Approach

Your initiative makes a difference to the lives of people in vulnerable situations in the Netherlands or West Africa. You make a positive impact; we help you achieve and amplify that impact.

Everything we do is aimed at making your initiative succeed and amplifying its impact. We will share our knowledge, our network and our experience with you. And we will provide you with solicited and unsolicited advice and, of course, offer you financial support. Together, we will maximise your social impact.

Trusted sounding board

Consider us your trusted, professional sounding board. Together, we will explore whether and how we can improve your initiative’s effectiveness and bring it to the point where it can stand on its own two feet. We will offer constructive feedback on your desired impact, your organisation and its financial sustainability.

Financial and non-financial support

Just like you, our goal is to achieve maximum social impact. That means we will not only offer your initiative a loan, a grant or a combination of the two, but we will also provide you with non-financial support. Our experienced experts will share best practices with you and help you tackle complex issues, strengthen your organisational structure and expand your network. This way, your initiative will eventually outgrow the need for our support, allowing us to help even more people in vulnerable situations.

Step 1. Quick scan

Are you seeking support for your initiative? Perform our quick scan to find out whether your initiative is eligible to apply for our support.

Quickscan The Netherlands Quickscan West Africa

Step 2. Application

f the quick scan indicates a potential match, you can apply online for the Netherlands, or for West Africa, share your funding idea with the portfolio managers.

Start your application ↗ The Netherlands Get in touch ↗ West Africa

Step 3. Application review process

We believe that successful collaboration starts with getting to know each other, discussing your objectives, how to achieve them and the timeline for success. This forms the basis for measuring progress, adjusting the approach and providing additional support where necessary. In this way, we create a flexible and transparent collaboration based on mutual trust.

The Netherlands

Our portfolio managers will notify you whether we wish to proceed with your application. This decision will be taken within a few weeks from the date of your application. We will then need between four and six months to process your application and will keep in touch throughout this period.

West Africa

Following the submission of your initial idea via email, our portfolio managers will reach out to confirm if you are eligible to submit a concept note and to provide information regarding our funding cycle deadlines. Upon approval of your concept note, you will be invited to submit a comprehensive proposal. The entire process generally spans a duration of four to six months.

Preselection

We will first determine whether your application aligns with our vision, focus and criteria.

Analysis

We will then analyse how your initiative can (eventually) create social impact in a financially sustainable way.

Selection

We will grant you our support and enter into a partnership, possibly lasting several years. We will work together closely and provide your initiative with financial and non-financial support.

Is your social enterprise eligible to apply for our support?

Please answer the following eight questions to find out.

1. Does your social enterprise aim to improve the employment prospects of people in vulnerable situations?

2. Does your social enterprise effectively contribute to the personal development of members of its target group?

3. Does your social enterprise aim to have a lasting positive impact (your social enterprise should not be a one-off or short-term project)?

4. Does your social enterprise provide a product or service?

5. Is your social enterprise based in the Netherlands and does it conduct all of its business activities there?

6. Is your social enterprise a Dutch private limited liability company (bv), foundation or cooperative?

7. Has your social enterprise laid down its social mission in its articles of association or is it prepared to do so?

8. Has your social enterprise laid down its financial policy (with respect to imposing restrictions on distributions to shareholders, for instance) in its articles of association or is it prepared to do so?

We are a potential match!

You answered ‘Yes’ to all eight questions. This means we are a potential match and we may be able to support your social enterprise. We look forward to receiving your application.

Start your application

No match

You answered ‘No’ to one or more questions. Unfortunately, this means your social enterprise is not eligible to apply for our support.

Is your organisation or initiative eligible to apply for our support?

Please answer the following seven questions to find out.

1. Does your organisation or initiative focus on one or more of the following themes? (1) increasing agricultural productivity (2) improving the incomes of farmers and their families (3) developing/enhancing agricultural value chains

2. Does your organisation or initiative make a measurable positive contribution to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in rural West Africa

3. Do your organisation and your partner organisations conduct activities in one or more of the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone or Togo?

4. Has your organisation or initiative drawn up a business plan and a budget for at least two years?

5. Does your organisation or initiative aim for at least one of the participating partners to develop an independent business case?

6. Is your organisation or at least one of its partner organisations registered in the country where the initiative is based?

7. Is your organisation or at least one of its partner organisations a for-profit company?

We are a potential match

You answered 'Yes' to all seven questions. This means we are a potential match, and we may be able to support your initiative. Kindly email us your initiative idea.

Get in touch

No match

You answered ‘No’ to one or more questions. Unfortunately, this means your initiative is not eligible to apply for our support.