The Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) in Tunisia has launched the second edition of their IMPRESS initiative to finance the 10 best startups in the country. The initiative is aimed at helping young businessmen develop their business by providing technological support and substantial added value.
MIC is the first centre of its kind in North Africa and was established as part of a strategic partnership agreement signed between Tunisia’s government and US software giant Microsoft in 2006; it seeks to support development of Tunisia ’s software industry through innovation and entrepreneurship by developing intellectual capital and strengthening industrial partnership.
MIC also seeks to boost the competitiveness of IT companies while also helping to build a knowledge-based economy and enhance Tunisia ’s role as a leader in new ICT in the region. HP is an exclusive partner for MIC in Tunisia.
The IMPRESS initiative offers the top 10 submitted startups some high level technical support, in the form of:
- Free 1 year subscription to Empower
- 5 software products for internal usage
- 1 software licence and 5 client access licences
- MSDN Premium subscription kit + User licences
- MSDN online services
These startups also get managerial and technical training:
- Software Business Management course: A two day course on analysis of the business environment, innovation, the value chain, and preparing business plans.
- Microsoft Solution Framework: A technical training by Microsoft consultants.
- Best practices: A technical workshop on the best practices for optimizing the development cycle and enhancing the quality of developed solutions.
- Skills Accelerators: Technical workshops revolving around Microsoft products and technologies (Web Expression, Visual Studio, Sharepoint and SQL Server).
- Microsoft will certify 2 persons per company, and will enroll them in MSPP (Microsoft Partner Program) to help them fully benefit from their skills building program and extend their market coverage.
The winners also get access to advanced labs to work on specfic developments, proofs of concept, demo and test their solutions in a high performance environment.
To promote the 10 winning startups and give them more visibility, Microsoft will associate them to their marketing events, and support their development locally and internationally.
Financial partners like BFPME (Small & Medium Enterprises Financing Bank), Tuninvest Finance Group and Alternative Capital Partners will complement the support, not only by eventually financing these startups, but also by coaching them and helping them develop their business plans.
To apply to the IMPRESS program, send your project details to the Microsoft Innovation Center before October 25th 2008, by email to mictn@microsoft.com, or by Fax to + 216 71 858 420.
This is another move in the right direction. We need more support and encouragement for our entrepreneurs. Although the package that Microsoft offers is not at the level that I would expect from such a company, yet it is better than nothing.
Thanks for this important post !
Amad
This is another move in the right direction. We need more support and encouragement for our entrepreneurs. Although the package that Microsoft offers is not at the level that I would expect from such a company, yet it is better than nothing.
Thanks for this important post !
Amad