Posted on February 24, 2023
The Creative Mediterranean team were in Lebanon on the 22nd and 23rd February 2023 for the kickoff of the selected business proposals with Nucleus Ventures. The business proposals were selected under the CREACT4MED project following the pitch session, which took place on the 28th of October 2022 in a hybrid format. Entrepreneurs were required to present their businesses to a group of experts, and 4 were selected.
As with previous visits, over the course of two days, beneficiaries learned about the CREACT4MED activities, and brainstormed synergy opportunities where entrepreneurs were challenged with a view to strengthening their business proposals. Following the event, these projects are ready to be launched with the help of the Lebanese Business Support Organisation, Nucleus Ventures.
The entrepreneurs are: ClimberSpace, Cezar’s Projects, Mlouk Productions, and Tourific. Read more about them at the CREACT entrepreneur page.
On the first day, Maria Ruiz de Cossio, (Project Officer at Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association – EMEA), explained the CREACT4MED roadmap outlining the project activities under the subgrant activity. We then heard from the musician Bassam Challita, who gave talk on his experience as a creative in Lebanon. In the afternoon, the entrepreneurs presented their projects and we were joined by Lynda Achkouty Mouawad of Action Coach and Sophie Makzoume of Globivest. The day closed with a networking event where entrepreneurs had the opportunity to talk with the speakers of the event.
The second day started with a tour of BDD, Beirut Digital District. BDD is an all-inclusive professional urban development in Lebanon, designing hubs where the creative digital community can work together.
In the afternoon, each entrepreneur sat down for a one-to-one session with the CREACT4MED team to revise and improve the business proposals were. In parallel, entrepreneurs were interviewed on their experiences so far with the CREACT4MED project.
CREACT4MED is a project funded by the EU through the EuropeAid Programme, and seeks to strengthen CCI ecosystems in the MENA region and unleash the full potential of CCI to create empowered and flourishing societies. It aims to support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs, create jobs, and foster sustainable economic growth in the Southern Mediterranean, with a particular focus on young people and women.
It is led by Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) (Coordinator), with the partners Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (iED), European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), Union of Mediterranean Confederations of Enterprises (BUSINESSMED), Redstart Tunisia, Confédération méditerranéenne pour le développement (MED Confederation), Beyond Group, Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta (LUMSA Università), Association of Organisations of Mediterranean Businesswomen (AFAEMME), Positive Agenda Advisory, and Womenpreneur.