Invest in Africa supports SMEs to become bank and investor ready through investor-readiness training and support to develop investor pitch decks and financial models.
The investor readiness training assists SMEs to understand and comply with the required standards, governance, and documentation to access finance from financial institutions and other investors. IIA also facilitates linkages to affordable finance for Biashara.Now member SMEs through the support of our financial partners.
Through a partnership with Mastercard Foundation, IIA ran a pilot Investor Readiness program in 2021, where 140 SMEs were trained and financial linkages worth $1.95 M were facilitated to SMEs in Kenya.
Since its inception, IIA has facilitated financial linkages worth over $9.5 M through the support of diverse funding institutions, including banks, SACCOs, and non-bank financial institutions. The different types of financial linkages offered include:
- LPO Finance
This type of financing provides credit to meet the cost of goods to be supplied against a Local Purchase Order (LPO) received from a client, and/or issuer of a contract, enabling you to fulfill goods and services you have committed to.
- Working Capital Finance
This refers to credit that allows a company to meet the cost of its everyday obligations. Companies with high seasonality or cyclical sales may rely on working capital loans to help with periods of reduced business activity.
- Asset Finance
This refers to credit used to secure the use of assets, including equipment, machinery, property, and other capital assets. Using asset financing provides a company with the assets they need to operate and grow while maintaining financial flexibility to allocate funds elsewhere.
- Invoice Discounting
Invoice discounting is a form of financing that allows businesses to gain instant access to cash tied up in unpaid invoices.
- Grant Finance
This is a form of finance given by a grant provider (including public bodies, charitable organizations, or specialized grant-making institutions) for a specific project/initiative and does not have to be paid back.
Click this link to request for finance on the Biashara.Now platform and we will reach out with more information.
