The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports concluded Tuesday the qualifying bootcamp for the “Be Entrepreneur” initiative for 100 green and industrial entrepreneurial initiatives at Port Said’s youth centre.
Promoting enterprise development and self-employment in the post-COVID era, the initiative developed and provided inclusive entrepreneurship training packages for around 2000 undergraduates and graduates, fostering the participation of women and persons with disabilities that efficiently match Egypt’s economic priorities, with a focus on green and industrial growth.
In parallel with the recent launch of “Ebdaa”, Egypt’s national initiative for the development of industry in Egypt, the ‘Be Entrepreneur’ initiative provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to develop innovative ideas for future green industries that can diversify and revitalize Egypt’s economy.
“It was truly awe-inspiring to see the diversity of the ideas that were being pitched at the Be Entrepreneur bootcamp in Port Said, which attests to the entrepreneurial potential of Egyptian youth,” Mónica González Bastos, Programme Manager at the AECID, said. “In line with Egypt Vision 2030, the Spanish Cooperation is committed to meeting the aspirations of youth through providing decent job opportunities to support an inclusive economy. The Ministry of Youth and Sports is a trusted partner of the AECID, and we are confident that this will open doors for more effective and impactful partnerships.”
In her speech, Manal Gamal, Undersecretary of the Ministry and head of the Central Administration of Youth Centers, noted that the cooperation comes within the directives of Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, to provide training opportunities for youth and build their capacities to launch their own businesses.
She added that the training packages were comprehensive and included the required skills needed for entrepreneurs, such as selecting partners, administrative leadership, branding and marketing, designing business models, finance management as well as presentation skills.
The projects were selected by a judging panel that included a group of specialists from the partner agencies of the NilePreneurs initiative, which is a nationwide initiative started in 2019 and powered by the Central Bank of Egypt and the Egyptian Banking Sector.
In the next phase, 40 finalists will be selected among the 100 initiatives, which will be to provide incubation, business development services, and networking with finance partners. The rest of the initiatives will also be provided with further mentoring to help them grow their ideas.
