In the framework of the Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2012 (AFIF102), entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa will be promoted through the Project Incubator Award, which is open to all delegates participating in AFIF 2012.

The Project Incubator Award will be sponsored this year by Venture Capital for Africa (VC4A), a global platform connecting entrepreneurs and investors throughout Africa, and in partnership with the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (Hivos), a leading Dutch organization with a worldwide presence, and held in collaboration with EMRC in order to promote entrepreneurs across Africa.

The Forum, entitled "Financial inclusion through SMEs & Cooperatives," is promoted by EMRC and held in partnership withRabobank at the Rabobank Headquarters, the Netherlands, from June17-19, 2012.

VC4Africa has members in 159 countries and more than 400 entrepreneurs have registered their business online from over 30 African countries. Members of VC4Africa also meet offline at VC4Africa meetups, informal networking meetings that have been hosted in more than 35 cities around the world.

According to Ben White, VC4Africa's Founder, "Internet and Mobile penetration rates are increasing in Africa at an amazing clip. There are nearly 1 billion people in Africa. According to the ITU, already 9.6 percent of the population has access to the Internet. In some countries the penetration rates are increasing at hundreds if not thousands of percent a year." He adds, "It is simply a matter of time before the bulk of the African population is connected to the web via either PC or Mobile."

With two leading organizations associated to this year's Award, the winner and nominees will receive increased international recognition and the opportunity to expand their global contacts. The award is presided by a panel of international experts, with the winner receiving a cash prize of $15,000 and the much-needed international media spotlight. The Project Incubator Award has become a defining moment at all EMRC Forums. Throughout the years unique business projects have been put forward and acclaimed by participants and panelists and the international media.

The latest winner, EverlyneCherobon, head of Emeden Kenya, won the award at EMRC-UNDP AgriBusiness Forum 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa and her reaction speaks volumes about the award. "Winning the prize was a defining moment for me and my business. It is difficult to put in words, exactly how I felt when my project emerged the winner," she explains. "Being recognized in front of my peers by international experts and financiers and getting my company names across international media is mind-blowing and very good for my business."

Suzanne Marie Belemtougri won the award during the AfDB-EMRC SME Forum in Lisbon in June 2011. According to her, her win "will incite the future competitiveness of women entrepreneurs and even male entrepreneurs because my presentation set a tone and even generated enthusiasm from a large number of EMRC participants to be even more focused and to invest better in their businesses and projects. This will also put a spotlight on women entrepreneurs due to the numerous congratulatory messages and contacts that this award has created for me."

This year's AFIF Forum will gather leading global representatives from a variety of sectors to highlight the financial tools, solutions and growing policy trends to ensure Africa's economic growth for Africa's small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. The discussions and proposals to be highlighted at the forum are essential for a cross section of African sectors to establish their full economic potential.

A growing number of organizations and businesses will be present at AFIF 2012, such as FMO - Rabo Development - Rabobank Foundation - IFC, World Bank - IFAD - AfDB (African Development Bank) - Centenary Bank - Shell Foundation – GIZ (German International Cooperation Organisation) - Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovations - Oikocredit - FARA - Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation - Clifford Chance - Wageningen University – Agriterra - HEINEKEN - I&P - Hivos – AFRACA - AMSCO - Rectory Foods, Ltd – AFRACA (African Rural & Agriculture Credit Association) - Global Development Cooperative - Centenary Bank - among many others from Africa, Europe, America and Asia.

AFIF 2012 will provide a platform for new and improved financial tools to be spotlighted, with a particular focus on mechanisms adapted and unique to the African business model. Business-to-business (B2B) meetings which are tailor-made to ensure maximum business partnership success will be organized over two days. Previous forums have seen over 1,000 of these meetings set up over a two-day period. The international media will spotlight the various speakers and interview a select group of participants to highlight regional and local business ideas and trends.

The first two days of the Forum will be held in Utrecht and the third day will be held in partnership with Food First, which includes guided visits to one of the world's biggest Horticultural Expo - Floriade 2012 (Venlo-Netherlands), organized once every 10 years.

(Interested participants are urged to contact EMRC International and book a place for AFIF 2012.  Please contact info@emrc.be )