Project profile — Future Entrepreneurs and Leaders in Innovation and Technology

• West Bank Gaza (100.00%)

• Government And Civil Society, General: Democratic participation and civil society (15150) (40.00%)
• Banking And Financial Services: Education/training in banking and financial services (24081) (20.00%)
• Business And Other Services: Business support services and institutions (25010) (40.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)

This project aims to support young women and men to establish and grow sustainable market-driven businesses. The project seeks to enable women and men led start-up teams to develop their business ideas by providing them with entrepreneurship training and coaching. These trainings prepare them to effectively pitch their ideas to investors and have a better chance to access seed capital funds, which are the initial capital used to start a business. The project also seeks to strengthen Leaders Organization’s ability to understand, respond and address gender equality barriers to entrepreneurship through its work and programs.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) reduced barriers to entrepreneurship faced by youth, in particular, young women; (2) enhanced opportunities for young entrepreneurs to successfully establish and grow their business; and (3) enhanced responsiveness of Leaders Organization to the challenges and barriers facing women entrepreneurs.

Results achieved as of January 2020 include: (1) 21 women start-ups established their businesses following technical assistance and mentoring; (2) 30 start-ups generated employment opportunities; (3) 66% of women participants confirmed willingness to proceed with their businesses; (4) 15 women start-ups received seed-investments to start-up their business, pitching to investors outside GAC; and (5) 83% of women participants were satisfied by the services offered by Leaders Organization and how they match their gender-specific needs.

• Proactive disclosure