Pacific Greenpreneurs 2022 Incubator Program Kicks-off in 6 Pacific Island Countries
Fiji participants from the Pacific Greenpreneurs 2022 Incubator during the kick-off workshop on day 2
Suva, Fiji, 5th October 2022, Seventy-eight enterprises from six countries were invited to attend the Pacific Greenpreneurs 2022 Incubator orientation, kick off workshops and networking events held by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)’s Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN). The in-person events were held between 21st September to 1st October in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, facilitated by the consultants in Fiji and Kiribati and implementing partners, Emstret Space (E-Space) in PNG, Samoa Business Hub (SBH) in Samoa, Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) in Tonga and Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Vanuatu.
Participating green enterprises are purpose-driven, with social and/or environmental missions and represent a diverse range of sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, circular economy & waste management, clean energy, eco-tourism, education & IT, construction & consulting. Fifty-eight percent of the ‘Greenpreneurs’ cohort are women-led and additionally 58% are youth-led enterprises.
The Pacific Greenpreneurs joined the first in a series of regional live webinars on Tuesday 4th October which allowed them to get a better understanding of regional green businesses and build onto their networks. The participants will continue to attend weekly webinars, group coaching, mentoring and 1-1 coaching sessions. The program will culminate in a business plan competition in which 20 winning Greenpreneurs will each receive USD $5,000 in funding to implement their sustainable green enterprise plans.
The Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN) is a 3 year regional program implemented by GGGI and funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) with the aim of catalyzing green and inclusive job growth by supporting ‘Greenpreneurs’ to develop their green and sustainable business models to contribute to their countries climate and sustainable development goals in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
The first Pacific Greenpreneurs Incubator program ran from October 2021 to March 2022 and provided support to 68 early-stage green enterprises, with USD $100,000 disbursed as seed grant funding to 20 winning enterprises to carry out their business plans.
The upcoming Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator program will be launched in the coming month and will target high growth potential green enterprises, offering repayable grants of up to USD$50,000, investor linkages, training and mentorship opportunities to support private sector growth in the region.
GGGI acknowledges the support of the Qatar Fund for Development, consultants and its partners for the support and coordination of this regional project.
Visit www.pacificgreenpreneurs.com for up-to-date information on the PGEN program and subscribe to PGEN’s mailing list.
About Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI):
Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization that supports governments of developing countries to transition to a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. GGGI delivers programs in over 40 partner countries with technical support, capacity building, policy planning & implementation, and by helping to build a pipeline of bankable green investment projects. More on GGGI’s events, projects, and publications can be found on www.gggi.org and follow GGGI on Twitter and join us on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
About Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD):
Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) is a Qatari public institution committed, on behalf of the State of Qatar, to implement foreign aid projects by international best practices and standards.
Since 2012, QFFD has been providing aid to many countries in accordance with the international cooperation goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. Its primary goal is to achieve inclusive and sustainable development by addressing global priority issues in education, health, and economic development. In this context, priority is given to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
• SDG 3: "Ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all";
• SDG 4: "Ensuring fair and inclusive education for all and enhancing lifelong learning for all";
• SDG 8: "Promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and keeping full and productive employment and decent work for all."
To realize the optimal development impact, QFFD projects are also designed to have cross-cutting co-benefits within SDG (2) on "Zero hunger" and SDG (6) on "Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all" in addition to SDG (17) on "Partnerships to Achieve Goals."
QFFD cooperates with many reputable actors through strategic partnerships both locally and internationally. These include Civil Society Organizations, government agencies, UN agencies, and the private sector.
