VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0122/01 0491140
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181140Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7301

UNCLAS TUNIS 000122 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR S/GWI AND NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KWMN PREL KPAO TRSY TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIA: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR WOMEN'S BUSINESS 
INCUBATOR CENTER 
 
REF: 09 STATE 132094 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises 
(CNFCE) proposes to launch an innovative program that aims to 
accelerate women's socio-economic progress in Tunisia by improving 
opportunities for business development, promoting sustainable job 
creation, and expanding economic opportunities through the creation 
of a Women's Business Incubator Center in Tunis.  The program will 
target young female graduates and aspiring female entrepreneurs and 
help them to transform business ideas into new start-ups, create 
jobs, and develop profitable enterprises.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  Problem Statement:  Finding a job is a priority for female 
university graduates in Tunisia.  To respond to that need, the 
Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises (CNFCE) works to 
help women graduates gain marketable skills and prepares them to 
transform their ideas into business start-ups. 
 
¶3.  Project description:  The CNFCE has a long history of working 
with women entrepreneurs in Tunisia to provide training, networking, 
information-sharing, and increased access to new markets.  CNFCE 
would like to take this work to the next level by creating what it 
terms a "Women's Business Incubator Center" in Tunis, which would be 
a "one-stop shop" for the needs of aspiring Tunisian women 
entrepreneurs.  The Incubation Center would provide its participants 
with business development training, resources, infrastructure, and 
consulting services to develop and grow their businesses through 
partnerships with existing networks, including access to 
business-to-business opportunities.  The CNFCE has already 
identified two potential local partners to support the development 
of the Incubator Center.  The National University will recruit 
appropriate students to develop a Business Management Essentials 
training program.  The Technological Park of Borj Cedria would house 
and manage the Center and provide technological know-how, 
facilities, business connections, and media exposure. 
 
¶4.  Project Activities:  This proposal will cover 18 months, 
including program planning and start-up, opening the Incubator 
Center, and mentoring the first cohort of graduates through the 
first phase of business start-up. 
 
Phase One:  The first phase of this program will last six months and 
will focus on identifying and convening potential program partners 
in a public-private coalition to support the Center, identifying and 
training a project manager, implementing a feasibility study, and 
developing the strategic and financial plans for the Center.  The 
CNFCE will hire a project manager with experience in community 
incubators and management in addition to support staff responsible 
for designing methodology, training support staff, implementing the 
feasibility study, and coordinating the program implementation with 
the coalition partners. 
 
Acceptance into the program will be through competition.  The 
partner university will call for business proposals with special 
preference for recent graduates.  The CNFCE and the university will 
conduct an informational exchange exercise to help aspiring female 
entrepreneurs identify their resources, attributes and aptitude for 
the entrepreneurial process, evaluate their strengths and 
weaknesses, set goals for what their business might accomplish in 
three to five years, construct a preliminary strategy to achieve 
their objective(s), and begin the next steps toward starting the 
business.  Through an internal evaluation, proposals will then be 
selected and entered into a two-year incubation process in which the 
small start-ups are offered services ranging from office space, 
telecommunication to administrative support.  Additionally young 
entrepreneurs will receive start-up capital, mentorships, training 
and marketing assistance. 
 
Phase 2:  The CNFCE and its partners will adapt business development 
methodologies to develop an intensive training program for 
participants to give guidance on business plan development, 
marketing strategy, personal selling skills, and CEO training.  A 
Business Management Essentials training program will be developed 
and implemented for the Incubator Center by the university. 
Business Management Essentials is a practical, skills-based 
education program designed to strengthen and sharpen the management 
skills of business owners and professionals. 
 
The Women's Incubator Center will also provide participants with a 
mentor to assist with the "how to" aspects for the next steps in 
business growth and career development.  By leveraging the vast 
expertise already existing in the CNFCE network, this program will 
enable young entrepreneurs to engage in a sustainable, 
skills-building mentoring program that improves business and 
maintains a connection to the youth entrepreneurship movement by 
providing them the opportunity to share and learn from the 
experience of more experienced entrepreneurs. 
 
Phase 3:  The Women's Business Incubator Center will also help 
client companies secure capital by managing an internal "seed fund" 
and access to private sources in addition to conventional forms of 
 
debt and equity financing, and help participants apply for loans. 
 
The CNFCE estimates that participants will spend two years in the 
Incubator Center before graduating.  The program will set graduation 
requirements by developing benchmarks such as company revenues or 
staffing levels, rather than time in the program.  Successful 
completion of the program will increase the likelihood that a female 
entrepreneur will stay in business over the long term. 
 
