The program, titled Boost Without Borders, includes mentorship sessions, an investment readiness program and a pitching competition with up to $20,000 in cash prizes for Palestinian entrepreneurs.
By SWB Team
Startups Without Borders is proud to announce its latest partnership with Meta to launch ‘Boost without borders,’ a three-fold program aimed at supporting 500 entrepreneurs, building the capacity of support organizations, and providing $100,000 in grants for startups.
The partnership is structured in three stages: the first stage, which consists on the Boost Without Borders program, will train 500 entrepreneurs and business owners through a mix of virtual and on-ground learning sessions to upskill startups and SMBs.
The program aims to help them advance not only the marketing aspects of their businesses, but also equip them with skills to grow and expand overseas, by hosting a series of masterclasses by expert speakers from Meta, as well as Hyperboost workshops by external guest speakers, trainers, and key experts from the Startups Without Borders network.
Beyond the formal training, the program will take startups and SMBs through a journey to build and grow a global network, access role models, and get exclusive mentorship and guidance.
The second phase entails a $100,000 grant provided by Meta, which will fund an investment readiness program for 50 local startups. The program will feature various entrepreneurship modules, including financial management, business modeling, pitching, organization structuring, strategic planning, and the road to IPO.
Startups who qualify for the program will enter a pitching competition, featuring an external high-level jury who will select 10 winning startups, and financial rewards of up to $20,000 to support their growth and operations.
“Small businesses are at the heart of our communities as well as the economic health of our MENA region. We care deeply about the challenges these businesses are facing and how well they are equipped to handle them. At Meta, we are committed to helping small businesses in Palestine recover and thrive – from improving online presence, reaching new customers across borders, adopting new tools and developing skills to drive and scale commercial growth online and beyond. In partnership with Startups Without Borders, we are supporting the small businesses with financial support and capability building programs to positively impact socio-economic growth in Palestine,” said Azzam Alameddin, Public Policy Director for the Middle East, North Africa & Turkey at Meta.
The third phase is focused on building the capacity of support organizations, through a partnership with Flow accelerator, Gaza Sky Geeks, Business & Technology Incubator, and ITIQ, which will nominate up to 20 trainers to receive digital marketing training, certification and become part of Meta’s trainer network.
As a follow up to this program, we could be also exploring working more closely with these organizations and trainers to further scale up our Boost without borders efforts in Palestine.
“For the past year, we have been working with Meta in building a program that supports Palestinian entrepreneurs to grow their businesses amidst the challenges their nation faces. We couldn’t be happier to bring together Meta’s expertise and leadership in the digital landscape with our international network of mentors and trainers. Palestinian entrepreneurs are some of the world’s most resilient founders, and we are confident this program will support them to flourish beyond borders,” says Valentina Primo, founder and CEO of Startups Without Borders.
The program began last September, with a round table discussion amongst key players in the Palestinian entrepreneurship ecosystem, who identified the key challenges entrepreneurs face as well as the strategies needed to support their business growth.
The program launched on March 15th and is open to startup founders and small business owners from Palestine. Applications can be sent in English and Arabic here.
