Start
Turn an opportunity or business idea into an operating enterprise with a defined market and value-chain role.
BUSINESS BUILDER
Build the business inside a network that can buy from you, supply you and grow with you.
Business Builder is INNOVA's enterprise-development pathway. It combines value-chain cohorts, business support, digitalisation, market access, capital readiness and practical connections to the wider Mela and Waya Waya economy.
Grow
Strengthen an existing business with new buyers, suppliers, capabilities, income streams and market channels.
Connect
Enter a cohort of complementary businesses that can transact with and strengthen one another.
What do I get inside Business Builder?
The programme is built around practical enterprise outcomes, not training for training's sake.
Introductions to businesses already operating within your value chain.
Potential suppliers you can buy inputs, stock, services or logistics from.
Potential businesses you can supply or sell to, based on real value-chain relationships.
Connections to Mela Shopper, Mela vendor retailers, Mela vendor wholesalers and relevant SMEs where your offer fits.
Help identifying additional income streams and commercial opportunities that fit your business scope.
Technical assistance, training and practical business-development support.
Business and operating-plan development, costing, readiness and capital planning.
Business digitalisation and digital-commerce readiness.
Product development, branding, packaging and market-readiness support where relevant.
Access to cooperative barcode and batch-management capabilities supporting GS1 workflows where applicable.
You do not join a random group. You join a value chain.
Cohorts are designed so participants can buy from, supply to, distribute for, service or otherwise strengthen one another.
Inputs & supplyWho provides what the chain needs?
Make & operateWho produces, transforms or delivers?
Package & prepareWho gets the offer market-ready?
Sell & distributeMela, retailers, wholesalers, SMEs and other buyers.
COHORT CYCLE
Business Builder cohorts work in 12-month cycles.
A cohort is structured around a 12-month development and trading cycle. It may be renewed for a further cycle, or extended where an active commissioned project, supply programme or value-chain opportunity needs more time to complete.
MARKET BEFORE THEORY
Training is stronger when there is somewhere to sell.
The wider Mela and Waya Waya economy gives Business Builder a commercial environment: household demand, retail channels, wholesale relationships, other businesses and logistics connections. Opportunities depend on qualification and actual demand; they are not guaranteed orders.
Mela Shopper
Qualifying consumer and vendor routes.
Waya Waya
Aggregated demand and group-buying opportunities.
B2B network
Retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and SMEs.
Build capital readiness as the business grows.
Business Builder Savings and approved finance pathways can support a business-development plan, but finance is assessed — not automatically granted because someone joins a cohort.
SAVE
Build committed capital.
Use the approved Business Builder savings pathway to build startup or expansion capital within the cohort structure.
PREPARE
Strengthen the enterprise.
Improve plans, records, operations, digital readiness, market evidence and the ability to use capital productively.
FINANCE
Access the right capital route.
Qualifying businesses may access INNOVA finance or be assisted toward appropriate external finance, grants, guarantees, supplier credit or investment.
Your business should leave the programme more connected than it entered.
More capable. More visible. Better prepared to transact. Connected to suppliers and buyers. Clearer about where its next income can come from.