By- Radio ML
The Director General of the Deposit and Consignment Fund, Najia Gharbi, reported that the number of companies awarded the startup label in Tunisia reached 1,120 since the launch of the "Innovative Startups and Small and Medium Enterprises" program in 2021, funded by the World Bank through the Deposit and Consignment Fund. Gharbi added in a statement to the Tunis Afrique Presse agency on Wednesday, during an informational awareness day in Kairouan to introduce the program for startups and small enterprises funded by the Deposit and Consignment Fund, that the aim of this awareness tour in several governorates of the Republic is to introduce the financing mechanisms for startups or their incubating institutions in the regions, with the participation of investment funds and the opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and discover the available financing mechanisms. She confirmed that the fund will provide financing of up to 300 million euros to finance startups through investment funds, either by contributing to capital or quasi-equity, noting that the goal is to reach 230 startups financed by investment funds. The fund will also assist actors in the investment field, especially business incubators and development and activation spaces, to enhance and expand the base of projects supporting startups and small and medium enterprises, particularly those led by women or located in interior regions. This initiative aims to stimulate the creation and development of innovative startups and small and medium enterprises, while opening up employment opportunities for youth. It is worth noting that the "Innovative Startups and Small and Medium Enterprises" project is funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Deposit and Consignment Fund in collaboration with the management company "Smart Capital". TAP