Spain delivers training on green business to young Egyptian entrepreneurs

CAIRO – 22 November 2022: The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports concluded Tuesday the camp qualifying for the "Be Entrepreneur” initiative, targeted at 100 green and industrial entrepreneurial candidates.

Promoting enterprise development and self-employment in post-COVID-19, the initiative developed and provided inclusive entrepreneurial training packages for around 2,000 undergraduates and graduates in Port Said. Women and persons with disabilities were among the participants, according to a statement by AECID.   

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 camp 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 are a trusted partner of the Spanish Cooperation, 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 His Excellency Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhy 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 from the 100 contestants, so they would be to provided with incubation, business development services, and networking with finance partners. The remainder of the candidates will also be provided with further mentoring to help them enhance their ideas.