Application for Mesirat Entrepreneurship Program Opens

Mesirat, a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation, Gebeya Inc., and its Consortium Partners, announces the opening of applications for the Mesirat Entrepreneurship Program. The mission is to organize and transform Ethiopia’s gig economy with a focus on youth employment. The program aims to enable 1,000,000 young people to secure dignified and fulfilling work. 80% of these program participants will be young women, and an additional 10% will be disadvantaged youth. As part of this goal, the Mesirat Entrepreneurship Program is offering free resources and support to 100 select business owners looking to build their businesses quickly, at no cost.

The program will assist selected entrepreneurs by:

Developing and executing marketing campaigns that reach potential customers and target groups
Accessing a network of businesses that will augment your business
Providing access to qualified financing to help you strengthen your growth
Guidance from experienced entrepreneurs so you can avoid common pitfalls and make better decisions
Creating better visibility and reputation in the Ethiopian market

Mesirat will provide entrepreneur support, custom-branded marketplace technology, vetting, training, certification, and onboarding of gig workers for businesses. Our support includes business development, access to finance, and market linkages. Additionally, we advocate for the gig economy and gig workers’ policy, strategy, and guidelines development, and work with public sector actors.

Who is eligible?

Registered license in Ethiopia
Tested idea with proof of concept
Scalable business model
Experienced team that is working on their idea full-time
A business that has been working for at least 6 months
Professional gigs with multi-sided marketplace matching model
Disruptive or with a unique value proposition

Special preference to those matching gig job opportunities for individuals with disabilities, internally displaced individuals, returnees and young women.

What is a gig? A time-bound job, task, or service that is performed on demand. Examples of gigs include, but are not limited to: childcare, food delivery, home and office cleaning, graphic design, and home-based healthcare. The individuals who provide these services on-call, outside of a standard employment contract are called “gig workers.” Does your startup support gig work? Mesirat will support you.

Interested applicants: apply here.

Dates to Mark – Application Deadline: September 30, 2023

Contact mesirat@gebeya.com for questions & inquiries.