Ignite was the non-profit arm of FACTS and was set up to work with (mainly) Agri-SMEs to strengthen their operations.
Context
FACTS was experiencing serious skill gaps in the SMEs it was working with (financing). As a form of Non-Financial Services (NFS) it was decided to help entrepreneurs on their professionalization journey.
Challenge
It is exactly in this Acceleration Phase when the complexities of running a business increase rapidly – and when the risk of derailment is a constant threat. FACTS has a direct interest in working with strong and well managed clients – and that is why it wanted to contribute to building better companies. The IGNITE seminars were intended as eye-openers and catalyzing an ambition to excel.
Solution
As a form of Non-Financial Services (NFS), ten one-day seminars were organized with a multitude of speakers (Business Development Solution providers) active in three clusters: Marketing, Operations, Finance. Each speaker addressed a particular subject from a neutral academic angle and got the opportunity to promote its own services through a marketplace that was set-up outside the plenary meeting room. The concept proofed hugely successful and was scaled to Uganda and Tanzania.