Visit our SMME Portal to access procurement, funding and development opportunities with Astron Energy through a transparent process of onboarding and the award of opportunities.
Delivering Sustainable and Visible Change
We enable small businesses in the fuel and lubricants value chain.
The Astron Energy Development Fund (AEDF) seeks to bring about sustainable and meaningful change and prosperity for small businesses in the Astron Energy value chain and its linked communities.
We understand that the small and medium-sized enterprise (SMME) sector is crucial to economic growth in South Africa, and indeed our whole continent. Across Africa this sector accounts for more than 90% of businesses and almost 80% of employment. *1 The vast majority of these enterprises are to be found in the informal sector.
Through the AEDF, we aim to support the establishment or growth of existing or potential sustainable local SMMEs, with preference for those from disadvantaged groups; to expand the levels of local procurement of goods and services; and to support inclusive economic growth and employment through the development of digital and business skills for unemployed and school-going youth.
[1] Source: African Development Bank
Delivering Sustainable and Visible Change
We enable small businesses in the fuel and lubricants value chain.
The Astron Energy Development Fund (AEDF) seeks to bring about sustainable and meaningful change and prosperity for small businesses in the Astron Energy value chain and its linked communities.
We understand that the small and medium-sized enterprise (SMME) sector is crucial to economic growth in South Africa, and indeed our whole continent. Across Africa this sector accounts for more than 90% of businesses and almost 80% of employment. *1 The vast majority of these enterprises are to be found in the informal sector.
Through the AEDF, we aim to support the establishment or growth of existing or potential sustainable local SMMEs, with preference for those from disadvantaged groups; to expand the levels of local procurement of goods and services; and to support inclusive economic growth and employment through the development of digital and business skills for unemployed and school-going youth.
[1] Source: African Development Bank
SMME BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Visit our SMME Portal to access procurement, funding and development opportunities with Astron Energy through a transparent process of onboarding and the award of opportunities.
Flagship Programmes
The Astron Energy Development Fund has three flagship programmes
Flagship Programmes
The Astron Energy Development Fund has three flagship programmes
Astron Energy will support new or existing small businesses in the fuel and lubricants value chain through the provision of preferential rate development loans and/or business development support*.
Priority will be given to beneficiaries from disadvantaged groups, e.g., as a result of race, gender, disability, youth and rural location, but no race group will be excluded. Black owned businesses in the refinery By-Products (LPG & Bitumen) and Retail sectors of the liquid fuel value chain are a focus area.
*Business development support extends to training and mentoring in the areas of leadership, strategy, marketing, safety standards, as well as the provision of finance, tax, legal and other services to help establish a firm foundation for each business.
Distress or bridging finance together with business development support* for key small business suppliers and retailers from disadvantaged groups.
*Business development support extends to training and mentoring in the areas of leadership, strategy, marketing, safety standards, as well as the provision of finance, tax, legal and other services to help establish a firm foundation for each business.
This programme is focused on the communities in and around our Astron Energy facilities and those of our key customers.
The AEDF has partnered with two NGO organisations, ORT SA and gold Youth Development Agency, to develop life, digital and entrepreneurial skills in targeted high school students and unemployed youth to empower them towards a sustainable future through greater employability and the skills to become a business owner.
A further aspect of this programme is to support micro business incubation through grants, the development of business skills for micro/small business owners and the formalisation of micro/small businesses so that they can compete for funding/investment.
Astron Energy will support new or existing small businesses in the fuel and lubricants value chain through the provision of preferential rate development loans and/or business development support*.
Priority will be given to beneficiaries from disadvantaged groups, e.g., as a result of race, gender, disability, youth and rural location, but no race group will be excluded. Black owned businesses in the refinery By-Products (LPG & Bitumen) and Retail sectors of the liquid fuel value chain are a focus area.
*Business development support extends to training and mentoring in the areas of leadership, strategy, marketing, safety standards, as well as the provision of finance, tax, legal and other services to help establish a firm foundation for each business.
Distress or bridging finance together with business development support* for key small business suppliers and retailers from disadvantaged groups.
*Business development support extends to training and mentoring in the areas of leadership, strategy, marketing, safety standards, as well as the provision of finance, tax, legal and other services to help establish a firm foundation for each business.
This programme is focused on the communities in and around our Astron Energy facilities and those of our key customers.
