Innovation Challenge “SOCIAL & SOLIDARITY ECONOMY” Intended to Support Creation of ESS Organizations by Entrepreneurs (Algeria)

Objectives

• The overall objective of this competition is to support, at the level of the target wilayas of the program, entrepreneur initiatives. These initiatives, which aim to strengthen the autonomy of young people and women and promote their role as bearers of ideas in the field of SSE, will receive support in the form of funding and coaching. The aim is to facilitate the creation and/or development of SSE projects at the local level by young people and women.
• Through this competition, the ESS program aims to achieve the following results:
  • Respond to the specific development challenges of the ESS, in alignment with the growth objectives of the wilaya/region and the sectors and lines of activity concerned;
  • Participate in improving the environment enabling the development of the ESS and the emergence of high-performing ESS actors;
  • Strengthen the autonomy of young people and women through increased support in their projects ;
  • Finance promising small-scale entrepreneurial activities.

Priority Regions and Themes

• The proposed initiatives must imperatively cover the following wilayas: Batna, Beni Abbes, Bouira, Boumerdès, El Bayadh, El Meniaa, Khenchela, Médéa, M’Sila, Oum El Bouaghi, Timioun and Tizi-Ouzou.
• Starting from the natural and human potential of the territories, the proposed project must be part of the themes of the ESS and support local value chains and/or regional-national sectors and reduce the informal economy, in the following sectors:
  • For the southwest region: Timimoun, El Bayadh, El Meniaa, Beni Abbes.
    • Target sectors:
      • Agriculture-livestock farming & processing-valorization of agricultural products and
      • breeding & associated services, particularly in the field of dates;
      • Tourism, crafts, heritage promotion, cultural and creative production;
      • Innovative technological and/or digital solutions, related to the sectors priority areas of the region.
  • For the eastern highlands region: Batna, Khenchela, Oum El Bouaghi, M’slila.
    • Target sectors:
      • Agriculture-livestock farming & processing-promotion of agricultural and livestock products & associated services, particularly in the field of apples, apricots, peppers, etc.;
      • Tourism, crafts, heritage promotion, cultural and creative production
      • Environment (sorting, waste collection and recovery, etc.).
      • Innovative technological and/or digital solutions, related to the sectors priority areas of the region.
  • For the north-central region: Bouira, Tizi-ouzou, Boumerdes, Médéa.
    • Target sectors:
      • Agriculture-livestock farming & processing-promotion of agricultural and livestock products & associated services: olives, beekeeping, etc.
      • Fishing and aquaculture & processing-valuation of fishing and aquaculture products & associated services.
      • Tourism, heritage and crafts (sites and monuments, arts and crafts, etc.).
      • Environment (sorting, waste collection and recovery, etc.).
      • Innovative technological and/or digital solutions, related to the region’s priority sectors.

Funding Information

• As part of this competition, UNDP offers financial support to projects according to their potential for structuring and creating jobs. Two categories are defined:
  • Category A: Individual projects
    • This category concerns initiatives led by future farmers, breeders, artisans and self-employed people wishing to create an individual activity.
    • Projects in this category can benefit from financial support of between 400,000 DZD and 700,000 DZD.
    • Expected impact: Creation of at least one job.
  • Category B: Collective projects with medium potential for job creation
    • This category includes projects initiated by individuals with the ambition of forming cooperatives, associations, foundations or social enterprises, with a potential means of structuring and creating jobs.
    • Projects in this category can benefit from financial support of between 1,200,000 DZD and 1 600 000 DZD
    • Expected impact: Creation of 2 to 3 jobs.
• The overall minimum project cost is the lowest amount needed to complete all project activities. The overall maximum cost is the upper limit of the budget, taking into account all project activities.
• The total cost of the project must remain between these two limits: it must not be lower than the minimum cost, nor higher than the maximum cost.

Eligibility Criteria

• This call is open to entrepreneurs hereinafter referred to as “the applicant”, and must meet the following conditions:
  • Be between 19 and 40 years old (for men);
  • Be 19 years old or older (for women);
  • Be independent from political parties/movements;
  • Not subject to any ongoing legal proceedings.

For more information, visit UNDP.