Tunisian-Swiss young entrepeurs contest: The first five winners in Kasserine

The I-SEMER project (Swiss initiative for jobs and rural SMEs) aims to create 10,000 jobs for young people in four disadvantaged governorates [wilayat] of Tunisia within a period of three years. During the pilot phase, from July to November 2011, 35 business enterprises received support to create 266 potential jobs. This Swiss project, which has been developed in cooperation with Tunisian partners, is the first operational support in the vulnerable zones of post-revolution Tunisia.

Major regional inequalities, the lack of opportunities and a high rate of unemploy-ment among young people are among the main factors that triggered the revolu-tion in Tunisia. In this sensitive context, the I-SEMER project aims to promote a more balanced form of regional development through supporting economic activity and job creation in the disadvantaged governorates of the west-central and south-west of the country (Kasserine, Sidi Bouzid, Kef and Medenine).
The project is ambitious since it aims to create around 10,000 jobs in three years. It is comprises three modules which makes up a coherent whole, each meeting a specific need in the Tunisian context:

1. round-table discussion groups on improving the business climate at the local level,
2. support for the creation of micro-businesses by young people,
3. creation of small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas.

Constructive round-table discussions 
The round-table discussions offer platforms for tripartite discussions between local authorities, representatives of the private sector and civil society. The aim is to stimulate debate between actors interested in the economic development of the region with a view to achieving a constructive dialogue. This process is expected to identify factors that block regional development and the implementation of activities that further improvements to the business climate. 
The first round-table discussion groups were set up in Kasserine and Sidi Bouzid. The different actors have got to know each other and have established a dialogue, and they have affirmed the importance of these discussions. In addition to im-provements to the local investment climate, the round-table discussion groups act as "laboratories" in the process of democratic decision-making and decentralisa-tion.

The promotion of micro-businesses through support and micro-loans
This module aims to reach unemployed young people, both men and women, and to accompany the creation of micro-businesses by offering them specific follow-up and a financial product tailored to their needs. The task is carried out by an experienced partner, ENDA an NGO with a wide network of agents and a long list of clients in the most remote regions of Tunisia. This approach ensures optimal coverage of the territory.

Support for business people and the creation of small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas 
Competitions to attract talented business people have been staged in partnership with the Banque de Financement des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (BFPME) [Bank for Financing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises] to strengthen the skills of young promoters and developers and to support them in establishing their own businesses. Emphasis is placed on young people, women and graduates as well as on the number of jobs individual projects create and their innovative aspects.

The winners of the competition are provided with specific follow-up to ensure the viability of their project. They can ask for financial participation by the Swiss-Tunisian Fund. The first competitions showed that the combination of follow-up and financing meets their real needs.
In order to support potential entrepreneurs in the design of their commercial project, specially tailored workshops have been set up to enable young developers and promoters to become familiar with different aspects of setting up a business (establishing a business plan, for example). 

Proximity
One of the advantages of the I-SEMER project is provided by the fact that the Swiss programme office in Tunisia has established a regional office in Kasserine. This makes it possible to relay to the field the dialogue that is going on between the different national partners in Tunis and to cultivate a close relationship with regional players. The first months of the implementation phase have shown the importance of this proximity for building confidence with partners and responding to their needs.

The project in brief

• Banque de Financement des Petites et Moyennes Entre-prises (BFPME)
• ENDA inter-arabe
• Various governmental agen-cies and private and associa-tive sector organisations
  Chinese Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)  

Creation of 10,000 jobs for young people in disadvan-taged regions.