Adannou

Chargée de coordination

Cynthia Adannou

Chargée de coordination

Cynthia Adannou is Coordinator Officer for I&P Accélération in Sahel. She is based in Abidjan.

David Munnich

Executive Director I&P Acceleration and Development

David Munnich

Executive Director I&P Acceleration and Development

David joined I&P in 2009. He is the Executive Director of I&P Acceleration and I&P Development.

Issaka Amadou Boukari

Seed Funding Officer

Issaka Amadou Boukari

Seed Funding Officer

Based in Niamey, Issaka Amadou Boukari joined the SINERGI team in 2022 as a Seed Funding Manager.

Jessica Miessi

Project Manager - I&P Acceleration in the Sahel

Jessica Miessi

Project Manager - I&P Acceleration in the Sahel

Jessica joined the Comoé Capital team as an analyst in 2019. Jessica is working on the seed financing of the I&P Acceleration in Sahel program.

Koloina Andrianony

Portfolio Manager

Koloina Andrianony

Portfolio Manager

Koloina ANDRIANONY joins I&P in January 2021 as a Portfolio Manager. Based in Madagascar, she is in charge of portfolio monitoring for the IPAS and IPAT programs. 

...

Mahamane Maharazou Sani Ango

Seed Manager Sinergi

Mahamane Maharazou Sani Ango

Seed Manager Sinergi

Maharazou joined the SINERGI NIGER team in 2020 as seed manager for the I&P Acceleration in the Sahel program in Niger. 

...

Marianne Vidal-Marin

I&P Conseil Director

Marianne Vidal-Marin

I&P Conseil Director

Marianne Vidal-Marin joins I&P Conseil in 2020 as Director of I&P Conseil.

Morgane Awu

Regional Communication Officer

Morgane Awu

Regional Communication Officer

Morgane is in charge of communications for I&P's acceleration programs.

Myriam Koné

Seed Project Officer

Myriam Koné

Seed Project Officer

Myriam KONE joined the Teranga Capital team in 2023 as Seed Project Officer.

Ndimby RANDRIAMANANDRAY

Junior Portfolio Officer

Ndimby RANDRIAMANANDRAY

Junior Portfolio Officer

Ndimby RANDRIAMANANDRAY is a Junior Portfolio Officer.

Olivier Furdelle

Managing Director of Teranga Capital

Olivier Furdelle

Managing Director of Teranga Capital

Olivier Furdelle is the co-founder and Managing Director of Teranga Capital, an impact fund dedicated to small enterprises in Senegal.

Raphaël Dumont

Investment Director Acceleration, Director of "I&P Acceleration in Sahel"

Raphaël Dumont

Investment Director Acceleration, Director of "I&P Acceleration in Sahel"

Raphaël joins I&P in 2016. After spending 3 years in Cameroon, he joined the program I&P Development 2.

Reginald Kouengoua

Seed Funding Officer

Reginald Kouengoua

Seed Funding Officer

Réginald is the Project Manager of I&P Acceleration in Sahel program. He is based in Cameroon.

Riana Andrianiriana

Finance and Administration Manager of I&P Entrepreneurs and Development

Riana Andrianiriana

Finance and Administration Manager of I&P Entrepreneurs and Development

Riana has joined I&P in July 2021 as a Finance and Administration Manager of I&P Entrepreneurs and Development.

Timothée OUOBA

Senior Acceleration Manager

Timothée OUOBA

Senior Acceleration Manager

Timothée joined the team of Sinergi Burkina in 2020, and now operates as Senior Acceleration Manager for I&P

Uriel Kla

Seed Funding Officer

Uriel Kla

Seed Funding Officer

Uriel KLA is a project manager for Comoé Capital and joined the team in 2022.

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