We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the BIC Africa three-day boot camp for Comorian and Malagasy business incubators, held from October 21st to 23rd in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
The boot camp kicked off with welcoming remarks from Volatiana Rakotondrazafy, UNIDO Country Representative, and Robert Sanders, BIC Africa Team Leader. Organized in collaboration with the APILE Comoros and INCUBOOST country projects, the boot camp brought together 20 participants—5 from Comoros and 15 from Madagascar ecosystems.
Designed based on a comprehensive needs analysis, the boot camp focused on key topics such as financing an incubator, managing an incubator, supporting incubated companies and their financing, implementing quality assurance measures, and mobilizing the diaspora to boost investment in Africa.
Through various modules and co-creation sessions led by experienced incubator experts, participants gained new knowledge, skills, and perspectives on best practices in business incubator management. The sessions were filled with engaging moments, group exercises, presentations, and practical exercises to refine their concepts. Additionally, the boot camp facilitated valuable networking opportunities, allowing participants to benchmark their ecosystems and create synergies with key players like the Comorian and Malagasy ESO associations. This collaboration aims to foster further partnerships and enhance the overall impact of business incubators in the region.
The boot camp was organized by EBN through BIC Africa project with the support of the INCUBOOST project and facilitated by experts from the EU|BIC community, Catherine Delevoye from Technoport, Rachid Alhiane from Marseille Innovation and Mathieu Bidart from ESTIA.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all participants for their commitment and dedication. We appreciate the support of the expert facilitators, the INCUBOOST team and EU Delegation to Madagascar for their crucial role in ensuring the boot camp’s resounding success.
Since 2023, BIC Africa has successfully organized four country-specific national boot camps tailored to the unique contexts and project activities of Angola, Comoros, Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Somalia. These boot camps have seen the participation of over 60 business incubation experts and managers, who have successfully completed the intensive capacity enhancing programmes. By closely working the country projects, BIC Africa aims to enhance the capacity and leadership skills of the business incubation experts and managers. The goal is to empower them to become active contributors to their respective startup ecosystems and to instil high-quality services for entrepreneurs and startups. Additionally, through these boot camps, participants have gained valuable insights and best practices in business incubation management and support to entrepreneurs. The boot camps have fostered community and collaboration among the participants, enabling them to share knowledge and experiences that will drive the growth and sustainability of their incubators.
We congratulate all the participants on their achievements! We can’t wait to see the incredible work they will do.