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MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA • MIGRATION
Seedstars Global
MAY 10, 2021
Geneva, Switzerland - Seedstars and The Peace and Human Rights Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) have partnered together for the second time to announce The Migration Entrepreneurship Prize 2021, a program designed for socially driven startups with a mission to enhance the inclusion of migrants in the Middle East and Africa. Interested applicants can sign up here before the 30th of May 2021: here
Migration is a global phenomenon involving the movement of people across our increasingly interconnected world, affecting social, economic, political, and many other facets of our society. While migration brings a lot of benefits to economies, marginalization, discrimination, and lack of opportunities continue to persist in the lives of migrants.
"Supporting the potential of migrant entrepreneurs in areas prone to strong migration movements such as the Middle East and Africa will contribute to addressing the root causes of irregular migration and strengthen the socio-economic rights of migrants. Entrepreneurship by, with and for migrants and refugees creates shared benefits for countries of residence, origin and for the foreign born and local communities alike thereby contributing to social cohesion and ultimately to better protection."
In order to empower migrants, the Migration Entrepreneurship Prize will identify and support socially-driven businesses on a mission to enhance economic inclusion of migrants. The program will focus on sourcing entrepreneurs from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East, which are regions prone to strong migration movements caused by socio-economic factors like high unemployment among others. The eligible startups must tackle the positive benefits of migration and reduce the vulnerability of migrants by improving their livelihoods and contributing to their social and economic rights, thereby reducing the pressure for irregular dangerous migration routes.
Additionally, the startups must be seed-stage startups with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and initial user traction operating in Africa or the Middle East. Accepted countries for operation are Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Israel, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and Tunisia.
Any businesses matching these criteria are welcome to apply before the 30th of May 2021. Only 20 startups will be selected to join the Seedstars Investment Readiness Program (15 startups from Africa/MENA and 5 startups from Tunisia), become a part of the Online Seedstars World Competition activities, and to be given access to the Seedstars network of partners, mentors, and investors.
Interested applicants can apply and read more about the Migration Entrepreneurship Prize here
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Seedstars is a Swiss-based private company with a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. The groups’ activities cover over 90 emerging ecosystems through a variety of initiatives such as the Online Seedstars World Competition, acceleration programs, physical hubs called Seedspace, venture capital investments and company building activities. Seedstars The Documentary is a feature film featuring the company’s vision to give a voice to the game changers of the developing world.
"They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds." - Mexican proverb
The FDFA's Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) is responsible for the promotion of peace and human rights as set out in the Federal Council’s foreign policy strategy. It focuses on the security of the individual and protecting people against violence, war and acts of arbitrary treatment. The PHRD is part of the State Secretariat.
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