To solve the dual challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon economy and mitigating gender inequalities, Intellecap, with support from IDRC, designed an implementation research program to strengthen Private Sector Enterprises (PSEs) and scale solutions that make agriculture climate-smart and gender-inclusive. The accelerator program supported PSEs providing solutions at the intersection of agriculture/ food systems and climate change. The program offered technical assistance support to 8 PSEs across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania, targeting enterprises across all agricultural sub-sectors including crop farming, fishery, livestock & animal husbandry, and other related areas. The program provided customized support to PSEs, while assisting them to use gender-transformative approaches to scale up their business.

The report highlights the role of women in agriculture value chains and creates an evidence base that establishes the case for channeling capital to PSEs offering climate-smart solutions. The program successfully integrated gender considerations into PSEs’ business models, resulting in more inclusive workplaces, enhanced business performance, and significant positive impacts on women within the value chain. The program outcomes outlined in the report underscore the value of gender mainstreaming in achieving operational and financial success

The report also showcases the 8 PSEs supported as part of the program through individual case studies, which discuss the enterprise business models, support provided to each enterprise, and the outputs and outcomes achieved as a result of the accelerator support. The aim of these case studies is to create a knowledge base that allows impact and gender lens investors to understand the financial and social impact of climate-smart PSEs in the region and encourages them to adopt an explicit gender lens in their investment thesis. Such evidence creation is also expected to enhance gender-awareness amongst ecosystem stakeholders, ultimately directing capital towards meeting SDG targets.