Manama: To further bolster the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Bahrain is gearing up to celebrate the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from November 17th to 23rd 2014.
Tenmou, Bahrain’s first ‘Business Angels’ organization, in strategic partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), will organise a series of events joining the largest celebration of entrepreneurship in the world.
Highlights of this year’s activities include the formation of an exclusive Entrepreneurial Advisory Board for Bahrain, with Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al-Khalifa as the Chairman and His Excellency Kamal bin Ahmed, Acting Chief Executive of EDB as Vice Chairman.
Tenmou will host the third ‘Start-up’ Weekend to help develop and support entrepreneurs. The event will bring together potential entrepreneurs to pitch innovative ideas, form teams and develop prototypes and pitch presentations. The best three will receive prizes.
“Bahrain has long been at the centre of entrepreneurship, with its highly skilled workforce and ease of doing business. This year GEW will connect more than 9,000 global partners in 140 countries with 25,000 events taking place during that week. Participating in GEW helps us to bolster Bahrain’s reputation internationally,” Sami Jalal, Chairman of Tenmou, said.
“We are proud to be hosting this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week, which reflects the Kingdom’s status as a hub for entrepreneurship in the region. We are actively looking to encourage entrepreneurs from around the world and to develop an environment that allows businessmen and women the opportunity to discuss and share their ideas and experiences,” “Kamal bin Ahmed, Minister of Transportation and Acting Chief Executive of the EDB, said.
“Through our support of events such as GEW, we are able to highlight the important role entrepreneurship plays in the Kingdom, as a means of further diversification and economic growth. Bahrain’s innovative contributions allowed for the development of an environment that supports and promotes innovation and creativity, which will further allow the Kingdom to become a global leader in entrepreneurship.”
Furthermore, a range of signature events have been organised with partner organisations such as Tamkeen, Batelco, KPMG Fakhroo, 4spots and Unisono to support aspiring entrepreneurs and ambitious youth with an interest in starting their own businesses. The first day will kick-off with a launch dinner which will be followed by mentorship sessions and workshops which will help guide the budding entrepreneurs in a step-by-step process to start a business. Participants can enroll online at bh.gew.co
Global Entrepreneurship Week is a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people, stimulating the economy by unleashing their enterprising talents and turning their ideas into reality. It aims to inspire the next generation of future potential entrepreneurs and business leaders by engaging, connecting, mentoring, building and developing their confidence and ambitions through a series of activities hosted by partner organisations.
Launched in 2011, Tenmou aims to support entrepreneurs with valuable business assistance, including financial investment, mentorship, advice and guidance. Tenmou recognizes that for many entrepreneurs, mentorship programmes can be as valuable as financial investments. Each project receives practical advice and training from the company’s board members, who bring with them a wealth of business experience. These training sessions expose the entrepreneurs to real business situations and are conducted in the form of regular workshops
Established with a start-up capital of BD1 million (US$2.7 million),Tenmou invests an average of BD20,000 (US$53,000) for a stake of on average 20% in each project that meets its criteria, and will provide a three-month mentorship period, including support services, at no cost to the entrepreneurs.