Since 2012, the Middle East Regional Directorate of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Berytech and L’Orient-Le Jour have joined forces to organize this annual competition for French-speaking women with a startup idea.
Meet Randa Farah, co-founder of Lebtivity, whose passion for bringing people together and her dedication to promoting Lebanon’s diverse cultural landscape have propelled the startups to remarkable heights.
Rafa Hojeij, Nora Berbery, and Israa Hoss won the Femme Francophone Entrepreneure 2022.
In its tenth edition, the Femme Francophone Competition awards €42,000 in grants to 3 women entrepreneurs to start and grow their business.
Since 2012, the Middle East Regional Directorate of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), 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.
Every year, Berytech plays an active role in planning, implementing and disseminating the competition. Berytech also incubates the winners for 6 months, providing them with working space, training workshops, coaching sessions and participation in other programs.
Support francophone women entrepreneurs in creating and growing their businesses
Encourage women entrepreneurs to establish innovative companies that go beyond the traditional framework
Empower women to play a leading role of in the Lebanese economy
The competition takes place in 4 stages starting first with the online application where women entrepreneurs submit their idea. The training phase follows where the shortlisted entrepreneurs attend training days and are expected to submit a complete business plan.
Semi-finalist candidates follow an intensive training on their pitch. A committee of representatives from AUF, Berytech, L’Orient-Le Jour and Commerce Du Levant evaluates the pitches and selects the finalists.
The finalists then pitch in front of a jury and the public during the annual finale. The winners are announced on the same day, sharing the €20,000 prize and receiving incubation support for six months from Berytech.
The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie is a global association of French-speaking higher education and research institutions created more than 50 years ago. It brings together 1007 universities on five continents in 119 countries. It is also the higher education and research operator of the Francophonie Summit.
The AUF works for a francophone university committed to the economic, social and cultural development of societies. It operates in ten regions of the world, including the Middle East.
Based in Beirut (Lebanon), since 1993, the Middle East regional directorate runs a network of 89 members in 16 countries: Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine , Pakistan, Qatar, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
“I am convinced that the involvement of women in the business world and in particular in entrepreneurship marks a clear evolution in the equality of rights between men and women while giving a new boost to the country’s economy.”
H.E. Mrs. Violette Khairallah Safadi – Former Minister of State for Economic Empowerment of Women and Youth
If you have any questions about the Femme Francophone Entrepreneure competition, please email us on support@berytech.org, and we will get back to you.
If you have a competition you would like to partner with Berytech to manage, please email Mr. Fadi Khoneisser – Director of Development and Growth on fadi.khoneirsser@berytech.org.
As a member of the Global Compact Network Lebanon, Berytech enacts the 10 principles of the UNGC and the FFE Cpmpetition falls under Berytech’s mission to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Berytech is the ecosystem for entrepreneurs, providing a dynamic environment for the creation and development of startups and SMEs, fostering innovation, technology and entrepreneurship in Lebanon.
Berytech Mathaf
Damascus Street, Museum District
Achrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon
+961 (1) 61 25 00
Berytech Mar Roukoz
Saint Joseph University
Sciences & Technology Campus
Dekwaneh, Mount Lebanon
+961 (4) 53 30 40
Berytech BDD 1294
Bechara El Khoury Street
Beirut Digital District
Bachoura, Beirut, Lebanon
+961 (1) 64 95 55
P.O. Box
11-7503 Riad el Solh, 1107 2240 Beirut, Lebanon