Premièrement, la compréhension fine du marché est déterminante. Une PME qui connaît précisément ses segments de clients, leurs contraintes, leur pouvoir d’achat et leurs attentes inspire davantage confiance qu’un projet reposant sur des hypothèses générales. Les investisseurs cherchent des entreprises qui réduisent l’incertitude.

Deuxièmement, la démonstration tangible de l’impact est devenue incontournable. Il ne s’agit plus seulement d’annoncer des intentions (sécurité alimentaire, revenus des producteurs, nutrition), mais de présenter des résultats mesurables : volumes transformés, nombre de bénéficiaires, amélioration des revenus, création d’emplois, etc. La capacité à structurer ces données et à les suivre régulièrement est un signal fort de professionnalisme.

Troisièmement, la progression continue – même à petite échelle – est souvent plus convaincante qu’un plan ambitieux mais non testé. Les investisseurs valorisent les PME capables de montrer des preuves de concept, des ajustements stratégiques et une capacité d’apprentissage rapide.

Enfin, un facteur souvent sous-estimé est la qualité de la gouvernance et de la gestion financière. Une comptabilité claire, des processus internes structurés et une vision stratégique cohérente rassurent fortement les partenaires financiers.

En résumé, l’accès au financement se construit bien en amont : il repose sur la capacité de la PME à transformer son activité en une “histoire crédible basée sur des preuves”, combinant performance économique, impact mesurable et discipline de gestion.

So many times, we get Excel sheets that are so precise it's almost unbelievable. Rates of return that would make a Swiss banker blush, I'm telling you. And then well-rehearsed speeches about food security and the continent's huge potential. But when you dig a little, when you really ask: "Who exactly are you going to sell to?" — then, nothing. Or just vague sentences said with so much confidence they sound like truths. "Demand is strong. The market is promising. We have contacts."

But listen to me: that is not a market study. It's a wish. About as solid as a wish upon a shooting star.

The problem runs deep. A lot of farmers or food processors in Africa build their project backwards. First, they calculate how much they're going to produce. Then they list all the costs, put together nice revenue projections. And it's only when they've already started planting or manufacturing that they turn around and look for someone to sell to. But by then, the money is already spent, monthly costs keep piling up, and the market… nobody really checked it beforehand.

A serious project, one that deserves investment, has to be able to answer a few simple questions. Questions backed by numbers, not just empty words. For example: what is the real, solvent demand — the one that can actually pay — in the area where you're planning to sell? Who are your buyers, and have they actually committed, or are you just hoping they'll show up? At what price is the market willing to buy your product — not the price you need to be profitable, no, the price people are truly ready to pull out of their pockets? And then your competitors, those selling the same thing as you or something close, what are they doing, and what market share can you realistically expect?

This isn't some exercise just to impress a marketing expert. It's the basic condition for any project to survive past the first harvest, past the first season.

Financiers know all of this by heart. And that's exactly why so many applications get rejected. Not because the idea itself is bad, but because the person behind the project couldn't show that they know their market better than anyone else.

Producing without having validated your market turns an agricultural project into a gamble. And banks, investors, financial institutions — they don't fund gambles. What they want are written, documented, verifiable certainties.

So if you have a project in agriculture or agribusiness, ask yourself this question tonight, quietly. Do I really know my buyers? Or am I just assuming they exist, without any real proof? Trust me, the answer you give yourself says everything about the true strength of your file.

👉 Funding is not just about applying it’s about building.
👉 And it often starts long before meeting investors.

For many agrifood SMEs, the journey to finance is shaped by:

• how well you understand your customers
• how clearly you demonstrate impact
• and how consistently you build and show your progress

📌 In your experience:

• What has helped you move closer to funding?
• What challenges are you still facing in accessing finance?

💡 Let’s open the discussion share your insights, questions or advice. Your experience can support others in the community.

🎥 Want to dive deeper into these insights?

Watch the full session here in English or in French

Le COLEAD, à travers son programme Fit For Market Plus (FFM+), organise un webinaire en français consacré aux fondamentaux du business plan dans le secteur agroalimentaire.

Cette session vous permettra de mieux comprendre :

• pourquoi le plan d’affaires est un outil essentiel ;
• quelles sont les rubriques clés à y inclure ;
• comment le rendre plus clair, plus solide et plus convaincant ;
• et de poser vos questions en direct aux experts.

📅 28 avril 2026
🕛 12:00 – 12:45 (UTC)
🌍 En français

👉 Inscrivez-vous ici : https://tinyurl.com/3psx6485