IYBA-SEED Hub

A knowledge platform dedicated to strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems in Africa

By facilitating access to strategic resources and a variety of tools dedicated to players in entrepreneurial ecosystems and to entrepreneurs, IYBA-SEED aims to encourage the sharing of essential knowledge and the exchange of best practices, thereby supporting the development of sustainable initiatives in the five partner countries. 

Thanks to this Hub, which is free and open to all, anyone interested in entrepreneurship development issues in Africa can access many types of content: detailed mapping of entrepreneurial ecosystems, specialized sectoral or national studies, training courses, videos, podcasts, international studies, events, etc., and connect with other players in the field. - and connect with other players in the sector.

IYBA-SEED is a European multi-partner programme that mobilises resources and expertise for greater efficiency and impact. IYBA-SEED is funded by the European Union and the French, German and Slovak governments, and implemented by five agencies: Expertise France, Enabel (Belgium), GIZ (Germany), SAIDC (Slovakia) and SNV (Netherlands).

IYBA-SEED was initiated in the framework of the TEI IYBA Team Europe Initiative Investing in Young Businesses in Africa to combine resources and expertise of various actors for more effectiveness and greater impact  with the objective to support start-ups and young entrepreneurs to launch and develop sustainable, inclusive job creative businesses.

IYBA-SEED contributes to building resilient economies and creating decent jobs for young people and women, by strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems and improving access to development services for businesses in the pre-seed phase, in promising sectors such as the agriculture and agribusiness, tourism, mobility, digital, finance, creative and cultural industries, green and circular economy.

IYBA-SEED works in partnership with 5 countries: Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Togo. 

The team in each country implements a tailor-made programme, with activities specific to their ecosystem, while ensuring regional consistency between the other countries involved. International cross-cutting activities are planned for this purpose.

In each country, teams composed of experts from different EU agencies jointly implement the action, drawing on their different specific areas of expertise and strategic presence, and with one agency functioning as the “Country-Lead”.

Examples of activities : 

• Support for training and awareness-raising initiatives on entrepreneurship in academic curricula.
• Strengthening networks to promote entrepreneurship.
• Capacity building for entrepreneurship support structures.
• Support for improving access to information on entrepreneurship and financing.
• Improving the legal and policy framework for entrepreneurship.
• Support for entrepreneurs’ organisations and public-private dialogue.
• Creation and dissemination of knowledge products.
• Construction of partnerships between actors of the entrepreneurial ecosystems.

To know more about  the Team Europe Initiative IYBA