The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Campus Liberia, Growth Africa and the Business Startup Center-Monrovia, has selected 10 Liberian Businesses as finalists for its Growth Accelerator Liberia Program.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as poverty and inequality prevalent; Growth Accelerator Liberia has been launched to aid long term recovery efforts and support measures that reduce socio-economic impacts on the vulnerable and contribute to economic development.
The program is meant to support impactful Liberian entrepreneurs to scale up their ventures through access to technical assistance, mentorship and co-financing.
The Growth Accelerator Liberia’s initiative kicked off on August 27, 2021 with the launch of its application process; which lasted until September 10, 2021.
For the ten days’ period of the application process which involved online and hard copies application forms, about 167 applications were received from businesses in nine counties in Liberia despite the project-targets are seven counties.
The primary counties include Grand Gedeh, Grand Cape Mount, Lofa, Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Nimba and Sinoe while the businesses selected were; Kodah Enterprises (Poultry), LIBRA Sanitation, Evergreen Enterprise and Trading Inc..
Others are The Lunch Box; Modern Agro Corporation; Youmtornor Enterprise and Developmental Services Inc.; Ma-Bandu’s Steel Mill; Nimba Venture Inc.; Redimere Chocolate and Wungko’s Farm.
An Independent Investment Committee comprising representatives from Liberia Chamber of Commerce, Liberia Business Association, Central Bank of Liberia and Ministry of Commerce and Industries vetted and selected the ten businesses.
The selected businesses will participate in a series of training, workshops, mentoring, including a 3-day business development boot camp from September 29 to October 1, 2021 in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
The Growth Accelerator Programme is being set up to support growth stage and establish businesses that are viable, effective and impactful, particularly in accelerating economic growth and activity amid COVID19 recovery efforts.