Safir : Apply to the call for project leaders

From 7 June, a host of young people with an entrepreneurial or media project with a social, cultural and/or environmental impact can apply to get six months’ support and guidance in one of seven incubators in the Safir network. The 90 selected projects will also have the opportunity to apply for the acceleration phase, giving them access to a grant.

What are the criteria for applying?

- Applicants must be aged between 20 and 30;
- Originally from and living in one of the 7 following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine or Tunisia;
- Have launched or be about to launch an entrepreneurial or media project with a social, cultural or environmental impact.

What is an impactful media project?

- It has a social, environmental and/or cultural focus;
- It fulfils this social, environmental or cultural mission through a media outlet and/or the creation of content, or by implementing activities directly connected with the media (e.g. training sessions on data journalism or raising awareness of gender inequality in the media, etc.).

Several examples of media projects are available on the CFI YouTube channel, such as Radiocean, an independent internet radio platform run by Ghada Bensalah, a young Tunisian woman, with support from Safirlab (the project that preceded Safir).
All information about the call for applications as well as the application form are available:
- in English
- in Arabic

Applicants selected for “incubation” will receive 6 months’ support and guidance in developing their projects, from September 2021 to February 2022, by incubators in each country, all members of the Safir network: Bidaya (Morocco); The Algerian Center for Social Entrepreneurship (Algeria); Al Badil - Cultural Alternative (Tunisia); Icealexandria (Egypt); Jordan Youth Innovation Forum (Jordan); Lebanon Support (Lebanon); and the UCAS Incubator (Palestine).

A third of the projects will have the opportunity to take part in an “acceleration” phase in which they will receive financial support of up to €25,000.
Media project grants will be monitored by CFI.

Safir is an ambitious project designed to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the socio-economic inclusion of young people in nine countries in North Africa and the Middle East.
It is jointly financed by the European Commission and is implemented by the Institut français, in partnership with the Francophone University Association or AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie), CFI, Lab'ess, the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) and Pitchworthy - Bloom EMEA - Entrepreneurship Everywhere.