Description
INVESTMED (Innovative Sustainable Start-Ups for the Mediterranean) is an EU-funded project, under the ENI-CBC Med Programme, to support the development of new, sustainable entrepreneurship and business initiatives in order to create new economic opportunities and jobs for young people and women.
Overarching Objective - A - Promote Economic and Social Development.
Thematic Objective - A.1 Business and SMEs development.
Priority - A.1.1: Support innovative start-up and recently established enterprises.
On the one hand, Mediterranean MSMEs face important challenges in terms of competitiveness, sustainability, internationalization and capacity to innovate which call for new solutions to ensure their growth and continued existence. On the other hand, greening the economy and enhancing natural assets can provide both economic and environmental benefits in the Mediterranean region. On this basis, the INVESTMED project aims at addressing both economic and environmental challenges, supporting new, sustainable business opportunities for young people and women in three countries: Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia. INVESTMED is set to positively impact both MSMEs, which staff will be trained and coached to become more competitive, and public authorities, which capacities to facilitate access and protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to MSMEs will be reinforced.
Objective
To support the development of sustainable entrepreneurship and business initiatives, by creating a backing environment and facilitating access to new markets with the final goal of generating increased economic opportunities and jobs for young people and women
What will be improved?
INVESTMED is expected to produce tangible and long-lasting impacts. At least 20 MSMEs targeted by the project will reach and maintain €25,000 of sales while no less than 40 job contracts will be signed by young people and women. Moreover, 4 MSMEs will access to new markets and 30 will launch new products and services. The impact on public authorities will be ensured too, with a minimum of 10 public authority staff trained to be able to act as multipliers in their institutions, which, in turn, will support 20 recently created companies to apply for IPR protection.
Who will benefit?
- 315 young graduates, entrepreneurs, would-be entrepreneurs and women
- Mediterranean start-ups/recently established enterprises
- Business Support Organizations
- 10 public authorities
Expected achievements
- 21 sustainable business management training events
- 42 business ideas developed by young entrepreneurs
- €105,000 of risk capital raised for 21 young entrepreneurs
- 16 creative initiatives supported
- 1 support scheme tailored to the needs of MSMEs/start-ups with youth/women in managerial positions
- 3 Business Support Organisations supported to establish long-term incubation and acceleration services
- 3 IPR consultation and review meetings held in order to support Intellectual Property offices and organisations to undertake IPR law and regulation reviews in the participating countries
- 5 specific trainings on IPR management held
The Investmed Project
On the one hand, Mediterranean MSMEs face important challenges in terms of competitiveness, sustainability, internationalization and capacity to innovate which call for new solutions to ensure their growth and continued existence. On the other hand, greening the economy and enhancing natural assets can provide both economic and environmental benefits in the Mediterranean region.
On this basis, the INVESTMED project aims at addressing both economic and environmental challenges, supporting new, sustainable business opportunities for young people and women in three countries: Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia. INVESTMED is set to positively impact both MSMEs, which staff will be trained and coached to become more competitive, and public authorities, which capacities to facilitate access and protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to MSMEs will be reinforced.