{"id":65828,"date":"2025-10-31T15:10:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T15:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opportunitiesforyouth.org\/?p=65828"},"modified":"2025-10-31T15:10:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T15:10:29","slug":"sanad-elevateher-program-empowering-women-led-startups-across-mena-and-sub-saharan-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/?p=65828","title":{"rendered":"SANAD ElevateHer Program: Empowering Women-Led Startups Across MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Seedstars and the SANAD Fund for MSME have officially launched the SANAD ElevateHer Program, a new initiative designed to empower women-led startups and gender-inclusive businesses across the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Women entrepreneurs in these regions continue to face barriers in accessing finance, with an estimated $42 billion funding gap. The SANAD ElevateHer Program aims to bridge this gap by providing capacity building, investment readiness training, and direct access to investors \u2014 helping women-led ventures scale and strengthen their impact.<\/p>\n<h2>Program Objectives<\/h2>\n<p>The SANAD ElevateHer Program seeks to advance gender-inclusive innovation by equipping female founders with the skills, tools, and networks needed to thrive in competitive markets. Supported by Seedstars\u2019 SMART\u2122 Methodology and the SIGMA\u2122 Platform, the program delivers a data-driven, practical, and measurable approach to business growth.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Benefits of the SANAD ElevateHer Program<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Tailored Capacity Building and Mentorship<br \/>\nReceive workshops, personalized coaching, and sector-specific guidance to refine your business model and growth strategy.<\/li>\n<li>Investor and Partner Access<br \/>\nGain connections to a curated network of 500+ investors, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners across MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa.<\/li>\n<li>Access to the SIGMA\u2122 Platform<br \/>\nUtilize Seedstars\u2019 proprietary digital tools to measure progress, test business models, and manage impact through data-driven insights.<\/li>\n<li>Impact Measurement and Gender-Lens Integration<br \/>\nLearn how to design inclusive products, integrate gender-focused KPIs, and scale women-centered innovation.<\/li>\n<li>Visibility and Storytelling Opportunities<br \/>\nShowcase your startup through Seedstars\u2019 global channels, media features, and case studies to enhance your brand exposure.<\/li>\n<li>Regional and Global Exposure<br \/>\nParticipate in regional competitions, networking events, and accelerator showcases to gain recognition and new market connections.<\/li>\n<li>Strategic Partnerships<br \/>\nCollaborate with corporates, development organizations, and investors supporting women entrepreneurship and inclusive business growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Who Can Apply?<\/h2>\n<p>The SANAD ElevateHer Program is open to women-led startups or startups with a strong gender lens, operating in the MENA and Sub-Saharan African regions.<\/p>\n<h2>Eligibility Criteria:<\/h2>\n<p>Leadership: Women-led or gender-inclusive ventures (meeting 2X criteria for women in ownership, leadership, or customers)<\/p>\n<p>Stage: Early to growth stage (minimum viable product or early traction required)<\/p>\n<p>Revenue: Annual revenue \u2264 USD 1 million<\/p>\n<p>Business Model: For-profit, tech-enabled, and impact-driven<\/p>\n<p>Eligible Countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, Yemen, Palestinian Territories, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, and Senegal<\/p>\n<p>Joining the SANAD ElevateHer Program means becoming part of a regional ecosystem that actively champions women\u2019s entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive economic growth. Backed by Seedstars\u2019 proven experience in emerging markets, this program provides entrepreneurs with a platform to achieve measurable, lasting change.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Apply<\/h2>\n<p>Seedstars is a global organization that supports early-stage entrepreneurs in emerging markets through investment, acceleration, and capacity building programs.<\/p>\n<p>The SANAD Fund for MSME, managed by Finance in Motion, fosters economic development and job creation across the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa by promoting access to finance for micro, small, and medium enterprises \u2014 with a strong focus on inclusion and gender equity.<\/p>\n<p>Applications are now open for women-led startups and gender-inclusive businesses across MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n<h4>Deadline: 26 November 2025<\/h4>\n<h4>Apply here:<a href=\"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appsG5DlsGNoCqnDO\/pagEclQPipDacaN8T\/form\"> Application<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4>For more information: <a href=\"https:\/\/sanad.seedstars.com\/\">SANAD<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4>For more opportunities: <a href=\"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/\">Opportunities for Youth<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seedstars and the SANAD Fund for MSME have officially launched the SANAD ElevateHer Program, a new initiative designed to empower women-led startups and gender-inclusive businesses across the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Women entrepreneurs in these regions continue to face barriers in accessing finance, with an estimated $42 billion funding gap. The SANAD&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65829,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,31,38,40,26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-65828","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-africa","8":"category-continent","9":"category-fellowship","10":"category-jobs","11":"category-middle-east","12":"article","13":"","15":"has-excerpt","16":"has-avatar","17":"has-author","18":"has-nickname","19":"has-date","20":"has-comment-count","21":"has-category-meta","22":"has-read-more","23":"has-title","24":"has-post-media","25":"thumbnail-","26":"has-tfm-share-icons"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65828\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/65829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/opportunitiesconnect.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}