The initiative seeks to support six social enterprises working to enhance women's livelihoods in low-income countries to develop an impactful chat service on WhatsApp to strengthen and scale their work.
Yes. It is a pre-requirement that you have a Live WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) on the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) before the commencement of the Accelerator. Turn.io can assist with onboarding if needed.
We prefer organisations with a live WhatsApp Business Account and are ready to scale via WhatsApp.
Certainly not, but we need to be confident that you have a committed and agile team with a suitable starting point and the tenacity and ability to iterate and learn. You will receive input during the 18-month accelerator to help you grow and achieve your goals. Right now, we are interested in why you are the right team to support and invest in.
Organisations working in Kenya, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Uganda, Senegal, and Nigeria are invited to apply.
It does not matter how many languages you operate, but it matters that your program has a clear roadmap on who it is serving and why you are doing it in specific languages.
No, both small and big, tech-savvy or new-to-digital organisations can use WhatsApp successfully.
However you must have the capacity i.e team and time to commit to building and scaling your WhatsApp service.
You must have a strong business case/theory of change for using digital messaging such as Chat to benefit low-income women entrepreneurs or women in the workforce.
Month 1: Work closely with the Turn.io team to create a ready-to-go-live Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Month 2: Attend training and prepare for handover to take ownership of your chat service.
Month 3: Receive Growth and Iteration guidance from Turn.io to grow your chat service.
Month 4 - Month 18:
Quarterly learning sessions:
The ideal combination is a business lead (i.e. a team member with a strategic focus and decision-making ability) and a technical lead (i.e. an operational, hands-on team member responsible for implementing your service).
Organisations will receive the Accelerator agenda beforehand and be allowed to invite additional team members to specific sessions as needed.
Apart from the time commitment explained above, you will require a computer with internet access and sufficient data to attend all virtual sessions on a conference tool such as Zoom. Ideally, your connection and data will allow you to attend the sessions with your video.
It is a selection criteria to have a live WABA account. So please note that your application will only be selected if you have an existing WABA. If a WhatsApp service is not a strategic objective for your organisation for 2024, then there will be other times for you to apply for the Accelerator.
Yes, but the Chat for Impact Accelerator will be focused on building services for the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) only. Therefore, if you plan on scaling your service to use the API, there are better times to apply.
Turn.io is hosting the Accelerator, and you will receive a Turn License for the duration of the Accelerator. All hands-on sessions will be on the Turn.io platform. You are not obligated to use them as your Business Solution Provider (BSP) after the Accelerator.
The WhatsApp Business API powers communication with users worldwide so that you can connect with them on WhatsApp in a simple, secure, and reliable way.
The WhatsApp Business API is a paid product. However, as part of the Accelerator, you will be granted a subsidised license for up to 18 months; further use of the API may result in monthly fees and/or messaging fees.
WhatsApp is designed for simple, secure and reliable messaging. This includes one-on-one communication and chatbots with a clear escalation path to a human. Please refer to the WhatsApp Commerce Policy and WhatsApp Business Policy to familiarise yourself with the types of messages that are and are not allowed on the WhatsApp Business API.
Business Service Providers (BSPs) are third-party solution providers with expertise in the WhatsApp Business API. These BSPs can help you communicate with your customers on WhatsApp for the approved use cases of customer support and time-sensitive, personalised notifications.
We may or may not do this in the future again.
No. If you were part of last year's Accelerator cohort, your application will not be considered.
Yes, you may apply, but remember, government entities, agencies and institutions will not be considered.
The Chat for Women’s Livelihood Accelerator seeks to support organisations harnessing the power of cutting-edge chat technology, AI, and Large Language Models (LLMs) to build a service that will economically empower women entrepreneurs or women in the workforce. The chat services, enriched with features like payments and learning modules, will aim to enhance women's income opportunities and skills, contributing to bridging the digital divide experienced by women.
Focus Area
Economic Empowerment: Enhancing skills, education, healthcare, and market access for women.
Digital Inclusion: Increasing access to digital marketing, payments, and other essential tools.
Addressing Gender Barriers: Accelerating social enterprises working towards reducing gender gaps.
There is no straightforward answer to this question as there are various factors, and the program is highly competitive e.g. if you didn’t answer all the questions or did not follow the application guidelines.
Nothing stops you from applying for a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) through any Business Service Provider (BSP) or to start using the WhatsApp Business App. Furthermore, if we ever host another Chat for Impact Accelerator and Summit, you are more than welcome to apply again.
You will receive email communication from us on whether you were successful or not. However, we will not provide detailed feedback on why your application was successful or unsuccessful.
All applications received by midnight on 31 January 2024 GMT will be considered.
