Call for Applications: Join the Building Inclusive & Resilient Enterprises (BIRE) Programme for early-stage and small businesses
Application Deadline: 15 January 2026
Call for Applications: Join the Building Inclusive & Resilient Enterprises (BIRE) Programme for early-stage and small businesses
Are you a small, early and emerging business ready to grow?
The Building Inclusive & Resilient Enterprises (BIRE) Programme, implemented by Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HIH EA), is where your business journey takes root.
The BIRE programme will take 350 early-stage businesses under its wing, equip them with the essential tools, skills, and systems needed to move from survival to sustainability.
This support is specifically designed for early-stage and small businesses that need:
- Business skills & financial literacy
- Enterprise formalization support
- Digital tools for record keeping & sales
- Market exposure
- Small catalytic grants where applicable
Overview
The Building Inclusive & Resilient Enterprises (BIRE) Programme is a comprehensive capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen the competitiveness, inclusiveness, and resilience of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Africa. By equipping business owners and entrepreneurs with practical tools, strategic insights, and support networks, BIRE enables enterprises to thrive in dynamic economic environments and contribute meaningfully to job creation, innovation, and sustainable development.
This programme is particularly impactful for underrepresented entrepreneurs — including women, youth, and rural business leaders — who face systemic challenges in accessing training, markets, and financial stability.
What Is the BIRE Programme?
The Building Inclusive and Resilient Enterprises (BIRE) Programme is a strategic enterprise development and empowerment initiative that focuses on holistic support for SMEs. The programme’s core aim is to develop enterprises that are not only profitable but also socially inclusive and resilient to economic shocks, digital disruption, and market volatility.
BIRE combines capacity building, market linkage facilitation, technical assistance, and policy advocacy to strengthen both the internal capabilities of businesses and their external ecosystems.
Why the BIRE Programme Matters
SMEs are the backbone of Africa’s economy, generating jobs, driving innovation, and enabling community development. However, many face persistent challenges:
- Limited access to finance and capital
- Weak institutional business planning
- Inadequate knowledge of digital transformation
- Constraints in market access and value chain participation
- Limited capacity to respond to shocks and uncertainty
The BIRE Programme is designed to tackle these barriers by building inclusive business practices, strengthening organizational resilience, and facilitating access to skills and networks that accelerate growth.
Key Components of the BIRE Programme
✔ Training & Capacity Building
Entrepreneurs receive hands-on training in areas such as:
- Business strategy and planning
- Financial management and sustainability
- Digital transformation and e-commerce readiness
- Marketing and brand development
- Risk management and enterprise resilience
These modules are tailored to both start-ups and growing enterprises and are delivered through workshops, webinars, and expert coaching.
✔ Inclusive Business Development
BIRE helps enterprises design products, services, and business models that are inclusive of marginalized groups, including:
- Women and women-led enterprises
- Youth entrepreneurs
- Micro enterprises in rural and peri-urban areas
- Persons with disabilities
The focus on inclusion ensures that economic growth is equitable and empowering.
✔ Market Linkages & Ecosystem Support
The programme connects enterprises with:
- Regional and international markets
- Investors and financial partners
- Industry associations and trade networks
- Buyers, suppliers, and value chain partners
By facilitating linkages, BIRE helps businesses expand reach, diversify revenue streams, and access opportunities beyond local markets.
✔ Resilience & Risk Preparedness
BIRE equips enterprises with systems thinking and resilience planning tools to:
- Navigate economic uncertainty
- Respond to supply chain disruptions
- Integrate climate and environmental risk considerations
- Build agility into business operations
Resilient enterprises are better positioned to survive crises and capitalize on new opportunities.
Who Should Join the BIRE Programme?
The programme is ideal for:
- Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners seeking to improve competitiveness
- Entrepreneurs ready to scale operations and enter new markets
- Women and youth-led enterprises looking for inclusive business support
- Social enterprises with impact-driven goals
- Start-ups and micro enterprises aiming to strengthen business fundamentals
- Business support organizations or incubators seeking enhanced capacity tools
How to Get Involved
Entrepreneurs interested in the BIRE Programme should monitor calls for applications through official channels or partner networks. Eligibility criteria typically include:
- Registration and operation of a formal SME
- Demonstrated commitment to inclusive practices
- A desire to scale or strengthen business performance
- Willingness to engage in programme training and ecosystem activities
The Building Inclusive & Resilient Enterprises (BIRE) Programme represents a major opportunity for African entrepreneurs to unlock growth, enhance resilience, and broaden impact. Through tailored training, market connections, inclusive business support, and resilience frameworks, the programme prepares businesses not just to survive — but to thrive in a changing economic landscape.
If you are an SME leader ready to take your business to the next level, the BIRE Programme offers the tools, networks, and knowledge to achieve sustainable success.
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