Injaz
Injaz

From Innovation to Creation - BOOST

There are many definitions for Entrepreneurs! Entrepreneurs are individuals who start their own businesses, they are problem-solvers and find innovative solutions to specific needs, they are risk-takers and accept failures, and the list goes on...

But we often tend to omit that entrepreneurs are, by definition, job creators. They create employment opportunities not only for themselves but for others as well. The equation is simple: once you become an entrepreneur, that's one less job seeker. And then you create employment for multiple other job seekers around you!

And this is all about our new project BOOST, From Innovation to Creation - boosting your business, boosting your community, and boosting your team!

BOOST is a new program for established social enterprises related to the sectors of Creative Industries, Education & Edutainment, or Green Entrepreneurship, which have a real potential to grow by employing others and impacting their community. BOOST is part of the program “From Innovation to Creation,” funded by the European Union and in collaboration with INJAZ Lebanon and SPARK.

PROGRAM & PRIZES

A total of 21 eligible businesses will be assessed and then selected to take part in the BOOST program. They will all receive business coaching and seed funding support to scale their businesses in Lebanon and employ other people from their communities. As a BOOST business participant, you will receive group training sessions, one-on-one customized support, employment skills training, and participate in various study tours.

But here's the best part! 6 winning businesses out of 21 will receive a total seed funding amount of $38K to be distributed among them, while the top winner will bag the biggest prize of $15K!

In parallel to this, we will also have different activities around local employment opportunities for youth and inspiring talks promoting entrepreneurs as job creators.

Do you have what it takes to become a part of the BOOST program?

APPLY NOW

as a business!

WHY PARTICIPATE?

  • Business Training

    Participate in a series of business training sessions

  • Mentorship

    Receive one-on-one mentorship sessions customized for your business

  • Boost your business

  • Grow your team

  • Impact your Community

    Create jobs and boost your community

  • Financial support*

    Win funding support up to $15K!

*A total of 6 businesses will be selected through a scoring process by a judging panel, including business experts following the pitching event. Commitment to the program is mandatory and will affect the scoring and results.

WHO & WHEN

Eligibility Criteria for businesses

  • Applications are ONLY open to business representatives (owners, managers, partners, etc.) but not to individuals.
  • Established & operational between 2 & 5 years.
  • Related to the fields of Creative Industries, Education & Edutainment, or Green Entrepreneurship.
  • Registered or with a high potential & willingness to be legally registered in Lebanon.
  • 3 or more people working in the business, including the founder(s) and the part/full-time employees.
  • Youth-owned business: business owners should be under 40 years old.
  • Ability and will to grow the business with the mindset of creating jobs in the local community in the near future.
  • At least 2 of the business owners, partners, or managers have to commit to the whole program (attend around 20 hours of training & mentorship).

Timeline

  • February 10, 2023: Applications Deadline
  • End of February 2023: Interviews & assessment to select the 21 businesses.
  • March 2023: Onboarding & start of the program
  • March to June 2023: Program Activities & sessions delivery (one-on-one, study tours, etc.)
  • July 2023: BOOST Pitching Competition
  • September to October 2023: Incubation for winning teams

FAQ section

Who can apply & participate in the ‘From Innovation to Creation - BOOST’ program?

In a nutshell, BOOST is open for youth-led businesses that have been operating for more than 2 years, that have a social impact on their community, 3 or more people working, and that have the potential to grow locally and create jobs!

These businesses should be related to any of the following sectors: Green Businesses, Creative & Cultural Industries, and Education or Edutainment.

For more detailed information, please check the eligibility criteria in the section above.

If I have a promising business idea or even a prototype, can I apply?

This program is ONLY open for businesses that have already been operating for at least a couple of years. Therefore, unfortunately, your application won’t make it! But hey, we have many other programs just for this stage so keep an eye on our social media for new program announcements!

Do I need to have a registered business in order to participate?

Not necessarily, but you should be willing and able to do so in the near future.

How to apply, and what is the selection process? Do I need to submit any documents?

There are different steps for the application process; you can view them all in the section below on this page. Please note that you cannot apply as an individual, as we only accept business applications. In other words, there should be one application submitted by the owner, representative, or manager to represent their business.

Here’s a summary of the application and selection steps; more details can be found below.

Step 1- Fill out the application form.
Step 2- Upload documents. Eligible applications will receive an email to complete the application process by uploading some required documents (Business Summary, Pitch deck).
Step 3- Shortlisting. A total of 40 applications will be shortlisted to participate in the program.
Step 4- Acceptance. 21 businesses will be accepted to participate in the BOOST program!

Don’t forget to keep an eye on your email to check our responses!

How will the sessions be delivered (online or offline)?

Both. There will be some common online workshops, but mostly on-site training and one-on-one sessions.

What is expected from our team during the program?

At least 2 of the business owners, partners, or managers have to commit to the whole program: Participate in the workshops, one-on-one training, mentorship sessions, and study tours.

What support will we get from the program?

You will receive business training support (technical, financial, marketing, etc.), mentorship, and one-on-sessions that are catered to your business needs in order to grow & employ people from your community. There will also be some study tours during which you will meet other businesses who have made it out there!

Who is eligible to receive funding from the competition at the end of the program?

Selected businesses will make it to the final pitching competition to present in front of the judging panel made of business experts who will be scoring each business based on their pitching, financials, innovation, and scalability, among many other criteria.

HOW TO APPLY?

BOOST is only open for established and running businesses that match the above eligibility criteria. You cannot apply as an individual; only a representative of your business, be it the owner, manager, or partner, should fill out the application form below.

Fill out the form

Step 1- As a business representative, be it the owner, manager, or partner, you will need to fill out and submit the below application.

Upload documents

Step 2- After submitting the form, our team will filter out the eligible applications in order to complete the application process.

Only eligible businesses will then receive an email to upload the required documents below in order to move to the next step.
1- Business Summary - Please click here to download the template that you need to fill, and upload.
2- Pitch deck (No template provided)

Shortlisting (40)

Step 3- After uploading the required documents, they will be reviewed, and a total of 40 applications will be shortlisted to participate in the program.

Acceptance (21)

Step 4- We will be running further assessments, and some interviews with the 40 shortlisted applicants in order to select the FINAL 21 businesses that will make it to the BOOST program!

Keep an eye on your email! The email address that you will enter in the application form will be the main form of communication for you to get updated on your application status.

*Please note that we respect your privacy. The data collected through the application process will be solely used for the program’s purpose and applications’ filtration. The information you will provide will NOT be shared with any other party except for the program’s donor upon request.




This webpage is funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of INJAZ Lebanon and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.