Jiinue Growth Program (JGP)
Target Impact
The program aims to impact 225,000 micro-enterprises and 4,500 small businesses over five years, ultimately generating 500,000 jobs for young people and fostering economic growth and sustainability.
Status: Active
Country
Kenya
Period
2022 - 2027
Industries
Access to Finance
Impact to Date
86%
Over Ksh 686 million in loan capital had been disbursed to an estimated 21,542 borrowers and members of KNCCI, KEPSA and WWN (86 percent of the 25,000 MSEs targeted).
43,000
CRRP sustained nearly 43,000 jobs for two months over the course of the program year.
Partnership Focus
This program aims to bridge the funding gap for Kenya’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Various organizations (partners) in the entrepreneurial ecosystem coordinate financial support, entrepreneurship training, and business development support for young people.
Led by Grassroots Business Fund (GBF) and bringing together six organizations – Kenya National Chamber of Commerce (KNCCI), GROOTs Kenya, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), 4G Capital, DT Global, and Powered by People (PBP) – JGP’s collaborative effort demonstrates a new approach to addressing challenges facing MSMEs in Kenya by utilizing non-traditional channels to drive sustainable growth.
The program addresses obstacles women-led and young men-led enterprises face, including limited business skills, networks, and access to financial resources. JGP addresses these challenges by providing financial aid (ranging from KES 10,000 [$62*] to KES 14 million [$86,050*] per enterprise), technical guidance, and ecosystem coordination.
The program applies various approaches, including:
- Young people-centred approach – Exclusively targets entrepreneurs aged 18-35, recognizing the hurdles and opportunities young people face in business.
- Financial support—Access to funding through grants, loans, and other financial instruments tailored to young people-led microenterprises’ specific needs and aspirations.
- Technical assistance – Comprehensive support through mentorship, training, and capacity-building programs to empower young entrepreneurs with the skills needed for success.
- Ecosystem coordination – JGP acts as a consortium, bringing together six partners, each contributing distinct expertise and resources to create a unified and effective support system.
In Partnership With
Grassroot Business Fund (GBF) empowers high-impact Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Its mission is to economically uplift these SMEs by providing investment capital and access to technical assistance services. Support targets competitive companies with business models that enhance income and reduce costs in low-income communities.
4G Capital is licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya and the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority as a Digital Credit Provider. Its mission is to grow business with capital and knowledge.
Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) is a membership-based trade support institution working to protect the commercial and industrial interests of the Kenyan business community. It advocates for creating a favourable commercial, trade and investment environment that supports enterprise expansion. The membership of KNCCI constitutes small, micro enterprises (MSEs), medium and large enterprises.
GROOTS Kenya is a national movement of grassroots, women-led, community-based organizations and self-help groups in Kenya. It was founded in 1995, after the fourth UN Conference on Women in Beijing, China. It aims to address the lack of visibility of grassroots women in development processes and decision-making forums that affect them and their communities.
Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is the apex organization in Kenya’s private sector. KEPSA brings together local and foreign business associations, chambers of commerce, professional bodies, corporates from multinational companies, medium, SMEs, and start-ups from all sectors of the economy to enable them to speak with one voice when engaging government, development partners and other stakeholders on cross-cutting policy issues and programs for social – economic development of the country.
Powered by People (PBP) enables independent, diverse makers and brands by providing access to markets, financing, and digital tools. PBP works to provide sustainable economic opportunities to independent makers by providing them access to the global economy.