Local Ecosystem Facilitator - Kenya

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Local Ecosystem Facilitator - Kenya for a finance, ict, health consultancy assignment financed by UNDP in Kenya.

Aninver Development Partners SL is currently seeking an expert for the position of Local Ecosystem Facilitator - Kenya for a prospective assignment funded by the UNDP. This initiative forms part of a pan-African startup acceleration programme designed to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems, mobilise catalytic capital, and scale early-growth ventures across multiple dynamic markets in sectors including finance, ICT, and health.

The Local Ecosystem Facilitator will play a critical role in driving local stakeholder engagement, ecosystem coordination, and on-the-ground implementation within Kenya. Working closely with local hubs, universities, business networks, and under-represented founder communities, the expert will facilitate seamless field-level execution, ensuring that regional activities effectively connect ventures with local investors, corporates, and key innovation actors.

Aninver is preparing a proposal for this assignment. The selected expert will be part of the proposed team; the engagement is conditional on the contract being awarded to Aninver. The full Terms of Reference for the position are shared with shortlisted candidates.

Objectives of the assignment

• Support local stakeholder engagement and ecosystem coordination in Kenya.
• Drive on-the-ground implementation of acceleration activities, academies, and activation events.
• Engage local universities, hubs, and business networks to foster inclusive participation.
• Connect participating early-stage ventures with relevant local investors, corporates, and ecosystem actors.

Scope of work

• Assist in the local execution of pipeline activation, outreach, and application awareness campaigns beyond capital cities.
• Coordinate logistics and local arrangements for in-country academies, activation weeks, and build sprints.
• Facilitate relationships with local innovation actors, mentors, judges, and institutional partners.
• Support the monitoring and documentation of local programme delivery and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Contribute to country-specific reporting and feedback loops for the overall acceleration programme.

Your role as Local Ecosystem Facilitator - Kenya

• Serve as the primary on-the-ground focal point for local stakeholder engagement and ecosystem coordination in Kenya.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with local tech hubs, academic institutions, and entrepreneurship networks.
• Support the implementation of in-country academies, pitch days, and activation events, ensuring smooth operational workflows.
• Assist in sourcing, screening, and engaging local mentors, judges, and ecosystem participants.
• Collaborate with the core project management team to align local activities with regional milestones and results frameworks.
• Identify and resolve grassroots operational bottlenecks during the deployment of country-specific delivery plans.

Requirements

• Relevant university degree in business, economics, social sciences, or a related field.
• Demonstrated professional experience in entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, or programme management in Kenya.
• Strong familiarity with local stakeholder networks, including tech hubs, incubators, investors, and startup communities.
• Excellent written and spoken English, alongside strong local communication capabilities.
• Proven ability to coordinate events, stakeholder meetings, and multi-actor field activities effectively.
• National of, or based in, the project country

Desirable

• Experience working with international development agencies or UNDP-backed initiatives.
• Prior involvement in scaling early-stage ventures within finance, ICT, or health sectors.
• Established network among local corporate leaders and angel investors in Kenya.

An energetic ecosystem builder with deep roots in Kenya's innovation landscape, possessing exceptional stakeholder management skills and a strong commitment to empowering early-stage entrepreneurs.

Assignment details

• Location: Kenya
• Financed by: UNDP
• Sector: Finance, ict, health
• Estimated duration: 33 months
• Contract: individual consultancy (conditional on award)

About Aninver Development Partners

Aninver is an international development consulting firm headquartered in Spain. It supports governments, development banks, UN agencies and bilateral donors with feasibility studies, technical assistance, evaluations and capacity building across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific, working with a network of international and national experts.

Why apply

• Join a multidisciplinary team on a UNDP-financed project in Kenya.
• Individual consultancy: flexible, output-based engagement with an experienced proposal team.
• Your CV stays in Aninver's expert network for future assignments that match your profile.

How to apply

Sign in (or create a free account) and upload your CV in English. Add your LinkedIn profile, indicative daily rate and availability to speed up the assessment. Aninver will contact the shortlisted candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the position confirmed? The engagement depends on the contract being awarded to Aninver. Shortlisted experts are included in the proposal with their consent.

Can I apply if I am not based in the country? This position requires a national of, or a professional based in, the project country.

What happens with my CV? It is used to assess your fit for this and future positions and is not shared with third parties without your consent.