Kenya Catalytic Jobs Fund
S U M M A R Y
The vibrant and innovative business ecosystem in Kenya , coupled up with its youthful population that exudes such drive , creativity and overall preparedness to hustle ; creates the perfect opportunity for accelerated social and economic growth . The formal labor market however , is still constrained and there is a significant deficit between the jobs available and the number of young people seeking them out .
It is on this backdrop that the Kenya Catalytic Jobs Fund program , through the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office , was founded . It is valued at £ 5m and has been running for the last 4 years and aims to test competitively selected innovations that have potential to unlock market constraints and create jobs , including for the most vulnerable , through a mix of technical assistance and grant support . The program contains a strong emphasis on learning and evidence and continues to generate knowledge , data and evidence on ways of addressing barriers to job creation and disseminate findings to relevant stakeholders , including potential investors .
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KCJF lmpact Statistics
64,475 Total jobs created
GBP 5 Million Program Value
KSHS 300 Million Amount of funds disbursed
The Kenya Catalytic Jobs Fund supports enterprises that exists primarily in ; Agriculture & Manufacturing , where we support agribusiness / manufacturers to innovate , test new technologies and provide evidence to key state actors to address market distortions and unlock policy constraints holding back key sectors ; Informal Sector , where we support innovations aimed at raising productivity and / or supporting shifts into the formal sector and Marginalized groups and geographies where we effectively catalyze sustainable change in sectors and geographies that have the potential to create employment and increase incomes for disadvantaged groups , including women and people living with disabilities .
Through KCJF , we are ;
• Increasing the number and quality of job opportunities for young and vulnerable people
• Expanding innovative solutions or new technologies unlock barriers to productivity in formal & informal sectors .
• Improving enterprise performance in the selected sectors ( via productivity gains , investment and / or growth )
Every year , for the last four ( since2019 ), we have selected a group of 5 innovative enterprises that makeup the KCJF cohort . They underwent a rigorous application process where their proposals were vetted by internal and external teams . Eligible enterprises needed to establish that ;
• They are legally registered and operate in Kenya
• They are implementing an innovative solution ( s ) that addresses felt needs
• They are able to demonstrate the minimum viable product / post proof of concept for the innovative solution
• They are able to demonstrate initial investments into the innovative solution
• They have the potential to grow exponentially , create more jobs and improve livelihoods at scale .
Further to the screening for eligible enterprises , the proposals were evaluated on a weighted score scale on areas such as the nobility of the innovation , the already existing co-investment from the founders and other early stage investors , the additionality and scalability of the proposed innovation , its proposed impact and eventual sustainability . After a due diligence process , the top 10 applications were then invited to a pitch day session that was preceded by pitch preparation activities from the KCJF team further to which an independent panel of judges selected the top 5 who eventually formed that year ’ s cohort . Further to announcing the winners , the KCJF review team conducts financial , legal and operational due diligence on them . They also conduct an in depth needs assessment to determine the type and extent of technical assistance required . These businesses receive an award not exceeding GBP . 100,000 that is a combination of cash and technical assistance .
To date , 19 businesses have been effectively supported and through them realized over 64,000 direct and indirect jobs .
www . kenyacatalyticjobsfund . org
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