CRDB Foundation, GIZ launch Sh3bn fund for entrepreneurs
CRDB Bank Foundation Managing Director, Tully Mwambapa (left) speaks during the launch of the entrepreneurship fund yesterday. With her is GIZ’s Acting Head of the Ye2 Employment Project, Dennis Mbangulla.. PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT
Entrepreneurs from Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and Morogoro, are encouraged to apply, demonstrating how their businesses will promote decent jobs and environmentally sustainable practices
Dar es Salaam. The CRDB Bank Foundation (CBF), in partnership with the German development agency GIZ, has launched a funding window worth over Sh3 billion to support youth- and women-owned businesses across Tanzania.
The initiative, announced yesterday, 2025, links CBF’s Imbeju programme with GIZ’s Ajira Ye2 project. It offers business management training, financial literacy, and start-up capital to young and women entrepreneurs.
CBF Managing Director, Ms Tully Esther Mwambapa, said the funding window aims to strengthen micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), generate employment, and boost household incomes.
“For a long time, CRDB Bank Foundation has conducted seminars for the public. Our partnership with GIZ, however, seeks to transform the lives of women and youth.
Together, we have allocated over Sh3 billion to benefit 325 businesses, which are expected to create 510 additional jobs within a year of receiving support,” she said.
Entrepreneurs, particularly from Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and Morogoro, are encouraged to apply, demonstrating how their businesses will promote decent jobs and environmentally sustainable practices.
Ms Tully noted that eligible businesses differ by region. In Dar es Salaam, priority sectors include agriculture, recycling and waste management, renewable energy, environmentally conscious construction, and the clean energy value chain.
In Zanzibar, priority areas include fish farming, seaweed cultivation, natural products such as spices and cosmetics, tourism, and environmental protection. In Morogoro, applicants should focus on climate-smart agriculture, agro-processing, and eco-friendly packaging.
Successful applicants will attend business management seminars, receive professional mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, participate in trade exhibitions, and access start-up capital of up to Sh30 million.
To strengthen entrepreneurs’ capacities, CBF will collaborate with government agencies including the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA), Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO), and the National Institute of Transport (NIT).
The application window opened on September 16, 2025 and will close at 11:59pm on 16 October 2025. Forms are available at all CRDB Bank branches in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, and Zanzibar, and can also be submitted via the CRDB Bank Foundation website.
Acting Project Manager at GIZ, Dennis Mbangulla, said the partnership builds on the WE4D programme launched in 2024 to empower women, particularly in green sectors, with support from Norway’s development agency (NRAD) and the European Union (EU).
He added that the collaboration with CRDB Bank Foundation aims to support youth- and women-led businesses, fostering inclusive economic growth.
