Application Opens for the Third Cohort of Mesirat Entrepreneurship Program

Mesirat, a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation, Gebeya Inc., and its Consortium Partners, announces the opening of applications for the third cohort of the Mesirat Entrepreneurship Program. 

The program, with a mission to organize and transform Ethiopia’s gig economy with a focus on youth employment, aims to enable 1,000,000 young people to secure dignified and fulfilling work. A significant 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, provide 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
• Business that has been working for at least 6 months
• Professional gigs with multi-sided marketplace matching model
• Disruptive or with 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 [email protected] for questions & inquiries.