The Embassy of the Netherlands in Egypt has announced it will start accepting applications for its “Orange Corners” entrepreneurial programme in Cairo and Assiut late July or early August.
The initiative, set to begin in September, includes incubation programmes. It looks to provide young entrepreneurs in Egypt with training, networks, and facilities they need to start and grow their businesses.
Each programme will provide repeating six-month entrepreneurial training cycles for 15 entrepreneurs at a time, providing special attention to self-starters in agriculture and the creative sector. The poramme is set to ensure a minimum of 50% participation from female entrepreneurs.
Laurens Westhoff, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Egypt, said, “The Netherlands promotes an ambitious aid, trade and investment policy aimed at finding win-win solutions globally, and entrepreneurship plays a vital role by contributing to innovation and the reduction of unemployment.”
He added that young entrepreneurs around the globe have proven to be risk-takers that dare to drive change, often with limited resources.
“Above all, they create their own job instead of seeking for one, and Orange Corners provides support to these entrepreneurs in developing their ideas and personal skills,” the ambassador said.
The entrepreneurial training in Egypt will be carried out by Egyptian service providers Cultiv in Cairo and Outreach Egypt in Upper Egypt.
Hesham Wahby, Chief Executive Officer at Cultiv, said “We are excited to be partnering with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Egypt and Outreach Egypt on bringing the Orange Corners initiative to Egypt, as it is perfectly aligned with the vision of Cultiv in providing a platform for innovators and entrepreneurs in a diverse number of fields.”
Wahby added that Orange Corners Egypt is set to bring a greatly needed element of working with early-stage startups in the idea and prototyping stage.
He said, “We look forward to supporting entrepreneurs who want to develop successful and sustainable businesses while making a real impact on their community and the Egyptian economy.”
Dalia El Nazer, Business Development Director & Co-Founder of Outreach Egypt, said, “We are offering a creative environment for entrepreneurs to network with like-minded individuals and to start and grow their businesses through a state-of-the art facility and co-working space in Assiut. We will be supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Upper Egypt, and providing opportunities for youth to turn their innovative ideas into sustainable businesses.”
