Highlights

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Rationale

Back in June 2020, in the framework of the World Water Day organized annually by the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI), the CMI, Cewas Middle East and the Mediterranean Youth for Water MedYWat network, jointly implemented an e-Hackathon which gathered 61 young participants from the Mediterranean region.

Distributed among 10 teams, participants worked on water and climate change challenges and received expert guidance to develop innovative solutions. All 10 teams submitted a full solution board, including each a 2-minute pitch video, a short description s well as draft visuals of the suggested prototype. A jury reviewed all 10 submissions and awarded 3 teams  for their solutions which offered the highest potential to be developed into entrepreneurial businesses tackling the challenges of the water-security nexus.

Today, going a step further, 8 of the original participating teams will partake in a 6-month entrepreneurial e-Bootcamp, where they will be given the chance to further develop their business ideas, conduct a thorough analysis on the potential and marketability of their solutions, and receive in-depth training with Cewas’ entrepreneurship coaches, as well as highly qualified mentors and experts.

This e-Bootcamp is organized by the CMI, Cewas Middle East and MedYWat, with the support of the UK Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Timeline

• First Webinar: Tuesday, December 1, 2020 - “Market and Stakeholder Mapping”
• Second Webinar: Tuesday, December 15, 2020 - “Market Analysis and Positioning”
• Intense Training Phase Including Weekly Workshops: January 13 - February 17, 2021
• Presentation of Full Solution Board Including Prototypes and Concept Notes: February 24, 2020
• Announcement of the Best Teams: End of February 2021
• Implementation and Coaching Phase (Submission of Final Report): March - May 2021

Awards

After concluding the activities of the e-Bootcamp and passing through a due diligence process organized by Cewas, the most promising solutions will be selected and announced in February 2021. The best teams will be guided and supported through the prototype implementation phase with expert coaching and implementation funding (price money) mounting up to CHF 1’300 per team to produce their prototypes. By the end of May 2021, these teams will be invited to join Cewas’s start-up incubation program! Once there, the teams will benefit from a tailored advanced support program to continue working on their solution and transforming it from an idea into a real business.

Legal Aspect

In order to create a safe, comfortable, and inclusive environment and an enjoyable experience for everyone, all participants are required to agree with the terms and conditions, which includes a code of conduct for the e-Bootcamp.