Fifty startups from across Libya, including 36 companies run by women, were selected for the TEC+ Accelerator programme last Saturday in the Old City, Tripoli. The programme lasts for 8 weeks to provide participants with the skills needed to expand their businesses.
Commenting on the event, Alaa Al-Khoja from Tatweer Research, the implementing agency of the programme, confirmed that the selected startups represent a wide range of creative projects, including technology, digital solutions, agribusiness, education and fashion.
Several startup processing stages
She revealed that startups are only able to reach this stage of the accelerator programme after several stages, including the stage of awareness of entrepreneurship in a number of Libyan universities, including the University of Tripoli, Benghazi and Sebha, followed by the stage of registration of projects wishing to join the programme, after which is the stage of selection to enter training courses and qualification for business leadership.
Increase likelihood of success
Al-Khowja added that the selected entrepreneurs, the owners of these projects, will be trained by well-qualified trainers and business mentors. This will enable the pioneer to acquire the necessary skills to carry out their project and better implement it. This will increase their likelihood in succeeding and achieving a good economic return and contribute to diversifying sources of income with the possibility of providing job opportunities for others within his project.
Reusing and recycling old clothes
Among the pioneering projects developed within the business accelerator programme is the Al-Jamila Tailoring and Training Company. It produces high-quality fashion clothes for women and children, by reusing and recycling old clothes and combining traditional designs with modern touches. The company creates job opportunities for women in Ubari in southwest Libya.
The selected startups met for the first time at the accelerator launch event in the Old City of Tripoli last Saturday, so that they could communicate and learn about the next steps of the accelerator training programme before embarking on this new journey.
It will be recalled that the TEC+ accelerator programme is part of the UNDP’s Local Peacebuilding and Resilience efforts, which are being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and Tatweer Research, with the support of the European Union African Trust Fund.
