Organized by the Crowdfunding for Youth Entrepreneurship (C4YET) project, the event aimed to equip university lecturers with the tools needed to foster innovative business ideas in Tanzania’s energy sector.
From August 12 to 16, 2024, Mzumbe University in Morogoro, Tanzania, hosted a transformative workshop on entrepreneurship in renewable energy, energy saving, and improved access to energy. The workshop was moderated by Dr. Nsubili Isaga, senior lecturer at Mzumbe University and director of C4YET, along with Professor Dr. Enno Masurel, a full professor in Sustainable Entrepreneurship at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Supported by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and implemented in partnership with Copenhagen Business School and Tanzania's Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO), the C4YET project addresses the financing barriers young Tanzanian entrepreneurs face when seeking traditional bank funding.
Twenty university lecturers—an equal split of male and female participants—received specialized training in using the Business Model Canvas, specifically designed for start-ups and scale-ups. The core objective of the workshop was to guide participants in developing business ideas in renewable energy, energy saving, or enhanced energy access. Participants learned how to create and present slide decks, which they could apply both in their own entrepreneurial ventures and their teaching, empowering students to take similar innovative paths.
Prof. Masurel’s variant of the traditional Business Model Canvas, tailored for start-ups, consists of eight building blocks: Value Proposition and Business Idea, Clients & Client Relations, Financial Plan, Sustainability, Business Environment, Internal Organization, Coach, and Protection. Over five days, participants worked in groups to integrate these concepts into actionable business plans. They received hands-on training in crafting and presenting their slide decks, culminating in group presentations on the final day.
Business ideas generated during the workshop ranged from promoting biogas energy through livestock manure to addressing waste management challenges and sustainable energy solutions for Tanzanian households. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) played a central role in the event, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), with additional attention to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
This workshop is an extension of the Erasmus+ project ‘Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energy,’ which promotes interdisciplinary approaches to renewable energy and entrepreneurship. The project has been recognized as a Best Practice by the European Commission, further validating its impact on regions like Tanzania, where energy challenges are significant.
For more information or to inquire about hosting similar workshops, contact Prof. Dr. Enno Masurel at e.masurel@vu.nl.