2024-01-14 09:35:14
A workshop marking the official kickoff of the activities of the new “Coinnov” fund has just been held in Tunis. This fund is part of the “Qualitative Growth for Employment (CQE)” project and announces a new era for innovation, investment and qualitative growth in Tunisia.
The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, in partnership with the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has just organized a workshop marking the official kick-off activities of the new “Coinnov” fund, integrated into the “Qualitative Growth for Employment (CQE)” project.
This significant event, bringing together eminent government figures, financial leaders, captains of industry, and economic development experts, heralds a new era for innovation, investment and qualitative growth in Tunisia.
30 thousand euros per beneficiary
Nabil Ben Béchir, director of the Objective Program Management Unit at the Ministry of Industry, of the “Pace-Amit” component of the “CQE” project, highlighted the active role of the “Pace-Amit” program in the “CQE” project, with a considerable impact in favor of the Tunisian initiative.
Among the remarkable results of this project is the creation of an exemplary investment fund, specifically dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
Recalling the historical context surrounding the genesis of this fund, dating back to December 19, 2023, a date marked by a memorable press conference at the Ministry of Industry marking the signing of the reference documents, Ben Béchir specified that the main objective of this program is to address the critical financing need of small and medium-sized businesses, particularly at specific stages such as prototyping and commercialization, stages that are often overlooked.
The “Coinnov” fund, exemplary in its design, specifically allocates 30,000 euros to each beneficiary, with a pilot fund of 1.5 million euros. Ben Béchir detailed the project acceptance process, emphasizing the importance of public and private sector participation. He also outlined the careful planning of the nomination acceptance sessions, with a period dedicated to the selection of projects in the digital and environmental fields.
On another level, Nabil Ben Béchir highlighted the innovative approach of the fund, placing particular emphasis on collaboration, flexibility and transparency, with the establishment of a ministerial jury responsible for supervising the entire process.
This without forgetting to address the traditional obstacles to investment, while emphasizing the imperative need for continuous support at each stage of projects. “In summary, the “Coinnov” fund emerges as a concrete solution to overcome the financial obstacles faced by Tunisian SMEs, thus promoting innovation and collaborative development in an eloquent way,” he assured.
Driving innovation and growth…
For her part, Asma Hamouda, CQE project manager at GIZ, underlined the crucial importance of the coming day, dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the fundamental objectives of the “Coinnov” fund. It highlighted the fund’s unwavering commitment to strengthening SMEs, providing expanded access to finance, strategic resources and integrated support, all with the aim of driving innovation and growth within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“The project is aligned with the Ministry of Industry’s strategy for 2035, placing particular emphasis on innovation and technological integration. Two major themes were closely examined, namely green innovation and digital transformation, thus positioning the fund as an essential catalyst for these areas of development,” she said.
Furthermore, Asma Hamouda highlighted the importance of collaboration between the various players in the innovation ecosystem and industrial players. She highlighted the need for businesses to strengthen their competitiveness and efficiency, thereby opening more accessible routes to the European Union market.
Addressing an environmental perspective, Hamouda assured companies the possibility of benefiting from the “Coinnov” fund, with a clear objective: to generate environmental value. She specified that this fund is committed to promoting environmental sustainability in 20 of the 40 projects supported, thus demonstrating an ambitious vision in favor of the balance between economic development and respect for the environment.
It should be noted that the management of this fund will be ensured by a consortium composed of “Smart Capital”, a private sector management company, and the Association of Tunisian Technopoles (ATT) for technical support. Three priority areas of funding have been defined: innovation, digitalization, and environmental sustainability.
In this context, Alaya Bettaieb, general manager of “Smart Capital”, explained that the company examines the files, evaluates them, then submits them to the jury for validation or rectification.
He also highlighted that the launch of this fund represents a major step in “Smart Capital”’s commitment to economic development, highlighting the crucial role of SMEs in creating jobs and prosperity, fully supported by this fund.
For his part, Hichem Turki, president of the ATT, highlighted the eligibility criteria, emphasizing the technical part of the process. He explained that the association evaluates the projects technically, identifying a network of experts to provide technical support throughout the evaluation of the files, from in-depth diagnosis to the implementation of the projects.
It should also be remembered that the validation of eligibility criteria and the evaluation of files will be carried out by “Smart Capital”, with technical support from ATT. For the management of the “Coinnov” fund, “Smart Capital” is developing a dedicated web portal that manages all phases, from online submission to closing the session, including opening the session and managing ratings . The presentation of this platform helped orient participants by providing them with a complete guide to navigate effectively and access essential information.
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