The AEDF has partnered with two NGO organisations, ORT SA and gold Youth Development Agency, to develop life, digital and entrepreneurial skills in targeted high school students and unemployed youth to empower them towards a sustainable future through greater employability and the skills to become a business owner.
A further aspect of this programme is to support micro business incubation through grants, the development of business skills for micro/small business owners and the formalisation of micro/small businesses so that they can compete for funding/investment.
OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES
gold Youth Development Agency (gold-youth)
A hybrid non-profit and social enterprise championing youth-led change through a peer education model.
Their goal is to successfully mobilize millions of young Africans in under-resourced communities to become proactive agents of change, with outcomes in social behaviour change, education, and job creation. Their peer education model is based on partnership; collaborating with community-based organizations and governments to implement the gold Programme in high schools and communities.
Out-of-school youth are employed as Facilitator Interns to train and mentor selected teenage opinion leaders called Peer Educators, who in turn train and mentor their Peers and younger children. After 4 years in the programme, these youth have become healthy role-models, are equipped with life skills, and become part of their alumni group, called gold Grads. Here, they’re connected to further study, jobs, internships, or microbusiness entrepreneurship opportunities.
Astron Energy collaborated with gold-youth to improve STEM outcomes for the world of work and to foster social and economic change via micro enterprise incubation activities.
The ORT SA Isihlangu Programme
Astron Energy and the AEDF’s vision is to bring about sustainable visible change and prosperity for small businesses in South African communities. The ORT SA Isihlangu programme aims to secure the future workforce and growth of communities, through upskilling of youth and providing businesses in the communities with business support.
Using a digital skills programme, unemployed youth have the opportunity to become more employable though educational development.
Promoting youth who have ideas in line with the Astron Energy Value chain to partake in an Entrepreneurship program, equipping them with foundation elements to start black owned businesses, women owned business, youth owned business and businesses in rural areas surrounding the Astron Energy facilities.
The program provides further compliance support and mentorship through specialised boot camps as well as individual mentorship, focusing on various aspects of business, including financial planning and management, growth strategy and business modelling and sales, as well as ensuring these micro enterprises are able to compete unassisted in the marketplace, as they would have met the compliance requirements.
OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES
gold Youth Development Agency (gold-youth)
A hybrid non-profit and social enterprise championing youth-led change through a peer education model.
Their goal is to successfully mobilize millions of young Africans in under-resourced communities to become proactive agents of change, with outcomes in social behaviour change, education, and job creation. Their peer education model is based on partnership; collaborating with community-based organizations and governments to implement the gold Programme in high schools and communities.
Out-of-school youth are employed as Facilitator Interns to train and mentor selected teenage opinion leaders called Peer Educators, who in turn train and mentor their Peers and younger children. After 4 years in the programme, these youth have become healthy role-models, are equipped with life skills, and become part of their alumni group, called gold Grads. Here, they’re connected to further study, jobs, internships, or microbusiness entrepreneurship opportunities.
Astron Energy collaborated with gold-youth to improve STEM outcomes for the world of work and to foster social and economic change via micro enterprise incubation activities.
The ORT SA Isihlangu Programme
Astron Energy and the AEDF’s vision is to bring about sustainable visible change and prosperity for small businesses in South African communities. The ORT SA Isihlangu programme aims to secure the future workforce and growth of communities, through upskilling of youth and providing businesses in the communities with business support.
Using a digital skills programme, unemployed youth have the opportunity to become more employable though educational development.
Promoting youth who have ideas in line with the Astron Energy Value chain to partake in an Entrepreneurship program, equipping them with foundation elements to start black owned businesses, women owned business, youth owned business and businesses in rural areas surrounding the Astron Energy facilities.
The program provides further compliance support and mentorship through specialised boot camps as well as individual mentorship, focusing on various aspects of business, including financial planning and management, growth strategy and business modelling and sales, as well as ensuring these micro enterprises are able to compete unassisted in the marketplace, as they would have met the compliance requirements.
Astron Energy Value Chain
Our value chain diagram is to be used as a guide to determine if a business falls within Astron Energy’s value chain:
If your business is in the Astron Energy Value Chain, you could be eligible for support from the Astron Energy Development Fund (AEDF). This value chain includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Our value chain diagram is to be used as a guide to determine if a business falls within Astron Energy’s value chain:
If your business is in the Astron Energy Value Chain, you could be eligible for support from the Astron Energy Development Fund (AEDF). This value chain includes, but is not limited to, the following: