One Acre Ventures by One Acre Fund
One Acre Ventures invests in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to foster growth while empowering smallholder farmers to thrive in the face of changing climates.
Overcoming Barriers to Smallholder Agricultural Growth
Smallholder farmers face profound challenges due to climate change, limited access to quality inputs, and constrained market opportunities. These barriers hinder their ability to improve yields, reduce post-harvest losses, and secure fair prices for their produce.
We believe that agri-businesses are critical enablers of agricultural transformation, offering the innovation and efficiency needed to support farmers and enhance food systems. However, many agri-SMEs struggle with financing gaps and lack the resources to establish and sustain impactful relationships with smallholders. This results in persistent underinvestment, perpetuating inefficiencies in the agricultural sector.
Empowering Agri-SMEs with Tailored Financing and Support
One Acre Ventures addresses these challenges by bridging critical financing gaps and strengthening resilience across agricultural value chains, particularly in high-impact crops like coffee, avocado, and chili.
One Acre Ventures offers tailored financial solutions to meet the diverse needs of agri-SMEs, ensuring access to growth capital regardless of financial or collateral constraints. These solutions include:
- Designed for businesses with robust financial health and sufficient collateral.
- One Acre Ventures provides straightforward financing for growth and operational needs.
- Designed for SMEs with limited collateral but high potential for growth.
- The loan features innovative repayment models, such as revenue-sharing components.
These financing options support:
- Address (seasonal) cash flow needs.
- Ensure smooth operations throughout the agricultural cycles.
- Enable the acquisition of essential assets, such as storage facilities, machinery, and infrastructure.
- Support long-term productivity and scalability.
The loan tenors range from 1 to 5 years, providing flexible timelines that align with the specific needs of agri-SMEs and their growth trajectories.
In addition to funding, One Acre Ventures provides technical assistance to strengthen business operations and expand the positive impact of agri-SMEs on smallholder farmers. This comprehensive support helps businesses scale sustainably, enhance their market presence, and foster more resilient agricultural ecosystems.
Eligibility Criteria for One Acre Ventures Financing
To qualify for One Acre Ventures financing, SMEs must meet the following requirements at the time of application and throughout the investment period:
- Engagement with Smallholders: Actively work with and directly impact at least 1,000 smallholder farmers.
- Legal Registration: Be legally registered and operating in Uganda or Rwanda.
- Experience: Have at least three years of operational experience in the coffee, chillies or avocado value chains
- Financial Records: Provide a minimum of three years of audited financial statements.
- Compliance: Adhere to national laws, local regulations, and relevant industry licensing standards.
- Financing Needs: Require funding between $ 250,000 and $ 1,000,000 and demonstrate the financial capacity and revenue to repay the loan.
SMEs with a clear focus on expanding their impact on youth, women, and smallholder farmer sourcing are considered strong applicants.
Is Your Agri-Business Ready for Our Financing?
— Smallholder Engagement: You work with smallholder farmers, contributing to their sustainability by directly sourcing from or providing services to them.
— Growth Potential: SMEs that demonstrate potential for significant growth in operations, efficiencies, or market presence.
— Flexible Financing: You are seeking financing options that accommodate your cash flow patterns, with repayment structures tailored to the seasonality of your business.
One Acre Ventures could be the right partner to support your growth.
Apply now