KIC and the Mastercard Foundation are organising a series of Bootcamp trainings as part of their Business Booster Program.

Agri-MSMEs and Farmer-Based Organisations (FBOs) are receiving capacity building to enhance their businesses, increase profitability, and improve investor readiness.

Selected FBOs are also receiving organizational strengthening to work more effectively with their association members.

Through a joint partnership, KIC and the Mastercard Foundation are enhancing work-readiness and employability skills among young individuals, steering them toward dignified and fulfilling career paths in entrepreneurship.

Through the support of business and development experts, the Agri-MSMEs and FBOs receive coaching on business records management, operational efficiency, financial management, investor readiness checklists, and business pitch decks.

Additionally, the participants are trained on topics such as Business Strategy and Access to Markets. For the FBOs, topics include association membership management, good agricultural practices, and enhancing the efficiencies of various agricultural value chains.

The experiential nature of the training enables entrepreneurs to identify areas for improvement and adopt best practices for business management. There is also experience and knowledge sharing among the participants.

Through KIC's support, the Agri-MSMEs and FBOs have been able to create additional jobs in their communities.

On average, each KIC booster business has created two additional job opportunities over five months since joining the program, and this number is expected to grow.

Speaking at the training, Terence Tienaah, Program Manager for KIC, reiterated KIC’s commitment to supporting Agri-MSMEs and FBOs to achieve long-term business growth.

"At KIC, through programs like the Business Booster, we provide coaching and information to support your business growth journey."

In his remarks, Frederick Odame Phillips, Agribusiness Specialist for KIC, said, "There are many opportunities within the agricultural value chain, and through the Business Booster Program, we are looking forward to providing you with the tools and resources to build upon your businesses."

Since its inception, the KIC Business Booster has trained more than 127 Agri-MSMEs, 72 of which are women-led businesses.

This year, more than 500 Agri-MSMEs and FBOs are taking part in the Business Booster Program across the country.