SAIS SLP Startup Program

WELCOME

Demola Global is executing a novel startup training program with SAIS. A future-oriented global commercialisation and market access services that assists to explore business ecosystems and markets in Finland, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.

The training programme helps the startups to identify their own potential and increase their maturity and business development skills as a team.

About SAIS 2

The Southern Africa Innovation Support Programme (SAIS 2) is a regional development initiative supported by Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) in partnership with the ministries responsible for science, technology, and innovation in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat. The programme supports the growth of new businesses by strengthening innovation ecosystems and promoting cross-border collaboration between innovation role players in Southern Africa. It applies three tools to further these aims: innovation funding, capacity building, and knowledge and networking.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The objective of the training programme is to activate participating startup to focus on selected areas of business development and internationalisation. The main elements of the training programme are:
a) bootcamps for all participating startups
b) roundup meetings between the bootcamps for all participating startups
c) global market insight utilisation

The training programme helps the startup to identify their own potential and increase their maturity and business development skills as a team. It is expected that the process Increases business maturity in the following areas:

Clarified target market and customer selection
Business model clarification
More mature market-product fit
International business opportunities have been identified
The team's business expertise has developed
Go-to-market plan

Minimum requirements for applicants:

The applying startup is already an officially registered company in any of the SAIS countries or Finland.

The applying startup has submitted an application (you can find the form below).

The applying startup has interest and intent for internationalization.

SCHEDULE

23.11.2021 12.00 pm (UTC +2) Application period ends
26.11.2021 Selection of startups for the program

7.-8.12.2021 1st Online Bootcamp
10.-11.1.2022 2nd Online Bootcamp
1.-2.2.2022 3rd Bootcamp in Southern Africa (location TBA)
3.-4.2.2022 Visit to Southern African ecosystem for Finnish startups
14.-18.2.2022 Visit to Finland for Southern African startups

EXPENDITURE PRACTICALITIES

SAIS will cover the following costs for the startups:

Southern African startups: Return flights, accommodation and daily allowance for the 3rd bootcamp and for the visit to Finland.

Finnish startups: Return flights from Finland to Southern Africa for the 3rd bootcamp (flights to other possible destinations in Southern Africa will not be covered).

All the other possible expenses (like visas, COVID protocols, transportation in the visit locations, insurances, etc.) will be covered by the startups themselves.

THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THE PROGRAM HAS ENDED.

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