The CNFCE views this proposal as a source of funds for developing a 
pilot Women's Business Incubator Center, but once the program is 
operational it will become self-sustaining.  The CNFCE and its 
advisory board will undertake the strategic and financial 
development of this program with this goal in mind, and will explore 
sustainability options such as fee-based services, client equity 
shares, and private sector partnerships and financing. 
 
¶5.  Outcomes and Performance Measures 
Goal:  Improve entrepreneurial opportunities for women through 
business development; accelerate sustainable job creation for women; 
and expand economic opportunities for women by creating a women's 
business incubator center in Tunisia. 
 
Indicators:  Number of businesses started by participants that are 
generating profit; number of graduate firms still in business or 
that have been merged or acquired; a 200 percent increase in the 
number of people employed by participants; increased rate in 
business revenue as a result of program participation. 
 
Performance Measures:  Baseline survey; final survey; quarterly 
reports; and final report. 
 
Objective 1:  Provide young potential entrepreneurs the opportunity 
to independently establish successful businesses through a series of 
specialized capacity-building training courses and business 
simulations. 
 
Indicators:  Number of young female entrepreneurs participating in 
program; number of new businesses started by participants; increased 
entrepreneurial capacity of participants; number of participants 
completing the Business Management Essentials program. 
 
Performance Measures:  Baseline survey; final survey; training 
reports; quarterly reports; and final report; improvement in score 
of capacity assessment. 
 
Objective 2:  Enable young entrepreneurs to engage in a sustainable 
skills-building mentoring program that improves business and 
maintains a connection to the youth entrepreneurship movement and 
integrate them into both the CNFCE and Middle East/North Africa 
Business Women's Network to develop partnerships with existing 
networks and gain access to business-to-business opportunities. 
 
Indicators:  Number of mentors and mentees involved in on-going 
mentoring relationships; rate of participants reporting an increase 
in their professional capacity as a result of the mentoring program; 
rate of participants that have established business-to-business 
 
opportunities. 
 
Performance Measures:  Baseline survey; final survey; quarterly 
reports; final report; and mentoring evaluations. 
 
Objective 3:  Create a business incubator center through a 
public-private partnership coalition that provides its participants 
with business development opportunities, resources, infrastructure, 
and consulting services to start-up and grow their businesses. 
 
Performance Indicators:  Number of companies the incubator serves; 
number of graduates since the Center's launch; and amount of debt 
capital raised each year by client and graduate firms (bank loans, 
loans from family and friends, revolving loan funds, or other loan 
sources). 
 
Performance Measures:  Baseline survey; final survey; quarterly 
reports; and final report. 
 
Performance period:  18 months. 
 
¶6.  Budget 
 
Total:  $96,000 broken down as follows: 
 
Phase 1: Six months, $8,000 
Identifying and convening potential program partners; training a 
project manager; implementing the feasibility study, and 
developing the strategic and financial plans for the Center. 
 
Phase 2: Ten months, $82,000 
Develop an intensive training program for participants; 
strengthen management skills of business owners and professionals 
through internships; English classes in partnership with 
 
Pearson/Financial Times; availability of a mentor to assist with 
business growth and career development; secure capital by managing 
an internal "seed fund" and access to private placements; assist 
participants to apply for loans. 
 
Phase 3: Two months, $6,000 
Availability of a mentor to assist with business growth and career 
developmnt; secure capital by managing an internal "seed fnd" and 
access to private placements; assist paricipants to apply for 
loans. 
 
¶7.  Description f Recipient 
 
The Chambre Nationale des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises (CNFCE), a 
non-governmental and non-profit organization, was created in 1990 to 
promote the economic and social role of women entrepreneurs in 
Tunisia. 
 
CNFCE is composed of women entrepreneurs in different sectors of the 
economy: industry, trade, handicrafts, and technology.  CNFCE is the 
Tunisian hub and a founding member of the Middle East/North Africa 
Business Women's Network (BWN), one of the oldest businesswomen's 
associations in the region. CNFCE is an established organization 
with numerous existing partnerships and memberships in various 
regional business networks.  The organization has grown from its 
original 20 founding members to over 500 current active members. 
Part of their success hinges on an active event portfolio, with 
activities ranging from monthly member breakfasts to participation 
in regional forums and overseas study tours, and their continued 
expansion throughout the country by building the capacity of their 
regional chapters. 
 
¶8.  Monitoring 
 
Embassy Tunis will monitor the grant.  Reports will be submitted by 
the grantee on a quarterly basis.  A mid-term study of performance 
and financial status will be conducted at the 9-month mark. 
 
GRAY