Within the framework of the Egypt-UK cultural agreement, IMC and the British Council in Egypt signed a Letter of Intent with a view to enhancing creative economy and encouraging businesses with impact on the community. Both the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), represented by IMC, and the British Council agreed to directly cooperate in the fields of training, education and experience exchange programs of mutual interest. Cooperation has resulted in two courses, one in November 2019 and the other is in November 2020.

First course – Nov. 2019

• In cooperation with the Program for Inclusive Economies Development of the British Council, it was agreed to establish an incubator to support and train social enterprises in the field of creative industries, with emphasis on youth, women, and the disabled who have ideas or projects that contribute to solving social problems, or those of a sustainable positive impact on the society.
• The project was planned and implemented through the IMC’s Innovation Program. Entrepreneurs were supported by setting up a training camp (a business incubator) to develop personal skills and how to present and present projects to the investment entities. The business incubator also included workshops for marketing, project management, planning, cost and pricing, feasibility studies, legal papers for small projects, choosing the correct legal form and protecting intellectual property for projects in addition to specialized field visits.

First course Objectives

• Raise awareness on social enterprises’ positive impact in the creative industries sector
• Establish a new set of social enterprises with technical and managerial abilities appropriate for the creative sector
• Provide technical assistance and services needed by social enterprises through orientation and mentorship programs
• Help entrepreneurs translate their ideas into products or commercial prototypes, or a business of social impact
• Develop and support new creative ideas during the incorporation phase, or provide assistance in existing businesses expansion
• Create job opportunities

Second course – Nov. 2020

Building on the positive outcome of the First course in the development of creative economy and enterprises of social impact, held between the British Council’s Program for Inclusive Economies Development, and IMC, the following two projects have been agreed upon:

• A training program targeting entrepreneurs whose businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis: a program aims to help sustain businesses through the provision of a three-month specialized training and assessment program for 10 enterprises, focusing on businesses owned by women, the disabled, and the youth. The program also aims to help entrepreneurs through two pillars: (1) working closely with the project team to assess operations and identify priority amendments aspects ensuring its sustainability in harmony with the European Model of Excellence; (2) providing extension workshops in various fields to enhance entrepreneurs’ capacity, and to raise awareness on how to manage businesses under the pandemic.
• Establishment of an incubator and accelerator for entrepreneurs whose businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19: the idea is to provide assistance with regard to saving and sustaining their enterprises through the provision of a specialized training program. This includes an intensive training camp and an orientation and mentoring program for three months for 10 enterprises with emphasis on women, youth and the disabled.