The Client
A climate research consortium supported by more than 40 public and private organisations. Their work is delivered through a network of international agricultural research centres, including their East & Southern African regional office, which commissioned The Rallying Cry Advisory in February 2023.
The Challenge
We were brought in to assist with the implementation of an accelerator program, supporting two cohorts of SMEs to build capacity on climate-smart agriculture, gender inclusion and access to finance. The aim was to de-risk agribusiness SMEs and raise their profile with investors by combining climate technical assistance and investor-readiness support.
Our Solution
Through our collaborative approach, we helped the client identify process gaps and co-create solutions to address these.
We designed tools and systems to implement and evaluate the program, gathering learning to inform future iterations.
Our services included delivery of 1:1 founder coaching, technical assistance and peer learning workshops. We also supported participant businesses in developing action plans and business model canvases. We loved designing and facilitating investor pitch events.
Our Impact
We effectively implemented the accelerator on time and within budget and scope.
With our support, the first cohort of agribusiness SMEs successfully built gender and climate capacity and raised follow on capital, mobilising USD $11 million in debt, equity, blended finance and grants. Cohort 2 completed in Dec 2024 and is currently under evaluation.
Based on the successful outputs, The Rallying Cry Advisory was single-sourced to design and implement a hackathon project for the client.