Applications are open for start-ups interested in participating in a four-month high-impact business accelerator program. This program is run by the British Council in partnership with Seed Academy and the Social Enterprise Academy.
The partnership launched the first ever fully-funded, high-impact, social enterprise accelerator for 120 creatives based in Cape Town and Johannesburg at the start of 2019. With the first cohort of 40 already in class (20 in Cape Town and 20 in Johannesburg), the call for the second cohort of start-ups (40 in total) and one cohort of growth enterprises is now out!
Based at the vibrant Guga S’thebe cultural center in Langa, in the Cape, and at the equally enterprising Impact Hub in Rosebank, Gauteng, the program is designed to support creative social enterprises that are at the ideation and growth stages to build or enhance their business models. It also aims at bringing social impact to the forefront of their work. Scheduled for two full days a month, the program includes practical workshops. Also, it is supported by coaching and mentoring from international and local creative social enterprise experts and industry veterans. The programs run consecutively in three groups of 20 entrepreneurs per region. These entrepreneurs will graduate in December 2019.
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All eligible applicants need to be active in the creative and cultural industries. They may be a start-up or growth enterprise looking for mentoring and are committed to social entrepreneurial or community ventures. Entrepreneurs should have a great idea for a creative business with social impact, or should already be running a creative social enterprise and ready to scale.
Creative social enterprises selected so far include those operating in the performing arts, creative arts, digital and graphic design, textile and industrial design, craft, tourist and film, and television industries.
Aspiring and established creative social entrepreneurs, particularly in Gauteng, who have not yet applied, are invited to apply for the second intake.
Applications for Cohort 2 will close on 31 May 2019 and are now open on www.impactmakersandcreators.co.za.
