YEH Calls for Social Business Entrepreneurs

Yunus Environment Hub (YEH), a global social business network that creates solutions for the environmental crisis, has opened its GrowUp incubation program and is calling for applications for early-stage entrepreneurs within the tourism and mobility sectors in East Africa.

GrowUp’s Circular Impact cohort 2022 aims to support early-stage entrepreneurs within the tourism and mobility sectors in identifying and implementing potential ways for the circular economy to facilitate their growth and assess the impact of their green social businesses. The cohort will support entrepreneurs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi.

Social businesses with practices, which would contribute to solving issues like pollution, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, inequality, poverty, youth employment, and other challenges regarding sustainable tourism and mobility, are encouraged to apply.

To apply for the cohort, the social business should be located in East African countries; solve a challenge within one or more thematic areas related to sustainable tourism and mobility such as mobility services, travel organization & booking; accommodation including food & beverage on-premises; recreation, excursions, local culture; maintenance, restoration of local tourism assets; and public transport.

In addition, the business should be beyond the experimentation stage; have its product/service on the market for six months to 3 years; be legally registered; and have accumulated sales between 10,000 to 25,000 dollars.

Applications for GrowUp’s Circular Impact cohort are open until 28 August 2022, and the program will be held for six months. If selected, the entrepreneurs will receive training on implementing circular solutions and assessing their impact, on-demand sessions to guide the implementation of circular strategies, interactive capacity-building boot camp, networking opportunities with local and international partners, and peer-to-peer support.

Co-founded and led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the YEH supports and develops social business solutions addressing environmental issues in a financially self-sustainable way.