Posted on January 26, 2023
The Creative Mediterranean team were in Tunis on the 23rd and 24th January 2023 for the kickoff of the selected business proposals with Minassa. The business proposals were selected under the CREACT4MED project following the pitch session, which took place on the 7th of November 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 Tunisian Business Support Organisation, Minassa.
The entrepreneurs are: Digital Cultural eXperience, Klink, Maft, and The Virtual Art Gallery. 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.
The brainstorming session was moderated by Douja Gharbi, CEO of RedStart Tunisie with the participation of Ouafa Belgacem, Culturefunding Watch. The session had the aim of challenging the entrepreneur’s business models, gathering input from other entrepreneurs and building synergies among the group.
The second day started with a presentation by Maria Ruiz de Cossio from EMEA about the administrative specificities of the grant, the deadlines, and the reporting procedures. Then, each entrepreneur sat down for a one-to-one sessions to revise their business proposal and resource allocation of the subgrant with the CREACT4MED team. In parallel, entrepreneurs were holding interviews with a professional camera operator to tell their stories and the roles of CREACT4MED in support of their project.
The event ended with a visit to Ennejma Ezzahra design hub located at the Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre in Sidi Bou Said. It is a place of exchange, support and training for craftsmen and designers who want to improve their skills.
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.
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