Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator

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.

Program 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 Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be legally registered and operational in a COMESA member state.
• Be African-owned or African-led.
• Align with the programme’s preference for women-owned or led enterprises (70 percent) and youth-owned or led enterprises ages 18 to 35 (30 percent).
• Demonstrate a proven and innovative business model with an annual turnover close to USD 100,000, with variations by country.
• Operate within inclusive, high-potential agribusiness value chains including high-value crops (excluding primary production), input supply, agro-processing, value addition, commercialisation, import substitution, aggregation, logistics, distribution, market access services, digital agriculture, and climate-smart inputs.
• Show potential for regional or international market access through export linkages, COMESA partnerships, replicable models, or regional expansion strategies.
• Maintain audited financial accounts for at least the last three years and basic compliance structures.
• Prioritise inclusive participation by engaging youth, women, people with disabilities, and refugees while contributing to food security and nutrition.
• Demonstrate commitment to green growth through climate-smart, resource-efficient, and sustainable agricultural practices.