SwitchMed Green Entrepreneurship Programme
The EU-funded SwitchMed Programme supports and connects stakeholders to scale-up social and eco-innovations in the Mediterranean. It promotes inclusive growth, job creation and sustainable development by supporting policy makers, eco-innovative small and medium sized enterprises, industries, start-ups and entrepreneurs in the Southern Mediterranean countries. In order to boost green entrepreneurship in the eight target SwitchMed countries, SwitchMed delivers a Training Programme to future green entrepreneurs, with the objective of providing them the basis and the structure for the development of sustainable business solutions. Entrepreneurs will be trained to develop their green business canvas creating ecological and social value. The training phase consists of 5 sessions spread over six to seven weeks. The best 2 business canvases per country will receive an 8-month accelerator support stage: the incubation phase. It is a 40 hours of one to one support from the local mentor. The Switchers Fund has also been developed to support financially innovative green entrepreneurs in the development of their projects, through grants.
- An Innovative Training Methodology to support Green Entrepreneurs in developing their Green Business Models (available in English, French, Arabic and Hebrew);
- 3,961 applications submitted to the training programme and 1,619 Green Entrepreneurs selected and trained, receiving support to develop and test their Green Business Models;
- 800 trainees surveyed expressed satisfaction with the services provided and requested continuity through additional business support services (98%); among the trainees, 160 selected and received an individual coaching for improving their Green Business Models and invited to apply for the incubation phase;
- Launch of 150 new green businesses, of which 24 selected and incubated.