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Businesses and entrepreneurs supported through AMI programmes since 2014
100K+
Young entrepreneurs targeted in Nigeria under Green RISE
Africa
45,560
Funded by the Mastercard Foundation, delivered in partnership with Acumen
4 years
About Green RISE Africa
Green RISE Africa is a four-year programme funded by the Mastercard Foundation and delivered by Acumen Canada in partnership with the African Management Institute (AMI). It supports young people — particularly young women — to access dignified work in Africa's green economy.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, young people are already building the solutions their communities need, from clean energy distribution and climate-smart agriculture to electric mobility and circular economy ventures that strengthen local value chains. Yet many continue to face barriers to growth.
Green RISE Africa (Resilient Impact through Sustainable Entrepreneurship) is a five-year program designed to strengthen Africa’s emerging green economy and expand dignified work opportunities for women and young people.
Who we're looking for
Established ESOs
(such as incubators, accelerators, and networks) build and manage the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, offering structured cohort programs, community networking, and access to capital. You run structured enterprise support at volume, with the systems to report on individual-level data. We want to pair that scale with a fully-built curriculum and diagnostic. ● Two+ years of continuous operation ● Documented track record with micro or nano-enterprises ● Reporting systems ready for milestone-based, individual-level data
Local BDS providers
(consultants, individual trainers, or firms) focus on targeted enterprise needs like financial management, tax compliance, marketing, or digital adoption. You have real relationships in green value chains — solar, waste, clean cooking, climate-smart agriculture — even if you're not a large institution. Rural and peri-urban reach counts in your favour. ● Two+ years of operation, Nigerian bank account ● Track record with micro-entrepreneurs ● Existing trust within a specific community, sector or geography
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Paid, milestone-based work — contracted and paid as entrepreneurs are sourced, diagnosed, trained and reach a verified income outcome.
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AMI's curriculum, tools and systems — GROWPro's practical business curriculum and learning platform, the Green RISE diagnostic, and the verification instrument, fully supplied.
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Your team gets certified — facilitator training and certification your staff keeps using after this programme ends.
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Credibility and network — delivery under a Mastercard Foundation and Acumen programme, with a named AMI partner manager and, where relevant, introductions to anchor firms in the programme's value chains.
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Eligibility first — Nigerian registration, two years' operation, financial footing, delivery capacity.
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Track record — two reference projects, focus on micro/nano-enterprises and women.
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Operational fit — where you're based, and whether it matches where the programme needs delivery.
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Green-sector reach — scored as a bonus, not a requirement. Reach through anchor firms, offtakers, cooperatives or distributors all count.
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Prepare a written proposal against the RFP headings.
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Submit it to AMI by 15 August 2026.
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AMI reviews against the eligibility and scoring criteria.
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Shortlisted applicants are invited to a follow-up conversation.
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Partnership terms are agreed, and onboarding begins.
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Can we apply if we've never worked in a green sector?
Yes. Green-sector specialisation is scored positively but isn't required — what matters is your ability to reach and serve entrepreneurs, including through anchor firm, offtaker, cooperative or distributor relationships. -
What does 'milestone-based' mean in practice?
You're paid as entrepreneurs move through defined stages — sourced, diagnosed, trained, and verified into a work outcome — rather than a single upfront fee. -
Do we need to build our own training content?
No. AMI supplies the GROWPro curriculum, learning platform, diagnostic and verification instruments, and trains your staff to deliver them. -
We only operate in one state — can we still apply?
Yes, provided you have staff based in at least one Nigerian state where you'd deliver. -
What if we're a smaller organisation without formal impact reporting?Smaller BDS providers are one of the two segments this programme is actively seeking. What matters most is a genuine, trusted network — reporting is supported by AMI's data platform and training.
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