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CirculaRise Accelerator
CirculaRise Accelerator supports growth stage social businesses to design and scale circular solutions that embed just transition principles at the core. Through our 6-stage consultancy framework we help participants understand opportunities for holistic impact, and guide them in the development of circular business models such as Circular Supply Chain, Product as a Service,Product Life Extension, Sharing and Leasing, and Resource Recovery and Recycling.
Benefits of CirculaRise Accelerator:
- Identify an opportunity and develop actionable circular solutions for a growth stage social business
- Develop and test the circular solution
- Build a business case for investment to pitch to funders
- Support green job creation for the community and along the value chain
- Build gender mainstreaming into strategy creation
- Participate in group trainings and receive individual mentoring to identify and implement a circular strategy
- Peer-to-peer exchange with fellow social businesses and YEH’s international network of circular economy industry leaders and practitioners to get advice on the implementation of circular strategies
- Experience and become part of a truly international, diverse, and innovative environment committed to addressing climate change
- Join the YEH global social business alumni network
Value for Funders of CirculaRise Accelerator Programs
Social businesses increase their resilience and sustainability while reducing environmental and climate impact through the implementation and scaling of circular economy strategies. There are many benefits for funders investing in CirculaRise Accelerators, including:
Proven Success
CirculaRise Accelerator has been run successfully in Kenya, funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) Programme and in Germany as part of the “REACT with Impact” program supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and financed by the European Union. Read an interview with GIZ Kenya in our 2022 Impact Report
Support Social Businesses
Social Businesses are created and designed to address societal issues, and not maximize profits like a traditional business. They reinvest their profits back into their SB to scale impact. By supporting the growth of SBs through capacity building and training in circular economy strategies you enable an ongoing investment towards both climate action and social impact. Read more about Social Business concept
Measurable Impact
We help social businesses define and articulate impact metrics so funders can clearly see their social return on investment. We offer training and coaching on Impact Measurement Methodology (IMM), and support in articulation of impact in pitch presentations. Our team continues to track CirculaRise participant KPIs over the years to monitor impact
Investor readiness training
Social businesses are trained in investor readiness skills to pitch for funding to implement circular solutions. Our support goes beyond the Pitch Day as YEH consultants continue to support in the due diligence process, as well as technical assistance to implement circular solutions at scale.
Over $260,000 was raised by participants in CirculaRise Kenya.
Green job creation
By implementing circular strategies Sbs reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and create opportunities for new green jobs.
Aprox 250 green jobs were created by SBs in CirculaRise Kenya and CirculaRise Germany.
Contact us if you are interested in running a CirculaRise Accelerator
Past CirculaRise Accelerator Experience
2023 CirculaRise Accelerator Germany
As part of the “REACT with Impact” program supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and financed by the European Union as part of the Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (REACT-EU), Yunus Environment Hub supported small and medium sized social businesses in Germany to drive climate action and become more competitive through the integration of circular economy strategies in their business operations. CirculaRise Germany Highlights:
- 3 months
- 7 social businesses
- Circular economy expert workshops on CE principles, Impact Measurement Methodology (IMM) and Financing Instruments
- Individualised coaching on investor readiness to gain funding and scale impact
- 6 mentorship sessions per social business with Yunus Environment Hub Circular Economy and Impact Measurement Experts
- Peer-to-peer exchange with fellow social businesses and YEHs international networks of circular economy industry leaders and practitioners
- Ongoing visibility for SBs through YEH sessions at global events such as the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) and Catalysing Change Week.
2021-2023 CirculaRise Accelerator Kenya
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) Programme, and Yunus Environment Hub (YEH) launched the CirculaRise Accelerator (formerly Build Back Better Social Business) program to support 25 social businesses in Kenya through the adoption of circular strategies. The program guided social businesses to transform to more circular, resilient, and economically sustainable business growth that prioritized social and environmental sustainability and enhanced greener and long-term employment opportunities.
CirculaRise Kenya Highlights:
- 18 months
- 25 social businesses
- 2 in person trainings, monthly coaching sessions and 6 masterclasses with subject matter experts.
- Pitch day connecting SBs with funders.
- Peer-to-peer exchange with fellow social businesses and YEHs international networks of circular economy industry leaders and practitioners
- Access to extensive network of experts, mentors, and funders
- Ongoing visibility for SBs through YEH sessions at global events such as the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), Social Business Day, Catalysing Change Week.
Contact us if you are interested in running a CirculaRise Accelerator