Agriculture – CARE Egypt

Deadline Extended- SASPEN Project- Open call for Egyptian SMEs in the Agrisector

Deadline Extended- Apply before the 15th of March 2023.

SASPEN Project- open Call for Egyptian SMEs in the Agri sector:

Care Egypt foundation is launching an open call under the SASPEN Project (Sustainable Agriculture Service provision Enterprise Network in Egypt) benefiting from the Dutch -Egyptian expertise in agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship to support young agribusiness professionals and expanding small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by introducing innovative solutions to their technical challenges, linking these SMEs to financial resources, and promoting innovation and technologies. Thus, Improving the efficiency and performance of the agricultural sector in Egypt.

The SASPEN project is managed by Care Egypt Foundation (CEF) in partnership with Care Netherlands (CNL) and funded by the Netherlands embassy (NL).

We are inviting 40 young professionals representing small and medium enterprises in agribusinesses in Egypt to apply to the 2nd cycle of the project to get the needed technical support and knowledge provided by the Dutch -Egyptian expertise to support their establishments of agricultural-focused SME start-ups and/or expand their existing SMEs.

The SASPEN project is managed by Care Egypt Foundation (CEF) in partnership with Care Netherlands (CNL) and funded by the Netherlands embassy (NL).

The 2^nd cycle plan:

-The support will be in the form of a diversified and selected set of training modules provided by Dutch and Egyptian consultants based on the need assessments of the newly selected SMEs.

-The SMEs of the 1^st cycle will provide mentorship, share their expertise in the different segments of the agri-sector, and transfer the knowledge acquired from the Dutch experts during the 1^st cycle of the project to the newly selected SMEs in the 2^nd cycle.

-The selected Agri-preneurs will have access to technical guidance and financial information sources to improve their skills and further develop their products and services.

-These SMEs will also benefit from channels for business opportunities with Dutch projects, companies, and partners in the agri-scene.

Criteria of Selection:

Who can apply?

young agribusiness professionals (female and male) we encourage females to apply.
Could be the founder/ co-founder of a small/ medium enterprise in the agriculture sector
committed to attending the program fully
hold the Egyptian nationality
interested in sustainable agriculture and agricultural innovation.
English and Arabic language proficiency is a must
Have the ability to travel with no restrictions

What are the criteria that the proposed SMEs should meet?

Must be a legal and registered entity
has been working for more than 2 years and providing a registered service/ product in the market
Targeted SMEs should have an interest in becoming inclusive and sustainable.
Focus on different agricultural aspects that range from input supply to production support or technology/machination including greenhouses to post-harvest processes and marketing.
Priority will be given to SMEs who can demonstrate a direct /indirect benefit to smallholder farmers, rural farming communities, youth, and women.
propel the technology transfer and innovative solutions

you can apply by filling out the below form:

https://forms.office.com/r/i73WybTNRm

10 years of milk collection centers

“Selling milk is considered a shameful act in rural areas of Upper Egypt. For locals, selling milk means that households are in need. Despite the shame, Nadia Mahmoud walked out to sell milk to the milk collection center (MCC) ten years ago in Halabeya village, Beni Suef, Upper Egypt. Day after day, selling milk has transformed Beni Suef to a leading governorate in the milk production business.
In her seventies, Nadia was not satisfied with the trader she used to deal with. The prices were too low. She used the surplus of milk that was not sold to make cheese for her household consumption. Although her sons work as milk traders, she prefers to sell milk to the local MCC. “I am one of the pioneers who started selling milk to the MCC and have been loyal to it since ever established ten years ago”, she says.
Today, Beni Suef produces 30 tons of milk per day instead of 5 tons with the beginning of the project and 200 KG before “Alban Baladna” CARE-Danone partnership.
Traders control prices. “With the trader, I am not sure what and when will I get my money. If the price of milk drops down on the day he pays me, he would pay me less than the price set when I sold him. If the price increases, I get paid the same amount on the day I sold him. It was so unfair. That’s why, I prefer the MCC”, Fawzya El-Sayed explains.
“With the MCC, I feel that I am an employee who gets paid a stable salary by the end of the month. With this monthly payment, I am entitled to get financial advances from the MCC whenever I need guaranteed by the milk I provide”, Fawzya adds.