Deadline:14th December, 2025
The Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A) is a COMESA regional initiative that supports growth-stage agribusinesses delivering scalable, innovative, and impact-driven solutions across Africa’s agricultural value chain.
The HGSA-A seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable agribusiness growth by scaling African-owned and -led enterprises addressing food insecurity, climate challenges, and trade barriers. The programme provides tailored support to strengthen investment readiness, enhance fundraising capacity, and expand regional trade under the AfCFTA framework.
Benefits
- Context-specific Advisory Services
Tailored advisory services designed to address the unique challenges and opportunities in your market and industry sector
- Cross-border Regulatory & Trade Facilitation Under AfCFTA
Navigate African Continental Free Trade Area opportunities with expert guidance on regulations and cross-border trade facilitation
- Investment Readiness & Fundraising Support
Potential for accessing HGSA-A investment funding to support business growth.
- Matching to Strategic Partners
Connect with regional buyers, investors, mentors and other strategic partners to accelerate your business growth
- Post-Acceleration Support
Continued support and guidance even after completing the acceleration program to ensure sustained growth and success
Eligibility
Join Africa’s premier agribusiness acceleration program. We support established enterprises led by African innovators ready to transform agriculture across the continent.
- Legally Registered and Operational
Be legally registered and operational in a COMESA member state.
- African-Owned or Led Growth-Stage Company
Be African-owned or led growth-stage company.
- Women-Owned/Led & Youth-Led Preference
Strong preference to women-owned or led enterprises (70%) and youth-owned or led (18-35) enterprises (30%).
- High-Potential Agribusiness Value-Chains
Operate within inclusive high-potential agribusiness value-chains such as high value crops (excluding primary production). This includes sectors such input supply, agro-processing, value addition, commercialisation, import substitution, aggregation, logistics, distribution, market access services, digital agriculture, and climate-smart inputs.
- Proven and Innovative Business Model
Demonstrate a proven and innovative business model, with an annual turnover close to USD 100,000 (this will vary from one country to the other).
- Regional or International Market Access Potential
Demonstrate potential for accessing regional or international markets and clear scalability prospects eg. through established or emerging export linkages, partnerships across the COMESA region, proven demand beyond local markets, a replicable business model adaptable to different contexts, or a clear strategy for regional expansion.
- Audited Financial Accounts and Compliance
Have audited financial accounts for at least the last 3 years and basic compliance structures.
- Inclusive Participation
Prioritize inclusive participation, including the employment or service of youth, women, people with disabilities and refugees, as well as contribute to food security and nutrition goals.
- HGSA-A Development Objectives
Contribute to HGSA-A’s broader development objectives of driving sustainable agribusiness growth that promotes Africa’s stability and prosperity.
- Green Growth Promotion
Actively pursue and promote Green growth (in line with the OECD Green Growth Strategy), applying climate change mitigation or adaptation techniques and sustainable agricultural practices eg. resources-efficient processes, renewable energy products, waste reduction and recycling or sustainable packaging).
For more information and application.