The Somalia Business incubators project 2023 – Call for Applications

The Somalia Business incubators project 2023 – Call for Applications. Apply below.

When is Application Deadline: Not specified

Tell Me About Award: UNIDO, in collaboration with the incubator SIMAD Innovation Lab –SIMAD iLAB announce a Call for Ideas to select individuals or teams that are committed to developing business in Somalia with a solid entrepreneurial vocation and capable of generating a strong social and economic impact.

Which Fields are Eligible? The primary purpose of this call is to support young people – through services and resources– to create their own businesses and promote a culture of entrepreneurship among the students.

To promote businesses and ideas that have relevance to the Somali context with a focus on existing resources, the Call for Ideas seeks to collect applications in three main thematic areas, specifically in the following sectors:

Agro-processing:

a.     Milk Value Chain

b.     Fishery Value Chain

c.     Livestock Value Chain

d.     Vegetable/Agriculture Value Chain

e.     Agriculture Logistics

f.      Warehousing & Storage

g.     Innovative Agriculture Practices

h.     Other relevant sectors

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

a.     Energy efficient devices

b.     Solar Energy (on-grid and Off-grid solution)

c.     Wind Energy

d.     Distribution of Energy

e.     Other relevant sectors

Creative Industry

a.     Fashion Textiles

b.     Designer Jewelry

c.     Traditional handicraft items with innovations

d.     Product design

e.     Gaming

f.      Pottery

g.     Furniture

h.     Other relevant sectors

Type: Entrepreneurship

Who can Apply? The call is aimed at young people – especially women– who want to develop their business ideas or have an existing business over one-year-old. Applicants, either individual or in Teams, are preferable to young people under the age of thirty with encouragement for women’s participation.

How are Winners Selected? The applications received at the initial stage and in the boot camp will be evaluated by a specific Evaluation Committee appointed by UNIDO and composed of experts. The judgment of the commission is unquestionable.

The selection criteria with which the evaluation of the initial phase will be carried out are divided as follows:

Which Countries are Eligible? Somali

Where will Award be Taken? Somali

How Many Awards? Not specified

What is the Benefit of Award? The winners receive1-on-1 coaching and mentorship tailored to their business needs and requirements.

The winning teams will be able to benefit for a period of 9-12 months of:

• Training activities (face-to-face lectures, self-learning online insights, collaborative group activities, participation in seminars, and thematic events).
• Mentoring and coaching services (individual and group) for developing the entrepreneurial idea.
• Technical mentoring to build prototypes and commercialization of the product idea.
• Use of productive assets in the form of machinery & equipment for piloting the business activity.
• Few selected project ideas or businesses will be supported in equipment purchase for their business idea.

How to Apply: To participate, each applicant/team must complete the APPLICATION FORM via this link. The applicant/s who will be shortlisted will be notified by email (to the email address indicated in the application). The invited applicants will attend a three-day boot camp, where the invited applicant/s will pitch their business idea. A jury will select the final applicants who will be attending the 1st Cohort of Incubation.

After the publication of the results, each member of the selected teams will have to sign a declaration of total acceptance of the specific Internal Regulations.

Visit Award Webpage for Details