The eighth edition of the competition Femme Francophone Entrepreneure – FFE, held under the patronage of H.E. Mrs. Violette Khairallah Safadi, Minister of State for Economic Empowerment of Women and Youth, aims to support two French-speaking women entrepreneurs in their business creation project.
Since 2012, the AUF’s Middle East Regional Directorate, Berytech, L’Orient-Le Jour and Commerce du Levant have joined forces to organize this annual competition for French-speaking women with a startup idea.
Phases of the Competition
The competition takes place in 4 stages starting with the first online application where women entrepreneurs submit their idea.
The training phase follows where 25 shortlisted entrepreneurs attend 4 training days and are expected to submit a complete business plan before mid-August 2019.
On August 30, 10 semi-finalist candidates will be announced and will follow an intensive training on their pitch. A committee of representatives from AUF, Berytech, L’Orient-Le Jour and Commerce Du Levant will evaluate the pitches and select five finalists on September 17.
The 5 finalists will then pitch in front of a jury and the public on September 25, 2019 during the annual finale. The two winners will be announced on the same day, each earning € 10,000 and a place in Berytech’s co-working space, as well as access to training and coaching sessions in their incubator for six months.
Four Training Days
The 25 women entrepreneurs shortlisted to participate in the competition have access to 4 training days covering the following subjects.
Lean Canvas
Developing answers to the following key questions in order to run the project and develop the business plan: what is/are the problem(s) that the startup solves, what are the market segments it is addressing, what is the value proposition, how is the offer structured, what are the key indicators that will be followed to know if the project is on the right track, what are the distribution channels, what are the costs and revenues, and what is the competitive advantage?
Market Study
Conducting a market study is essential to ensure that the project is commercially feasible. This training will help them analyze and compile data (needs, products, brands, etc.) to understand if the market needs what they are selling. It will teach them techniques to put in place to understand the importance of a market study and to carry it out, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Revenue and Financial Models
Reviewing the current revenue model, exploring how to combine current and new revenue models to get more revenue from more customers, revising the prices and discounts to increase their revenue and sales, developing an action plan to improve the bottom-line income model and increase income.
Developing a Business Plan
This training will help participants create an effective business plan in an attempt to attract investment. It covers all the necessary steps such as structuring the Business Plan and explaining the content of its different sections including the company overview, the products and services description, the market overview and analysis, competition analysis, the go-to-market-strategy, and the financial forecasts.
Find out more about the competition here.
